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An auditing board sponsored by the United Nations recommended Friday that the United States repay as much as $208 million to the Iraqi government for contracting work in 2003 and 2004 assigned to Kellogg, Brown & Root, the Halliburton Co. subsidiary. The work was paid for with Iraqi oil proceeds, but the board says it was either carried out at inflated prices or done poorly. The board did not give examples of poor work. Some of the work involved postwar fuel imports carried out by KBR that previous audits have criticized as grossly overpriced. But this is the first time that an international auditing group has suggested that the United States repay some of that money to Iraq. The U.N. group, the International Advisory and Monitoring Board of the Development Fund for Iraq, compiled reports from an array of Pentagon, U.S. government and private auditors to carry out its analysis. A spokeswoman for Halliburton, Cathy Mann, said the questions raised in the military audits, carried out in the Pentagon's Defense Contract Auditing Agency, had largely focused on issues of paperwork and documentation and alleged nothing about the quality of the work done by KBR. The monitoring board relied heavily on the Pentagon audits in drawing its conclusions. Mann said, in an e-mail response to questions, that it would be completely wrong to say or imply that any of these costs that were incurred at the client's direction for its benefit are 'overcharges.' The monitoring board, created by the United Nations specifically to oversee the Development Fund -- which includes Iraqi oil revenues and some money seized from Saddam Hussein's government -- said that because the audits were continuing, it was too early to say how much of the $208 million should ultimately be paid back. The KBR contracts that have drawn fresh scrutiny also cover services other than fuel deliveries, like building and repairing oil pipelines and installing emergency power generators in Iraq. The documents released Friday by the monitoring board do not detail problems with specific tasks in those broad categories but instead summarize a series of newly disclosed audits that call into question $208,491,382 of the company's work in Iraq. The monitoring board's authority extends only to making recommendations on any reimbursement. It would be up to the U.S. government to decide whether to make the payments, and who should make them. Vice President Dick Cheney's former role as chief executive of Halliburton has led to repeated charges, uniformly dismissed by Cheney and the company, that it received preferential treatment in receiving Iraq-related contracts. The Bush administration repeatedly gave Halliburton special treatment and allowed the company to gouge both U.S. taxpayers and the Iraqi people, Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Los Angeles, the senior Democrat on the House Government Reform Committee, said in a statement on the new audits. In Iraq on Friday, insurgent attacks -- including one in which the attackers disguised themselves as women -- left at least 16 Iraqis dead. Al Qaeda in Iraq, the leading insurgency group, said in a statement posted on an Islamist Web site that two Moroccan Embassy employees had been condemned to death, the Associated Press reported. There was no indication Friday that they had been killed. The U.S. military said Friday that two more soldiers had died the previous day, one in a noncombat incident and one when his convoy struck an explosive. In the day's deadliest assault, insurgents dressed in women's clothing attacked a police checkpoint in Buhruz, 35 miles north of Baghdad, killing at least six Iraqi police and injuring at least 10 others, U.S. and Iraqi officials said. The gunmen were armed with Kalashnikov assault rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and mortars, and pulled up in five cars, an Interior Ministry official said. The policemen managed to kill at least two of the gunmen, he added Fact Check. Katrina: What Happened When (long article) Katrina: What Happened When It will take months to get the full story, but meanwhile here are some of the key facts about what happened and when officials acted. September 16, 2005 Summary
Multiple investigations are likely into the response by federal, state, and local officials to the disastrous flooding of New Orleans from Hurricane Katrina. New facts are still emerging, and we expect it will be months or years before a full picture can be properly assessed. In response to numerous requests, we present here a brief timeline of events, as best as we can document them from public records and the best news reporting from the scene. We do not blame or excuse anyone, and leave it to others to judge what, if anything, could or should have been done differently. All times are converted to Central Daylight Time. Analysis
July 23, 2004 - 13 Months Before Katrina The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) conducts Hurricane Pam exercise to assess results of a theoretical Category 3 hurricane. It assumes that a storm with 120-mph winds would force Lake Pontchartrain's waters over the tops of the New Orleans' 17.5-foot levees and through a gap in the levee system would flood major portions of the city and would damage up to 87 percent of the city's homes. The Times-Picayune reports that officials expect up to half the city's residents won't evacuate and that many will be trapped in attics, on rooftops, and in makeshift shelters for days. —In Case of Emergency, New Orleans Times-Picayune, as posted on the website of the Louisiana Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness, 20 Jul 2004. Friday, Aug 26 2005 - 3 Days Prior to Katrina's Louisiana Landfall Hurricane Katrina strikes Florida between Hallandale Beach and North Miami Beach as a Category 1 hurricane with 80 mph winds. Eleven people die from hurricane-related causes. —A chronology of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, Associated Press, 3 Sep 2005. The storm heads into the Gulf of Mexico and by 10:30 am CDT is reported to be rapidly strengthening. —Hurricane Katrina Special Advisory Number 13 , National Hurricane Center, 26 Aug 2005. Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco declares a State of Emergency in Louisiana. —Governor Blanco Declares State of Emergency, Louisiana Governor's Office, 26 Aug 2005. Saturday, Aug 27 2005 - 2 Days Prior Blanco asks President Bush to declare a State of Emergency for the state of Louisiana due to Hurricane Katrina. Bush does so, authorizing the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA to coordinate all disaster relief efforts… and freeing up federal money for the state. —Governor Blanco asks President to Declare an Emergency for the State of Louisiana due to Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana Governor's Office , 27 Aug 2005. —Statement on federal Emergency Assistance for Louisiana, Office of the White House Press Secretary, 27 Aug 2005. Katrina is a Category 3 storm, predicted to become Category 4. At 4pm CDT, it is still 380 miles from the mouth of the Mississippi. —Hurricane Katrina Special Advisory Number 18, National Hurricane Center , 26 Aug 2005. Director of the National Hurricane Center, Max Mayfield, calls the governors of Louisiana and Mississippi and the mayor of New Orleans to warn of potential devastation. The next day he participates in a video conference call to the President, who is at his ranch in Crawford, Texas. —Tamara Lush, For forecasting chief, no joy in being right , St. Petersburg Times , 30 Aug 2005. Sunday, Aug. 28 2005 - 1 Day Prior 1 a.m. - Katrina is upgraded to a Category 4 storm with wind speeds reaching 145 mph. —Hurricane Katrina Special Advisory Number 20, National Hurricane Center, 28 Aug 2005. 7 a.m. - Katrina is upgraded to a potentially catastrophic Category 5 storm. NOAA predicts coastal storm surge flooding of 15 to 20 feet above normal tide levels. —Hurricane Katrina Special Advisory Number 22, National Hurricane Center , 28 Aug 2005. —New Orleans braces for monster hurricane, CNN.com, 29 Aug 2005. 9:30 a.m. - With wind speeds reaching 175 mph, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin orders a mandatory evacuation of the city after speaking with Bush. The evacuation call comes only 20 hours before Katrina would make landfall – less than half the time that researchers had determined was necessary to evacuate the city. —Gordon Russell, Nagin orders first-ever mandatory evacuation of New Orleans , New Orleans Times-Picayune , 31 Aug 2005. —Lise Olsen, City had evacuation plan but strayed from strategy , Houston Chronicle , 8 Sep 2005. 10 a.m. - NOAA raises their estimate of storm surge flooding to 18 to 22 feet above normal tide levels. The levee protecting New Orleans from Lake Pontchartrain is only 17.5 feet tall; the Mississippi River levee reaches 23 feet. —Hurricane Katrina Special Advisory Number 23 , National Hurricane Center , 28 Aug 2005. The Associated Press reports that New Orleans could become a vast cesspool tainted with toxic chemicals, human waste and even coffins released…from the city's legendary cemeteries. The storm threatened an environmental disaster of biblical proportions , one that could leave more than 1 million people homeless, the AP says. —Matt Crenson, Katrina may create environmental catastrophe on epic scale, Associated Press , 28 Aug 2005. 11:31 a.m. - The President – at his ranch in Crawford – speaks briefly to reporters. His statement contains 203 words about Katrina and 819 congratulating Iraqis on their new constitution. We will do everything in our power to help the people in the communities affected by this storm, he says of the approaching hurricane. —President Discusses Hurricane Katrina , Congratulates Iraqis on Draft Constitution, Prairie Chapel Ranch, Crawford, Texas, 28 Aug 2005. 8:30 p.m. - An empty Amtrak train leaves New Orleans, with room for thousands of potential evacuees. We offered the city the opportunity to take evacuees out of harm's way…The city declined, said Amtrak spokesman Cliff Black. The train left New Orleans no passengers on board. —Susan Glasser, The Steady Buildup to a City's Chaos , The Washington Post , 11 Sep 2005. Two weeks later, Nagin denies on NBC's Meet the Press that Amtrak offered their services. Amtrak never contacted me to make that offer, the mayor tells host Tim Russert. I have never gotten that call, Tim, and I would love to have had that call. But it never happened. — Interview with Mayor Nagin , Meet the Press, NBC, 11 Sep 2005. Monday August 29, 2005 - Day of Katrina 6 a.m. - Katrina makes landfall on Louisiana coast as a strong Category 4 storm, with sustained winds of nearly 145 mph and predicted coastal storm surge of up to 28 feet. The National Hurricane Center warns that some levees in the greater New Orleans area could be overtopped. It says a weather buoy located about 50 miles east of the mouth of the Mississippi river had reported waves heights of at least 47 feet. —Hurricane Katrina Intermediate Advisory Number 26A …Corrected, National Hurricane Center , 29 Aug 2005. 8.a.m. - The storm surge sends water sloshing up the Industrial Canal, and local officials immediately report flooding on both sides. Winds break a barge loose and it strikes the levee. —John McQuaid, Katrina trapped city in double disasters, New Orleans Times-Picayune, 7 Sep 2005. 9 a.m. - The eastern part of the city and Bernard Parish are already flooded several feet deep, even before the eye of the storm has passed. Thousands of survivors are trapped. But worse flooding is to come: within hours, city canal floodwalls will also collapse and a second, slower wave of flooding will take place. —John McQuaid, Katrina trapped city in double disasters , New Orleans Times-Picayune , 7 Sep 2005. 11 a.m. - New Orleans is spared a direct hit, as the center of the storm passes over the Louisiana-Mississippi state line 35 miles away from the city. Maximum sustained winds are now reduced, but still a strong Category 3 storm with 125 mph winds. —Hurricane Katrina Advisory Number 27, National Hurricane Center , 29 Aug 2005. 