LA Homeland Security *confirms* ARC kept out!

[Gawain of Orkeny]

Yes thats right . The LA homeland security agency wouldnt allow the redcross to bring supplies into the superdome before the hurricane because they though it would encourage people to go there. This isnt the federal government but local government.

[Aenlic]

And I saw an interview with the regional Red Cross director in which she agreed with that decision, for that very reason.

Can you say "red herring"? I knew you could.

[Xiahou]

And I saw an interview with the regional Red Cross director in which she agreed with that decision, for that very reason.

Can you say "red herring"? I knew you could.

Not sure where the red herring is. Weren't people screaming for Bush to be burned at the stake over the lack of supplies? Now, when it turns out to be a state decision, people start saying 'Well sure, it was the right thing to do'.

Does this belong in the hypocrisy thread?

[Aenlic]

A decision made by the Louisiana Homeland Security to stop the Red Cross from setting up inside New Orleans rather than on the periphery has suddenly become the entire relief effort? That isn't just a stretch. It's a major leap. Impressive.

And just for Gawain. Guess who runs the Louisiana State Department of Homeland Security or to be more precise and use the actual name The Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, Gawain! Go ahead, guess! Bzzzt. Times up. LOHSEP is run by Major General Bennett C. Landreneau. Now it is remotely possible that a request by the Red Cross to locate in New Orleans made it all the way to the governor through the general without him saying no or expressing an opinion, very remotely possible. But when you are told that a Major General made the decision, you might want to check your facts before arguing the point.

And while we're on the subject, it was FEMA that delayed the airlift of people from the emergency triage set up at the airport and the makeshift hospital there, by military and civilian transport for a couple of days, even though the planes were sitting on the tarmac. Why? Because they insisted on gathering to the area enough air marshalls and baggage screeners to prevent a possible terrorist from boarding a plane. Effing unbelievable. Those clever terrorists planting a sleeper mole in New Orleans before the hurricane, who would then manage to be rescued and brought by helicopter to the airfield for triage and then evacuated by plane to some other airbase in the middle of effing nowhere! What a plan! That bin Laden is one clever guy, isn't he? Brilliant! FEMA... not so brilliant.

OK, let's hear the next round of Republican talking points regurgitated for our edification and amusement.

[Xiahou]

Yeah, Aenlic- terrorists would never try anything during a natural disaster. What kind of animal would do that? And certainly, there wasn't anyone in New Orleans causing mischief with firearms right?

A decision made by the Louisiana Homeland Security to stop the Red Cross from setting up inside New Orleans rather than on the periphery has suddenly become the entire relief effort? That isn't just a stretch. It's a major leap. Impressive.

Has anyone here taken a serious look at relief efforts outside of Louisiana? If so they haven't shared it with the rest of us. In fact, pretty much all of the anti-Bush attacks here pointed the situation in New Orleans as evidence of how racist, incompetent, ect he is.... But, if we refute said attacks we're "stretching"? Sounds like you're grasping at straws, honestly.

[Aenlic]

Yeah, Aenlic- terrorists would never try anything during a natural disaster. What kind of animal would do that? And certainly, there wasn't anyone in New Orleans causing mischief with firearms right?

So, let me get this right. You're saying it was OK to delay the evacuation of people too injured to treat at the temporary triage on the grounds that there might be a clever terrorist waiting to hijack a C-130 from his stretcher? Maybe lurch up and threaten the pilots with his IV line? "Take this plane and fly it into the White House or I'll pull out my catheter! Do it!" There might be a terrorist in your closest too. You'd better check.

[English assassin]

And certainly, there wasn't anyone in New Orleans causing mischief with firearms right?

woot, conservative accidentally makes comment that could support gun control alert, woot. Equates firearms owners with terrorists as threat, woot. Where's Charlie Heston when we need him?

Oh, wait. "guns don't cause mischief, people do." Nothing to see here people, keep walking.

Anyway, I think A's point is that by waiting to screen all these people in case one of them was a terrorist, the authorities must be taken to think that the terrorist capability in the US is so great that they are able to activate a terrorist within 24-48 hours, and get him into NO, and on a refugee flight, and then blow it up.

Which is either the stupidest thing I have every heard, or a damning inditement that your own authorities think they have been so ineffective against terrorism that the terrorists can do whatever they want. Or both

[Tribesman]

Would that be the agency that is under military command Gawain , its not like you to be blaming the military is it , maybe they should court martial the two Major-Generals that run the agency .

because they though it would encourage people to go there.
Would this be at the stage when the dome was already exceding its planned capacity?

[Gawain of Orkeny]

Would that be the agency that is under military command Gawain , its not like you to be blaming the military is it , maybe they should court martial the two Major-Generals that run the agency .

Heres a couple of quotes from Britt Humes show last night.

MAJOR GARRETT: The Red Cross was ready, just got off the phone with one of their officials. They had a vanguard, Brit, of trucks with water, food, hygiene equipment, all sorts of things ready to go, where? To the Superdome and the convention center. Why weren't they there? The Louisiana Department of Homeland Security told them they could not go.

The state's own agency devoted to the state's homeland security. They told them, you cannot go there. Why? The Red Cross tells me, that state agency in Louisiana said, look, we do not want to create a magnet for more people to come to the Superdome or the convention center. We want to get them out. So at the same time local officials were screaming, where's the food, where's the water, the Red Cross was standing by ready, the Louisiana Department of Homeland Security said you can't go.

As for blaming the generals

Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2005 11:52 p.m. EDT
Gov. Kathleen Blanco's Bureaucrats Blocked Food and Water

The Red Cross was reportedly ready to deliver food, water and other supplies to flood-ravaged refugees who were sweltering inside New Orleans' Superdome last week - but the relief was blocked by bureaucrats who worked for Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco.



Fox News Channel's Major Garrett reported Wednesday that the Red Cross had "trucks with water, food, hygiene equipment, all sorts of things ready to go ... to the Superdome and Convention Center."


Story Continues Below


But the Louisiana Department of Homeland Security, Garrett said, "told them they could not go."
"The Red Cross tells me that Louisiana's Department of Homeland Security said, 'Look, we do not want to create a magnet for more people to come to the Superdome or Convention Center, we want to get them out,'" he explained.

"So at the same time local officials were screaming where is the food, where is the water, the Red Cross was standing by ready [and] the Louisiana Department of Homeland Security said you can't go

Garret by the way is not Major. The orders come from the Govenor.