Secret report reveals Iraq War caused catastrophe of New Orleans response

[FloridaPat]

" Relief efforts to combat Hurricane Katrina suffered near catastrophic failures due to endemic corruption, divisions within the military and troop shortages caused by the Iraq war, an official American inquiry into the disaster has revealed.

The confidential report, which has been seen by The Independent, details how funds for flood control were diverted to other projects, desperately needed National Guards were stuck in Iraq and how military personnel had to "sneak off post" to help with relief efforts because their commander had refused permission."

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article316682.ece

[opihimoimoi]

1. Mrs Murphy is Coming to Town to COLLECT her BET....

[niallmac]

2. What's up with General Barberro? n/t

[nashville_brook]

3. WHOA! this is harsh!

The report was commissioned by the Office of Secretary of Defence as an "independent and critical review" of what went so wrong. In a hard-hitting analysis, it says: "The US military has long planned for war on two fronts. This is as close as we have come to reality since the Second World War; the results have been disastrous."

The document was compiled by Stephen Henthorne, a former professor of the US Army's War College and an adviser to the Pentagon who was a deputy-director in the Louisiana relief efforts.

and WHY is this in the British press???? why isn't the WashPost or NYtimes or LAtimes all over this?!!

(whine...i wanna be an ex-american)

[Divernan]

4. The link's not working for me.

nt

[tocqueville]

5. the conclusion says it all

The report concludes: "The one thing this disaster has demonstrated the lack of coordinated, in-depth planning and training on all levels of Government, for any/all types of emergency contingencies. 9/11 was an exception because the geographical area was small and contained, but these two hurricanes have clearly demonstrated a national response weakness ... Failure to plan, and train properly has plagued US efforts in Afghanistan, Iraq and now that failure has come home to roost in the United States."

[shaggy1974]

6. Just so you know...

I'm not a freeper or anything, but the the reference to endemic corruption seems to refer to state and local officials.

[FloridaPat]

7. I'm sure FEMA will get it's fair share too.

[stillcool]

8. Are you consistent or persistent....

shaggy1974 (58 posts) Sun Oct-02-05 11:01 PM
Response to Original message
5. Just so you know...
I'm not a freeper or anything, but the the reference to endemic corruption seems to refer to state and local officials.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2129989

stillcool47 (1000+ posts) Sun Oct-02-05 11:40 PM
Response to Reply #5
8. are you referencing this section....
It charts how "corruption and mismanagement within the New Orleans city government" had "diverted money earmarked for improving flood protection to other, more vote-getting, projects. Past mayors and governors gambled that the long-expected Big Killer hurricane would never happen. That bet was lost with Hurricane Katrina."

...where it states past mayors and governors