11:06 a.m . - Bush promotes his Medicare prescription drug benefit at a 44-minute event in El Mirage, Arizona. He devotes 156 words to the hurricane, among them: I want the folks there on the Gulf Coast to know that the federal government is prepared to help you when the storm passes. I want to thank the governors of the affected regions for mobilizing assets prior to the arrival of the storm to help citizens avoid this devastating storm. —President Participates in Conversation on Medicare , White House , 29 Aug 2005. Late Morning (exact time uncertain) - The vital 17th Street Canal levee gives way, sending the water from Lake Pontchartrain into the city in a second, slower wave of flooding. A full day will pass before state or federal officials fully realize what is happening. —John McQuaid, Katrina trapped city in double disasters , New Orleans Times-Picayune , 7 Sep 2005. Eventually, engineers will find five separate places where concrete floodwalls gave way. They will still be debating and studying the causes of the failures two weeks after the storm. —John McQuaid, Mystery surrounds floodwall breaches; Could a structural flaw be to blame ? New Orleans Times-Picayune , 13 Sep 2005. About 11 a.m. (exact time uncertain) - Roughly five hours after Katrina strikes the coast, FEMA director Michael Brown sends a memo – later obtained and made public by The Associated Press – requesting an additional 1,000 rescue workers from the Department of Homeland Security within 48 hours and 2,000 more within seven days. It is addressed to his boss, Michael Chertoff, Secretary of Homeland Security. Brown refers to Katrina as this near catastrophic event (our emphasis.) He proposes sending the workers first for training in Georgia or Florida, then to the disaster area when conditions are safe. Among the duties of the workers, Brown proposes, is to convey a positive image of disaster operations to government officials, community organizations and the general public. (Emphasis added.) —Michael D. Brown, Memorandum to Michael Chertoff, Secretary of Homeland Security , 29 Aug 2005. Later Brown will say FEMA itself has only 2,600 employees nationwide, and normally relies on state workers, the National Guard, private contractors and other federal agencies during disaster relief operations. —David D. Kirkpatrick and Scott Shane, Ex-FEMA Chief Tells of Frustration and Chaos , New York Times, 15 Sep 2005: A1. 4:40 p.m. - Bush appears in Rancho Cucamonga, California for another Medicare event. He again devotes a few words to Katrina: It's a storm now that is moving through, and now it's the time for governments to help people get their feet on the ground. . . . For those of you who are concerned about whether or not we're prepared to help, don't be. We are. We're in place. We've got equipment in place, supplies in place. And once the -- once we're able to assess the damage, we'll be able to move in and help those good folks in the affected areas. —President Discusses Medicare, New Prescription Drug Benefits ,James L. Brulte Senior Center Rancho Cucamonga, California, 29 Aug 2005. Time uncertain - Blanco calls Bush, saying, Mr. President, we need your help. We need everything you've got. Bush later assures her that help is on the way. —James Carney et al, 4 Places Where the System Broke Down, Time , 11 September 2005. —Evan Thomas, How Bush Blew It, Newsweek , 19 September 2005. Tuesday August 30, 2005 - 1 Day After Katrina Dawn - Water has continued to rise overnight and is coursing through the city's central business district, still rising. Eventually, at least least 80 percent of New Orleans is under water. Reports of looting surface. —John McQuaid, Katrina trapped city in double disasters , New Orleans Times-Picayune , 7 Sep 2005. 11:04 a.m. - In San Diego, California, Bush delivers a 31-minute speech marking the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. Of Katrina, he says, we're beginning to move in the help that people need. —President Commemorates 60th Anniversary of V-J Day Naval Air Station North Island San Diego, California 30 Aug 2005. Immediately after the speech, White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan tells reporters that Bush will return to Crawford, then cut short his Texas stay and go to Washington. McClellan says, This is one of the most devastating storms in our nation's history. I think that's becoming clear to everyone. The devastation is enormous. —Press Gaggle by Scott McClellan , Naval Air Station North Island San Diego, California, 30 Aug 2005. 3 p.m. - With water still pouring into the city, officials report that the Army Corps of Engineers has surveyed the damage to levees and will soon attempt repair. At a Baton Rouge briefing, Sen. Mary Landrieu reports that most of the roads and highways are impassable, and water is still coming into the city of New Orleans. The water is up to the rooftops in St. Bernard and Plaquemine. We think there may be only one major way into the city right now and it has to be used for emergency personnel to get food and water and rescue equipment to people who are in desperate need. But even now, federal and state officials alike seem unaware of the full extent of the unfolding disaster. FEMA's coordinator William Lokey says of the still-rising water:
None of the state officials present at the press conference correct Lokey's mistaken remark. And Blanco seems puzzled when a reporter asks the governor about the water pollution that will later emerge as a major public health risk:
—The Situation Room; Hurricane Katrina Aftermath ; Rescue Efforts and Assessing the Damage, Transcript, CNN, 30 Aug 2005. Wednesday August 31, 2005 - 2 Days After Morning - Bush, still in Crawford, participates in a half-hour video conference on Katrina with Vice President Cheney (who is in Wyoming) and top aides. Later, he boards Air Force One and flies over New Orleans on his way back to Washington. His press secretary tells reporters: The President, when we were passing over that part of New Orleans, said, 'It's devastating, it's got to be doubly devastating on the ground.' —Press Gaggle with Scott McClellan Aboard Air Force One, En Route Andrews Air Force Base, MD, 31 Aug 2005. Looting intensifies in New Orleans. Nagin orders most of the police to abandon search and rescue missions for survivors and focus on packs of looters who are becoming increasingly violent. The AP reported, Police officers were asking residents to give up any guns they had before they boarded buses and trucks because police desperately needed the firepower. —Mayor: Katrina may have killed thousands , Associated Press , 31 Aug 2005 Late Afternoon - Bush, back at the White House, holds a cabinet meeting on Katrina and speaks for nine minutes in the Rose Garden to outline federal relief efforts. He says FEMA has moved 25 search and rescue teams into the area. As for those stranded at the Superdome, Buses are on the way to take those people from New Orleans to Houston, the President says. —President Outlines Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts , The Rose Garden, 31 Aug 2005. Thursday September 1, 2005 - 3 Days After 7 a.m. - Bush says I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees. His remark comes in a live interview on ABC's Good Morning America :
