Storm disaster fuels doubts over US terror plans

[UpInArms]

http://today.reuters.com/PrinterFriendlyPopup.aspx?type=bondsNews&storyID=uri:2005-09-02T145833Z_01_N02327000_RTRIDST_0_WEATHER-KATRINA-TERRORISM.XML

WASHINGTON, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Hurricane Katrina's devastation of New Orleans -- and the delay helping stranded people get out or even get water and food -- is raising doubts that U.S. cities may be ill-prepared to cope with a potentially worse disaster: a major attack.

Four years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the storm disaster marked the first time the federal government has invoked its post-Sept. 11 response plan aimed at enhancing Washington's ability to deal with national incidents.

But as Americans reeled at images of death and desperation among the city's refugees, experts on domestic security said a nuclear or biological attack on a big U.S. city could cause greater mayhem, and unlike the storm, come without warning.

The New Orleans disaster is already viewed as an illustration of what can go wrong in an American city under siege.

"In many ways, this is a test of our national capacity," said James Carafano, senior research fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation. "If we can't do this 24-7-365, we aren't doing our job for preparedness."

...more...

[rodeodance]

1. recommend

[indepat]

2. Where have all the flowers and money gone

[tanyev]

3. they have invoked a post 9/11 plan?

Absolutely no evidence of a plan. Unless the plan was to FUBAR.

[UpInArms]

5. all that money and all they have have done is to come up with a

one word solution:

RUN!

No help in how to or where to run, just run!

These morons are disgusting in their ineptitude.

[catmandu57]

16. And the devil take those

in the rear, everyone for themselves, fuck the rest. I feel so safe now that I know if I can stagger fast enough I'll live through what these bastards have up their sleeves.

[htuttle]

7. Well, the plan was to just invade Iran after the next terrorist attack

But I don't think they've been able to pin the hurricane on Iran yet.

[scarlett1]

23. Paraphrasing Les Nessman WKRP

The Godless Hurricanes-
Bush can't go and attack some Country that threatened his daddy.

Why does Bush care More about the Iraqi's than the People in the Gulf Coast and New Orleans? I don't know, but he does.

[barb162]

45. I think maybe all Americans are asking themselves what if this

happened where I live and this is the response. Like Bush said: unacceptable

[Rose Siding]

4. There's just one thing the bushies can do now...

re-color-code our duct tape

[Kber]

6. Geez - ya think?

I've never had faith in this Admin's ability to prevent a terrorist attack. Now, it's painfully obvious they don't know how to respond to one either.

[uppityperson]

8. Award for Obvious Headline of the Day goes to this one

[myrna minx]

9. Ya THINK?

Nice homeland security we have. :eyes:

[tavalon]

10. Wow, that's poorly written but

I've never doubted that we were completely ill prepared to handle any sort of disaster on our shores, especially now, with the robber barons in charge.

[davepc]

11. In the weeks following this crisis, this angle needs to be #1 by the Dems

Bush has build his ENTIRE presidency on "I'll keep you safe".

Well, something bad happened and thousands have died on his watch.

For all his talk these past 4 years about keeping people safe, all the money spent, all the federal agencies "reorganized" we have NOTHING to show for it. NOTHING.



"George Bush said he'd make protecting the homeland his #1 priority. We'll how much protection did the people of New Orleans get when they needed it most, in the aftermath of a major disaster?"

"The Government had time to plan for this disaster, what happens when the next disaster is a terrorist attack we do not have 4 days warning about?"

[UpInArms]

13. ding ding ding!

We have a winner here!

:toast:

[ninkasi]

25. You are 100% correct

The sad truth is that everything this administration does is done with an eye to funneling money to their cronies. To them, running the government is a way to gut any and all social programs designed to help the citizens of this country, and shift all wealth from the poor and rapidly disappearing middle class upwards to the already extremely rich.

We see, and the rest of the world sees, that this administration has absolutely no idea of how to govern. All they know is how to steal. How is it that my husband and I could turn on t.v. any day from the time Katrina hit, and know more about what has been unfolding than the clueless government officials who claim they just had no idea the problems would be this bad?

It's time for the ones who have benefited so richly from Bush and his neocon thugs to start paying their fair share of taxes again, and make every effort to helping all of those whose lives have been ruined by a situation that didn't have to be this bad. Bush and the rest need to be brought to trial for crimes against humanity.

Davepc, if our Democratic politicians do not seize this opportunity to shout from the rooftops how much damage the Republican party has done to our country, then I will believe that they are not fit to serve either. This is our chance. Take it.

