Bushfraud Panics and Sends In The Marines

Bush Panics and Sends In The Marines

The Scotsman

Sunday, 4 September 2005

RICHARD GRAY, JACQUI GODDARD IN NEW ORLEANS AND ALEX MASSIE IN WASHINGTON

A PANICKED George Bush yesterday ordered elite troops on to the streets of New Orleans in an unprecedented attempt to stop violence in the disaster-struck city spiralling out of control.

The deployment, nearly a week after Hurricane Katrina struck, will see 7,000 marines and airborne troops sent to the emergency zone, where they are expected to crack down on the gun-toting gangs terrorising survivors.

Despite a blitz of TV appearances, Bush faces mounting criticism for failing to act fast enough to avert the crisis affecting millions on the Gulf Coast.

Thousands of National Guardsmen have failed to regain control of New Orleans. Fires continue to belch smoke over the city and sporadic gunfire echoes through the flooded streets.

Military experts said last night that regular soldiers - let alone elite assault troops - had never before been used to quell disorder in the United States.

As the president announced the military operation, long-awaited packages of food, water and medicines finally started to reach the stranded hurricane victims in New Orleans. A crowd of nearly 20,000 stood outside the city's convention centre as camouflage-green supply trucks rolled through axle-deep floodwaters.

But as thousands of the hurricane victims struggled to escape from the horror inside the city, violence escalated.

Looters and armed gangs roamed the streets robbing and raping victims as they struggled to recover from the disaster. Thick black smoke blanketed the city from oil fires left to burn in a place which lacks the manpower to put them out.

Addressing the nation in a live broadcast from the White House Rose Garden, Bush said the priority for the troops was to regain control.

"The enormity of the task requires more resources," he said, promising to return to the region tomorrow. "In America we do not abandon our fellow citizens in their hour of need.

"Our priorities are clear. We will complete the evacuation as quickly and safely as possible. We will not let criminals prey on the vulnerable, and we will not allow bureaucracy to get in the way of saving lives.

"The main priority is to restore and maintain law and order and assist in recover and evacuation efforts." Bush announced active duty troops from the 82nd Airborne, the 1st Calvary, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force and the 2nd Marine Expeditionary force would arrive in the affected areas within the next 24 to 72 hours.

The decision to send in regular forces came after the president met with defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and homeland security secretary Michael Chertoff.

But the deployment will place even greater strain on an army already struggling to meet its commitments in Iraq and other world troublespots.

There are currently 4,000 members of the Louisiana National Guard and no fewer than 12,000 guardsmen from neighbouring Mississippi serving in Iraq.

Military expert Charles Heyman, editor of Jane's World Armies, said: "Regular and elite forces are basically barred from operating inside a state without the authority of that state.

"They have never had the ability to use their weapons in any state without the express consent of the state. It goes right back to the constitution."

Meanwhile, Bush pledged the city of New Orleans would be rebuilt. He said: "I know that those of you who have been hit hard by Katrina are suffering. Many are angry and desperate for help.

"Where our response is not working, we will make it right. Where our response is working, we will duplicate it.

"We have a responsibility to our brothers and sisters all along the Gulf Coast, and we will not rest until we get this right, and the job is done."

He added: "This week we have all been humbled by the awesome powers of Mother Nature. It is hard to imagine a bright future. But when you talk to the proud folks in the area, you see a spirit that cannot be broken."

Although the president said he would return to the Gulf Coast tomorrow, his initial response was deemed tardy and inadequate by many observers.

When he first spoke to the nation on Wednesday, his speech was heavily criticised.

Peggy Noonan, a former speechwriter for Ronald Reagan and an influential conservative columnist, asked poignantly: "Does he know in his gut that the existence of looting, chaos and disease in a great American city, or cities, is a terrible blow that may have deep implications?"

Former House Speaker and would-be Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich was one of several Republicans to criticise the administration. He says the disaster "puts into question all of the Homeland Security and Northern Command planning for the last four years."

New Orleans Police Chief Edwin Compass broke down as he called for more boats to help him deploy his men around the city to protect its remaining residents.

He said: "We have individuals who are getting raped and getting beaten. Tourists are walking in that direction and they are getting preyed upon."

With violence hampering relief efforts, the evacuation of the 30,000 refugees from the Superdome stadium also stalled yesterday, leaving nearly 5,000 still inside.

As the refugees waited in 90-degree heat, some passed out and were carried to a makeshift medical ward at a nearby shopping mall.

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