—“Good Morning America,” Transcript, ABC News, 1 September 2005. Time Uncertain - Red Cross President Marsha Evans asks permission to enter the city with relief supplies, but Louisiana state officials deny permission. —Red Cross: State rebuffed relief efforts: Aid organization never got into New Orleans, officials say CNN.com , 9 Sep 2005. Thirty-thousand National Guard Troops from across the country are ordered to report to the Gulf Coast, but many do not arrive for several days. —More Navy Ships, National Guard troops head to the Gulf Coast , Associated Press, 1 Sep 2005. The first buses arrive at the Superdome to take evacuees to the Astrodome in Houston, 355 miles away. But the evacuation goes slowly and will take several days. —Evan Thomas, The Lost City, Newsweek , 12 September 2005. Associated Press photographer Phil Coale makes an aerial shot of scores of school buses sitting unused in a flooded New Orleans lot. Many will later question why city officials did not use these busses to evacuate residents who lacked transportation prior to the hurricane, or at least move them to higher ground for use later. —AP Photo/Phil Coale Aerial view of flooded school busses, Yahoo News, 1 Sep 2005. Evening - In a special report that is typical of the picture that television is conveying to the world, CNN Correspondent Adaora Udoji reports: Three days after Hurricane Katrina, and the situation is getting more desperate by the minute. Thousands are still stranded in misery. . . . They are marching in search of food, water and relief. They're surrounded by a crumbling city and dead bodies. Infants have no formula, the children no food, nothing for adults, no medical help. They're burning with frustration, and sure they have been forgotten. And CNN's Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, reports live from Charity hospital in New Orleans: It doesn't appear to be safe now, but it seems that a sniper standing atop one of the buildings just above us here and firing down at patients and doctors as they were trying to be evacuated, unbelievable. It just boggles my mind, actually. —Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees, Special Edition: Hurricane Katrina , CNN Transcripts , 1 Sept 2005. Brown says FEMA officials were unaware for days that – besides the hurricane victims stranded in the Superdome – thousands more had taken refuge in the New Orleans Convention Center nearby. Speaking from Baton Rouge in a live interview with CNN's Paula Zahn, he says:
—Paula Zahn Now, Desperation in New Orleans; Interview With FEMA Director Mike Brown, Transcript , 1 Sep 2005. Later, Brown will say he was wrong and that FEMA actually knew about the victims at the Convention Center 24 hours earlier but was unable to reach them until Thursday. —David D. Kirkpatrick and Scott Shane, Ex-FEMA Chief Tells of Frustration and Chaos, New York Times 15 Sep 2005: A1 Evening - Nagin delivers a rambling diatribe in an interview with local radio station WWL-AM, blaming Bush and Blanco for doing too little:
—Mayor to feds: 'Get off your asses,' Transcript of radio interview with New Orleans' Nagin, CNN.com, 2 Sep 2005. Friday September 2, 2005 - 4 Days After The Red Cross renews its request to enter the city with relief supplies. We had adequate supplies, the people and the vehicles, Red Cross official Vic Howell would later recall. Louisiana officials say they needed 24 hours to provide an escort and prepare for the Red Cross's arrival. However, 24 hours later, a large-scale evacuation is underway and the Red Cross relief effort never reaches New Orleans. —Red Cross: State rebuffed relief efforts: Aid organization never got into New Orleans, officials say CNN.com , 9 Sep 2005. 8:02 a.m. - Bush leaves the White House to tour the hurricane area. He says, A lot of people are working hard to help those who have been affected, and I want to thank the people for their efforts. The results are not acceptable . —President Heads to Hurricane Katrina Affected Areas, The South Lawn , 2 Sep 2005. 10:35 am - Bush, arriving in Alabama to tour the disaster area, says of the FEMA director at a live news conference: Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job. The FEMA director is working 24 -- (applause) -- they're working 24 hours a day. Again, my attitude is, if it's not going exactly right, we're going to make it go exactly right. If there's problems, we're going to address the problems. —President Arrives in Alabama, Briefed on Hurricane Katrina, Mobile Regional Airport Mobile , Alabama 2 Sep 2005. Noon - A convoy of military trucks drives through floodwaters to the convention center, the first supplies of water and food to reach victims who have waited for days. Thousands of armed National Guardsmen carrying weapons stream into the city to help restore order. Commanding is Army Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré, a cigar-chomping Louisiana native who soon wins praise for his decisive style of action. —Allen G. Breed, National Guardsmen Arrive in New Orleans, The Associated Press, 2 Sep 2005. 5:01p.m. - Bush speaks at New Orleans airport, saying, I know the people of this part of the world are suffering, and I want them to know that there's a flow of progress. We're making progress. —President Remarks on Hurricane Recovery Efforts , Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport 2 Sep 2005.