[klyon]

43. Since they really don't believe in government how

can they govern well. As we see now governing, planning, and preparing is not apart of their consciousness. Their statement after both 911 and this tragedy were the same,"Who could have thought this would happen". Republicans have a completely different notion of government than me, that is for sure. Who could have thought indeed.

KL

[calimary]

31. Bingo. THIS. TOO. IS. HOMELAND. SECURITY.

Yes. And YES. And YES AGAIN!

Sorry to yell, but I'M YELLING, OKAY! DEAL WITH IT!!!

Yours is the Post Of The Year, davepc. BRAVO!!!! Be proud. Damn, I wish you were working for Howard Dean...

If you can, PLEASE call your reps. Call ANYBODY'S reps. Especially the Democrats. This should be superglued to their noses, inside their morning coffee cups, and every one of their bathroom mirrors and refrigerator doors.

Yeah, he's "keeping us safe," alright. Hey, all you republi-CONS and other bush-lovers: Feeling safer now? Does your head REALLY rest easy on your pillow at night, knowing he's the one in charge? REALLY?

Didn't somebody named kkkarl something... ? ... :evilgrin: say something about somebody being "fair game?" Well, then, so be it. Let the "fair games" begin.

[Shallah Kali]

46. Bush Admin. can't respond to emergency - all need to push that point

Letters to the Editor, call your elected officials, etc. If they can't take decent action when they KNOW the shit is going to hit the fan we are all screwed if there is another terrorist attack!

[TankLV]

47. On no! According to some repuke apologists here on DU.

it's "bad form" and "not the right time" to nit pick and criticize our pretzeldunce!

They told us so many times during the last few days.

I'll always remember this assholes.

[NYC]

48. I fully agree.

How much money did we waste on Homeland Security? It was obviously a waste. Even with warning, there was no response. The people are still at risk in New Orleans.

The only exception to the federal government's inactiviy and lack of response seems to be the Coast Guard.

[Gregorian]

12. The Patriot Act. The drug war. The war against terrorism.

Those are all just employment and money funneling schemes. That may be a trite and simplified reply, but I dare time will tell. It already has. We just got jail cells for that stinking drug war. And an alienated generation of Americans.

Where are the humanitarian bills? Health care? Insurance for all, instead of the array of different bills we pay for it? Food and housing for the poor and homeless? Just think of what America would be if all of it's citizens were taken care of.

We don't have plans for terror. Just a bunch of so-called experts waving their arms.

[Miss Chybil]

14. This is prove positive we are LESS safe with Bush in office.

You cannot fill critical jobs with your buddies - their only qualification being their ability to kiss ass - and expect the country to be safe.

[crispini]

15. nominated!

[noamnety]

17. If we can't prevent chaos in our own country

Why on earth would people think we are competent to be trying to restore order in Iraq?

The demonstration of complete incompetence by our chain of command should be proof that us staying in Iraq isn't going to help anything. If we can't get medical supplies, basic food and water to our own people because the guard says it's too dangerous to distribute it in some areas, that should be a clue to the rest of the world that our response to the same needs in Iraq is being met the same way.

We'll just let them starve or go without medical care, because we have no other real plan. Anyone who expected us to be greeted over there with flowers should ask themselves whether the folks in the convention center feel like throwing flowers at the officials who told them they'd be taken care of if they went there.

[iamjoy]

18. Been Thinking This All Week

heaven forbid the terrorists set off a big bomb in/near one of our major cities, you would potentially have a situation like this.

Or, maybe they figure if it were a major terrorist attack, such as a bombing, everyone would die in the initial blast?

I feel less safe, like our country cannot take care of its people.

[calimary]

34. Yeah, kinda blows a big hole in that one, doesn't it?

"...but, but, but, ... he's keeping us safe!!!"

Cue the violins.

[NYC]

49. The situation would be worse than this because nobody

would have evacuated. Many people left New Orleans before the storm hit because we all had warning. The government had time to prepare.

Obviously, the government does not make use of time to prepare, so that won't change. But the lack of warning to the population means there will be no evacuation if there is an attack. There will be a much greater number of victims. The government, which cannot handle the number of victims in New Orleans, will be totally unable to handle a much larger number of victims.

Homeland Security is a farce.

[starroute]

19. Look out for Carafano -- he's a Patriot Act guy all the way

A couple of months ago, I was trying to find out why there was such a strong push to reauthorize even the most extreme provisions of the Patriot Act, when hardly anybody on either the left *or* the right seemed to be in favor of them.

Carafano was one of the few I found actively supporting this. For example:

http://www.wpherald.com/storyview.php?StoryID=20050401-011208-6313r

James Jay Carafano, a senior fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation, said that the expiring provisions of the Patriot Act must be reauthorized because they give law enforcement the tools required to effectively fight terrorism.

