'They're not giving us what we need to survive'

[bemildred]

Only now, a week after Hurricane Katrina roared across the Deep South, leaving a trail of devastation across America's psyche, is the true story of the Battle of New Orleans emerging.

---

Those trapped inside the two main shelters, the Superdome and the Convention Centre, paint a picture of a city that was subsumed beneath waves of violence, rape and death and accuse the police and National Guard of standing by, ignoring their pleas for help.

The claims are rejected by the federal and state authorities, who instead suggest the looting and lawlessness which followed the extensive flooding of the city was the result of a series of isolated incidents perpetrated by a few.

But it is clear from talking to survivors that what happened in New Orleans last week was far more extensive, bloody and terrifying than the authorities have admitted so far.

Guardian UK

[teach1st]

1. Oh, god...

'The police were in boats watching us. They were just laughing at us. Five of them to a boat, not trying to help nobody. Helicopters were riding by just looking at us. They weren't helping. We were pulling people on bits of wood, and the National Guard would come driving by in their empty military trucks.'

[goclark]

2. OMG nt

[Erika]

3. The world is seeing how we treat our poor and they are shocked.

America is a racist society and depends on the poorest to do their jobs at the lowest legal rate. Bush even lets aliens in to keep the profits of the rich up. It's our middle class and our poor who is hurt, he doesn't care.

[Miss Chybil]

4. I thought they said the severe unlawlessness was the reason they

couldn't rescue anybody. Now, they say it was just a few isolated incidences? I can't wait for the Congressional hearings on this so we can find out what REALLY happened.

[wli]

5. the national guardsman was shot by his OWN GUN!!!

Nobody shot him. He had an accident and his own gun discharged into his leg!