10:06 am - Bush announces he is ordering additional active duty forces to the Gulf coast. The enormity of the task requires more resources, he says in his Saturday radio address. In America we do not abandon our fellow citizens in their hour of need. He says 4,000 active-duty troops are already in the area and 7,000 more will arrive in the next 72 hours. Those will add to some 21,000 National Guard troops already in the region. —President Addresses Nation , Discusses Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts, The Rose Garden , 3 Sep 2005. Sunday, September 4, 2005 - 6 Days After The President issues a proclamation ordering the US Flag to be flown at half-staff at all federal building until Sept. 20 as a mark of respect for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. —Proclamation by the President: Honoring the Memory of the Victims of Hurricane Katrina, 4 Sep 2005. Monday September 5, 2005 - One Week After U.S. Army Corps of Engineers repair the levee breach on the 17th Street Canal and begin to pump water from the city. —Pumps begin to drain New Orleans. CNN.com , 6 Sep 2005. Tuesday September 6, 2005 - 8 Days After FEMA asks reporters to refrain from taking pictures of the dead. Reuters quotes a FEMA spokeswoman as sending an email saying, The recovery of victims is being treated with dignity and the utmost respect and we have requested that no photographs of the deceased be made by the media. —Deborah Zabarenko, Media groups say FEMA censors search for bodies , Reuters , 7 Sep 2005 Nagin orders police and law enforcement officials to remove everyone from the city who is not involved in recovery efforts. Despite this order, many residents remain in New Orleans, refusing to leave. —Cain Burdeau, New Orleans Mayor orders Forced Evacuation , Associated Press , 7 Sep 2005. Wednesday September 7, 2005 - 9 Days After FEMA brings in Kenyon International Services from Houston to assist in recovering bodies, many of which have been left in the open since the storm hit. A week later, state and federal officials will still be bickering over who is to pay the $119,000 daily expense of the outside mortuary specialists, and many bodies will still lie uncollected in the open and in drained buildings two weeks after the storm. —Michelle Krupa, Louisiana hires firm to help recover bodies ; Blanco says FEMA moved too slowly, New Orleans Times-Picayune , 14 Sep 2005. A bipartisan joint Congressional Committee is announced to investigate the response to Hurricane Katrina at all levels of government, as federal, state, and local officials continue to blame each other for the slow response in dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. —GOP leaders agree to joint Katrina hearings, CNN.com , 8 Sep 2005. Friday September 9, 2005 - 11 Days After Chertoff removes Brown from his role in managing the Katrina relief effort, and puts Coast Guard Vice Admiral Thad W. Allen in charge. —Peter Baker, FEMA Director Replaced as Head of Relief Effort , Washington Post , 10 Sep 2005: A01. Monday September 12, 2005 - Two Weeks After Brown resigns as head of FEMA saying, it is important that I leave now to avoid further distraction from the ongoing mission of FEMA. —Statement by Michael D. Brown, Under Secretary of Department of Homeland Security Emergency Preparedness & Response and Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, News Release , FEMA, 12 Sep 2005. September 13, 2005 11:30 a.m. – Bush takes responsibility for the federal government’s failures while speaking at a press conference with Iraqi President Talabani.