Citing the limited information released by the Justice Department to promote the importance of the powers and his own conversations with officials at the agency, Carafano says there are signs that expiring provisions are useful in investigating potential terrorist activity.

"Not all of them lead to prosecutions, but in terms of effectively conducting investigations they are something important," he told United Press International, adding the argument often used by the law's proponents that such powers are needed to be proactive in fighting such threats.

A 29-page report from the Justice Department's inspector general last summer made the case for the act's streamlining of the process of sharing information between intelligence and law-enforcement agencies as well as the process of watching potential terrorists, using some of the tools up for renewal.

[ewagner]

20. Laugh or cry?

I wrote this for DU the other day and others are coming to the same conclusion...I don't know if I should laugh or cry...

[rodeodance]

21. This is what will bring down the Bushco--not the suffering I am sorry to

say. Katrinia may be the moments crisis-and the dying-but if people link this disaster with inability to protect them against terror that is it!!

[calimary]

35. What it means, in that case, is that all those who lost their lives in

this staggeringly horrifying disaster WILL NOT HAVE DIED IN VAIN. Let's not let their deaths be in vain! Let's not let all that suffering and anguish be in vain! LET'S WIN THIS ONE FOR THEM!!! Let's make it our solemn, sacred quest and vow made to them at their graves.

Now THIS is TRULY a noble cause.

[Catfight]

22. There are no plans...didn't they watch FH911? WAKE UP AMERICA!

[Straight Shooter]

24. bush has failed at everything he does. Why should NO be any different?

BuzzFlash calls him the "Master of Disaster." bush does not take his job seriously, he does not take threats seriously, he does not take the lives of our citizens seriously. He thinks everything is a big joke.

Think about it. We at DU were glued, are still glued to our computers, exchanging information, praying, attempting to set up any kind of network of information and help for the victims of Katrina's fury. What was bush doing? Only God knows, but it sure didn't have anything to do with providing assistance and saving lives. I don't think he had a clue the entire time what was happening, I really don't. Sheltered, insulated, privileged, untouched. Why should he care?

Maybe at a banquet next year he can showcase a new video called "Katrina." In the end, as he's swaggering out the door in his cowboy boots, he can turn to the lady dressed as New Orleans and say, "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn."

[calimary]

37. Gawd, what a great closing line.

You couldn't be more correct. You correctly point out the pathology. This pathetic jerk CAN'T sympathize or empathize. He knows NOTHING of this in all his life, in all his experience. When - repeat - WHEN has he ever done without? WHEN has he faced true, serious, legitimate, out-of-his-control danger and threat of death? WHEN has he EVER had to struggle for ANYTHING? He's never been farther than mere inches from a limousine and a silver spoon since the day he was born. He DOES NOT HAVE A CLUE what the other guy's life, or struggle, is like. NOT A CLUE. Any more than his pathetic, hapless weenie of a daddy had no idea what that funny group of little lines was on the back onf some packaged grocery item when he made a once-in-a-lifetime visit to a civilian grocery checkout counter. Had no idea what it was. And that was one of the things that up-ended him.

His derelict, miscreant, wastrel son is no different, and certainly no better. NOT A CLUE. And when he's never had to work a day in his life, and everything he screwed up was always handled, fixed, cleaned up, and replaced - 'cause somebody else ALWAYS made it all okay again and bought him a new one - he's just simply not ever GOING to know. He has no experience. He has no training. He has no template against which to compare this. NOTHING. And he's learned nothing from this. Because he hasn't ever HAD to. He's a spoiled aristocrat, raised by spoiled aristocrats. The biggest "entitlement complex" in the country is his - that he's somehow "entitled" to all this royal treatment and life on easy street. MISERABLE excuse for a human being. Why would anybody expect him to get off the dime and do something for somebody else who's in dire straits? He's never had to before, so why start now? Especially since it's the OTHER guy and not him, so why should he care? I can just hear what his "lovely" mommy said to him to soothe him hurt widdle feelings... "oh, don't worry. It's just 'the help.' It's okay. They're used to this. That's just how they live, honey. Now, don't bother your beautiful little mind, okay? Just forget about it and go back out and play. I'll handle it." And his growth has been stunted there, ever since.

I think that - say what you will about Clinton, but - that's why he DID and STILL DOES have the common touch, and why he's so beloved. Because he DOES know what it's like to be a have-not. EVERYTHING he has, he worked for and built up and earned with his own work, his own savvy, and his own brain-power. Nobody handed him anything, served on any silver plate, and dished with any silver spoon. He started from the dirt in a little corner of Arkansas, with a single mom and no rich, well-connected dad or grandpa or anybody else pulling strings for him and greasing skids for him and clearing the way for him and cleaning up after him. And I think he still remembers. I think that's probably why he's been so resilient in his life, in the face of the nonstop persecution and shit that everybody threw at him.