—“President Welcomes President Talabani of Thursday, September 15, 2005 Brown, in an interview published in the New York Times , says the governor and her staff had failed to organize a coherent state effort in the days after the hurricane, and that his field officers in the city were reporting an out of control situation to his superiors. He says he asked state officials, What do you need? Help me help you. . . . The response was like, 'Let us find out,' and then I never received specific requests for specific things that needed doing. A spokesman for the governor said, That is just totally inaccurate. —David D. Kirkpatrick and Scott Shane, Ex-FEMA Chief Tells of Frustration and Chaos , New York Times 15 Sep 2005: A1 8:02 p.m. - Bush says, in a prime-time, televised speech from New Orleans, that the system, at every level of government, was not well-coordinated, and was overwhelmed in the first few days. He says the military should have a greater role in reacting to future large disasters. Congress is preparing an investigation, and I will work with members of both parties to make sure this effort is thorough. He promises massive aid, tax breaks, and loan guarantees to aid rebuilding, saying that there is no way to imagine America without New Orleans, and this great city will rise again. —President Discusses Hurricane Relief in Address to the Nation, Jackson Square, New Orleans, Louisiana 15 Sep 2005. 'Don't taze me, bro!' hahahahahaha no/m Most of those in politics in Britain know EXACTLY and it had nothing to do with what he says; it had EVERYTHING to do with being politically correct. Due to the extreme muslim violence in that country, Jacqui Smith was supposed to compile a list of muslim extremists and inciters of violence in order for great britain to keep them OUT of the country. They have an out of control muslim community as it is now, so much so that police will not even go into the neighborhoods. Great Britain is wishing now they had closed their doors to muslims a looong time ago. When they let in moderate muslims, they let in the radicals as well and those radicals have spent all their time openly spewing hate for the British and Americans, while standing on British streets....inciting ALL muslims to go out and KILL british and american troops, which is the same as kill british and americans..... period! Lets not pretend we don't know what they really mean. So, in order to look PC, they were so afraid to seem as if they were "profiling", which is exactly what they should be doing, they threw in a couple of white guys from the U.S. just to keep things fair and even..so lame!! Too bad they forgot to add the black guy, Rev. Wright, the all time inciter of hate and violence.......... Great Britain has been so "open minded" they now have an out of control Muslim population. The neighborhoods have become so violent, the police won't even venture into the neighborhoods! They're trying to run the european contry.... GB is now trying to curtail anymore Muslims from coming into the country and that is why the "black list" started in the first place. I say GOOD FOR THEM! They are sick and tired of others trying to control their govt and people....same thing is happening in this country! And that statement is ridiculous, Iran and Iraq enemies, remember the Iran-Iraq war? Iraq would jus nm Blair Do these conservatives realize that Bushs buddy, Blair, whom I have read they admire and like is a socialist? He is a socialist democrat, LOLOLOLOL. His ideology is to unite Europe and help each other. Not a very conservative way of thinking. socialist blair He is a socialist, doesnt just tend to sway that way..He is a socialist, LOL. Gee, I thought socialism, you know, help each other, my bread is your bread, sure I will donate or pay taxes to set up programs, run by the government, to help those less fortunate..Socialism..the same thing you fight against in America, Social Security, without private accounts, Medicare, and many more, all programs set up by democrats. Bush's BFF Blair says he will resign sm http://articles.news.aol.com/news/_a/britains-blair-says-hell-resign-within-a/2006090609330990008?ncid=NWS0001000000000 Have you ever wondered where Tony Blair went? Case in point. I don't read the NYT. They lost all credibilty with Jayson Blair. NM 
Bush didn't destroy Iraq. He helped to liberate Iraq. m you two having a circle pull? nm
what's a circle pull? nm x Okay, pull it on.........young man said it with xx i'm trying to pull that up and it shows not sure what is going on. You ask me about fear? I do believe things can and will get better. This is not something that is going to happen overnight and to be honest with you, I believe it will be worse with Obama.... Regarding the economy, there is a lot of fingerpointing and obviously I myself cannot be sure where exactly this started but we have had a democratic congress. If you pull yours out of Bridger's behind you could...nm
Figures McCain would pull something like this Well I guess he saw how well it worked with the HC supporters (most giving their opinion that we need a woman in there, we are voting cos its time for a woman, etc, etc and some only voting for her only because she's a woman). Guess he's so concerned with losing he'll stoop to anything. Talk about calling the kettle black. He proclaims Obama doesn't have the experience and he's young and new, and then he picks her? She's not ready to step in as President, she doesn't have any experience whatsoever. He's going to have a hard time explaining that one. Again it goes to show McCain is not in touch with the American people. He picks a woman thinking that what all the women want, but luckily the women who supported Hillary are coming out saying we supported Hillary because of her position and viewpoints, not just because she was a women. I just believe he has just lost any chance to win. She has no international experience, been governer less than 2 years and has no experience at anything. Guess he's making it perfectly clear he wants a running mate who will never question him. His ego is taking over and its going to sink him. He'll need the Swift Boat Veterans to fish him out of the water. Never mind her radical christian viewpoints. Everything he's been attacking Obama for being, he has just picked a running mate who is all that. How could he have gotten it so wrong? Any chance I had of electing him flew out the window with that pick. Brother...he would have been better to choose Hillary as a running mate. Hello President Obama. I'm about ready to pull what little money I have - out of the bank and bury it in the backyard! What about you? Retire, pull op stakes and become nm Is Vermont really going to pull off seceeding from the USA? It looks like they are getting very serious about doing this. They aren't alone in this kind of talk. I think Texas and North or South Carolina have been talking this way, too. About Second Vermont Republic: http://www.vermontrepublic.org/about
An essay by Tom Naylor: http://www.vermontrepublic.org/a_eulogy_for_the_first_vermont_republic You'll be waiting a long, long time, then, cuz she's going to do And I predict in three years the republicans will pull out their...sm ANTI-gay and ANTI-abortion cards and run with them again, and issues like this, however important, will be overshadowed. Any one who wants things his way or no way is not to be trusted to me. Shows that they have no respect for differing views. There's nothing wrong with being strong but open mindedness should come with the territory. I understood you perfectly....pull out the military.... and what little stability there is will be gone. I cannot see it going any other way. What exactly do you see happening if we pull the military out? Seriously. What will the insurgents do? What will the sunni and shiite militias do? I am serious...what do you think would happen? Oh, Ditzy. Pull the string and she talks. What are you going to do when you can't blame Bush for everything? You're like a talking doll - braaaaaak - Bush caused katrina. braaaaaaaak - Bush made unqualified losers default on their morgages. braaaaaaaa - Bush can't walk on water. So boring listening to you Obots jabber the same worn out phrases over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over. I wonder if an original thought has ever gone through your head, Ditz. People like you like to pull a race card all the nm Meowwwwwwwwww! Catttyyyyyy. lol. I said I was wrong...pull in the claws. Okay...so he did cocaine, not crack. Is that better? Obama snorted cocaine, or "blow" as he called it in his book. I did not make it up, he did it and he says he did it. Can we move on now?? OP said not to force beliefs on others... if you don't want to read religious toned posts, don't open them. O says that he will force insurance companies to insure preexisting conditions. That sounds like something that will put them out of business to me. No need to buy insurance until you need it. Think of all the lost jobs. PS, NOT ENCOURAGE, FORCE!! XX Require = force xx I don't believe I force people to convert to my religion. I don't kill in the name of my God. I am nothing like the Jihad extremists and for you to say that is just absolute BS and you know it. What you people seem to forget is that we are at war here. A war were people want me and you dead. I don't want to torture them for revenge but if we can get other names of people or any plot information to save American lives.....I'm all for it....including saving your atheist behind in the process. Doesn't quite sound like I'm a Jihad extremists or I'd say something like blow your butt up too since you won't convert to my religion but I don't see me saying that. So don't you EVER compare me to a terrorist. I see all the dems are out in force...keep it up ladies...sm .....having a good ol' time ganging up on me....I have come to expect no less from the left on this site. She's dynamite and will get rave reviews....wait and see....wait and see..... Once again, a "civilian military force" that is ENDORSED BY BUSH. That little tidbit was conveniently deleted from the link that was provided. Keep believing all the hype and the lies. That's your choice, but don't insult me because I can tell the difference. There is no force involved whatsoever. I do it because I "choose" to do what the Bible commands. I love the Lord and want to do what His Word says. There is nothing forced about. If you don't think it's a sin, that is your perogative. I, however, feel that it is and that is my perogative, too. 
I don't really understand the civilian force... why not just beef up the military we already have? But, I don't actually think that it will ever happen, at least not to the extent that people are thinking and during Barrack's presidency. Americans will not allow that to come to fruition. It would take a very long gradual change for something like this to be implemented and accepted. Does this help. Homeland security force. KNOWN AS HOMELAND SECURITY FORCE, CIVIL DEFENSE. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwaAVJITx1Y&feature=related This is about freedom of speech being taken away. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mn_llXvTx5g This is about section 899A (3), developing home grown terrorists in our own land (civil defense). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLQ68jBGK8o&feature=related
He died a long, long time ago! (If he was ever Don't force your beliefs on others. It further devalues your faith in the eyes of others. From a founding member of Delta Force http://www.dailynews.com/portlet/article/html/fragments/print_article.jsp?article=3641046 'Unit's' military expert has fighting words for Bush By David Kronke, TV Critic U-Entertainment Eric Haney, a retired command sergeant major of the U.S. Army, was a founding member of Delta Force, the military's elite covert counter-terrorist unit. He culled his experiences for Inside Delta Force (Delta; $14), a memoir rich with harrowing stories, though in an interview, Haney declines with a shrug to estimate the number of times he was almost killed. (Perhaps the most high-profile incident that almost claimed his life was the 1980 failed rescue of the hostages in Iran.) Today, he's doing nothing nearly as dangerous: He serves as an executive producer and technical adviser for The Unit, CBS' new hit drama based on his book, developed by playwright David Mamet. Even up against American Idol, The Unit shows muscle, drawing 18 million viewers in its first two airings. Since he has devoted his life to protecting his country in some of the world's most dangerous hot spots, you might assume Haney is sympathetic to the Bush administration's current plight in Iraq (the laudatory cover blurb on his book comes from none other than Fox's News' Bill O'Reilly). But he's also someone with close ties to the Pentagon, so he's privy to information denied the rest of us. We recently spoke to Haney, an amiable, soft-spoken Southern gentleman, on the set of The Unit. Q: What's your assessment of the war in