George doesn't have any of this in his background or in his bones, no less in his head or his heart. I'd guess he probably doesn't even have a heart. If you were to open him up, there'd be a little lump of coal in there with an inscription on it that says "gimme!"

[kineneb]

44. ruthlessly acurate

thank you!
"you're a mean, one, Mr. Grinch..."

[Dr Fate]

26. I wish Kerry was the President- Bush is childish, slow & unprepared.

n/t

[Coastie for Truth]

27. Compare and contrast: Local versus Feds

The only way an emergency response plan is ever going to work in a real emergency is

to rehearse it - run through it -

get the cops and fire fighters and paramedics out there --- get the Red Cross and the Salvation Army out there -- get the local hospitals out there - get the NGO responders (Civil Air Patrol, Coast Guard Auxiliary, Ham Radio, Urban/Mountain/Wilderness Search and Rescuse Corps) out there

Drill! Drill! Drill! Hot Debrief! Learn! Revise!

I know that our "Locals" do this - we have a very aggressive and creative Director of Emergency Services.

Even if the Feds .... oh well (enough said -- we have to keep peace in the family)

[Coastie for Truth]

28. Dupe - self delete

Server very slow today

[PATRICK]

29. Fuels doubts?

As long as the entire establishment is playing catchup to the usurper and the obvious agenda be prepared for a world of unpleasant surprises.

They lost an entire American city and doomed its population. The impact on the nation and world is glossed over in some sort of institutional fairyland shock.

Yet the sorry show of myth goes on as Bushco guts any reality associated with the semblance of civil government or whatever America is supposed to mean or what perhaps Christ intended Christianity to be(but never Himself believed it would live up to in action).

I will tune in for the executions of the Executive branch or the suitable 20 to life sentences in Spandau or Leavenworth should justice prevail and be televised.

I don't need to see more innocent victims of Bush etc,. I am not surprised. I am not shocked. Like any other sane citizen we look for real ways to help in lieu of anarchic despotism dressed in millionaires' suits.

[Imagevision]

30. Cheney's plans to Nuke Iran put on hold?

http://downingstreetmemo.com/

[calimary]

32. Just wanted to kick this again, in honor of Post 11, alone.

Just an absolutely superb, World-Class post, to a thread of equal majesty. I'm in awe. Hope at least SOME Dems are getting the message...

[demo dutch]

33. Have been saying that since Tuesday! You're on your own America!

[truth2power]

36. It was a sham from the gitgo. I've been saying

this for days now. All the talk about making Murkins safe from terra was nothing more than a way for Bush (cursed be his name) to funnel money to his ganster friends.

As should be obvious to anyone who doesn't have their head up their ass, nothing...NOTHING... has been done to plan for any disaster.

And that Mike Brown who heads FEMA has NO EXPERIENCE IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT.

This country is in the hands of a sick bastard who should be in an institution for the criminally insane. :banghead:

[JoFerret]

38. Incompetent in 2001

and still incompetent in 2005.

[complain jane]

39. Even if we had warning of a terror attack like the weather

like instead of Weather Channel we had Terror Channel showing us animated illustrations of what terrorists are on there way here and a general idea of what they might do, that's apparently still not enough.

[skygazer]

40. This is what I've been saying since it became evident

that there was NO federal response. My latest LTTE -

In light of the abyssmal response of the federal government to the plight of the people of New Orleans, I feel we must seriously consider what that means.

This Administration campaigned on the premise that George W. Bush would make us safer, both abroad and at home. They have also invoked over and over the specter of terrorist attack on our soil, stating that it is very likely if not inevitable that a large scale terrorist attack would occur here at home.

In the last week, we've seen what kind of response there was to a natural disaster that was tracked for days or even weeks, that was known to be heading toward New Orleans. What kind of response can we expect to any terrorist attack, attacks that come with little or no warning?

Do you feel safer? I don't.

[dethl]

41. Shit, meet fan. n/t

[goforit]

42. Does it make you feel safe in this country run by Thugs?...No!!!

[Shallah Kali]

50. Yahoo version - please rate and forward it!

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050902/ts_nm/weather_katrina_terrorism_dc_2

[daleo]

51. "A potentially worse disaster"

What could possibly be worse than losing a whole city? I figured they might start pounding the drums this way. I expect a variation on - "We must invade before they get WMD or more cities will get New Orleansed". They are shameless in their war plugging.