Iraq? A: Utter debacle. But it had to be from the very first. The reasons were wrong. The reasons of this administration for taking this nation to war were not what they stated. (Army Gen.) Tommy Franks was brow-beaten and ... pursued warfare that he knew strategically was wrong in the long term. That's why he retired immediately afterward. His own staff could tell him what was going to happen afterward. We have fomented civil war in Iraq. We have probably fomented internecine war in the Muslim world between the Shias and the Sunnis, and I think Bush may well have started the third world war, all for their own personal policies. Q: What is the cost to our country? A: For the first thing, our credibility is utterly zero. So we destroyed whatever credibility we had. ... And I say we, because the American public went along with this. They voted for a second Bush administration out of fear, so fear is what they're going to have from now on. Our military is completely consumed, so were there a real threat - thankfully, there is no real threat to the U.S. in the world, but were there one, we couldn't confront it. Right now, that may not be a bad thing, because that keeps Bush from trying something with Iran or with Venezuela. The harm that has been done is irreparable. There are more than 2,000 American kids that have been killed. Tens of thousands of innocent Iraqis have been killed � which no one in the U.S. really cares about those people, do they? I never hear anybody lament that fact. It has been a horror, and this administration has worked overtime to divert the American public's attention from it. Their lies are coming home to roost now, and it's gonna fall apart. But somebody's gonna have to clear up the aftermath and the harm that it's done just to what America stands for. It may be two or three generations in repairing. Q: What do you make of the torture debate? Cheney ... A: (Interrupting) That's Cheney's pursuit. The only reason anyone tortures is because they like to do it. It's about vengeance, it's about revenge, or it's about cover-up. You don't gain intelligence that way. Everyone in the world knows that. It's worse than small-minded, and look what it does. I've argued this on Bill O'Reilly and other Fox News shows. I ask, who would you want to pay to be a torturer? Do you want someone that the American public pays to torture? He's an employee of yours. It's worse than ridiculous. It's criminal; it's utterly criminal. This administration has been masters of diverting attention away from real issues and debating the silly. Debating what constitutes torture: Mistreatment of helpless people in your power is torture, period. And (I'm saying this as) a man who has been involved in the most pointed of our activities. I know it, and all of my mates know it. You don't do it. It's an act of cowardice. I hear apologists for torture say, Well, they do it to us. Which is a ludicrous argument. ... The Saddam Husseins of the world are not our teachers. Christ almighty, we wrote a Constitution saying what's legal and what we believed in. Now we're going to throw it away. Q: As someone who repeatedly put your life on the line, did some of the most hair-raising things to protect your country, and to see your country behave this way, that must be ... A: It's pretty galling. But ultimately I believe in the good and the decency of the American people, and they're starting to see what's happening and the lies that have been told. We're seeing this current house of cards start to flutter away. The American people come around. They always do. THE UNIT What: Action-adventure about special-ops unit. Where: CBS (Channel 2). When: 9 p.m. Tuesdays. --- David Kronke (818) 713-3638 david.kronke@dailynews.com It's a beautiful thing to see dems out in force nm I see the Witches of Leftwick are out in force today....sm just posting under different names. Halloween must be around the corner. wait for it...... .......the pig comments are about to be unleashed.....lol.....again..... Civilian National Security Force... These are Obama's words... "We cannot rely only on our military for our national security, we need to have a Civilian National Security force that is just as strong, just as well funded." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tt2yGzHfy7s
Civilian National Security Force From FactCheck.org (Complete analysis at link below.) Obama was not talking about a "security force" with guns or police powers. He was talking specifically about expanding AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps and the USA Freedom Corps, which is the volunteer initiative launched by the Bush administration after the attacks of 9/11, and about increasing the number of trained Foreign Service officers who populate U.S. embassies overseas. Israel air force is ready to attack Iran capable of making nuclear bomb. I have been reading about Israel and Iran every day and looks like one of these days we are going to hear a special report that Israel is attacking Iran. My question is if the US is going to help? I read Iran would attack the US if US tries to help Israel. I also read Iran has missels pointed in our direction to hit our oil refineries and power plants in the gulf coast states. The first 2 links are about Israel ready to attack Iran. http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=75885§ionid=351020104 http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,455005,00.html This is about Iran nuclear capibility as of today from Fox news. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,455024,00.html They are also a viable grass roots political force in the region, just like Hezbollah. How successful was Israel in trying to eradicate Hezbollah by bombing them off the face of the earth just 2 short years ago in Lebanon? The harder they try to suppress with violence, starvation, dehumanization, occupation and genocidal wars, the stronger those movements become. Israel is the consummate poster child for Einstein's definition of insanity. Until the US and Israel have the guts to come to terms with the root causes of WHY these Islamic movements are gaining such traction across the board in the region, we are doomed to stay mired in the same atrocious tit-for-tat cycles of wholesale slaughter and human suffering. There seems to be an endless supply of that on both sides of the fence. The question is why and what can e do to effect a different outcome? Here's a clue for you. End the occupation. 
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