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Phil et. al.<BR>
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I filed this under "partisan politically biased spin:"<BR>
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Phil wrote:<BR>
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"So even if there were no troops in Iraq, the National Guard even from<BR>
Louisiana would have been arriving on late Thursday and Early Friday, which<BR>
is when the first asset actually did arrive."<BR>
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Are you implying the National Guard troops from Mississippi and Louisiana that were in Iraq, if they were in their home states and not on foreign soil, could not have helped more quickly, with greater numbers, to assist the needs of this disaster, than having to reposition National Guard troops and equipment from other states? <BR>
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The simple fact that National Guard troops that were based in Mississippi and Louisiana know their own state and cities better than troops from other states would increase their effectiveness in dealing with a disaster like this, compared to repositioning National Guard assets from other states, even dismissing the time issue of repositioning assets.<BR>
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If the full number of National Guard troops that were based in Mississippi or Louisiana close to the disaster area were in those states, the travel time to get to the hurricane damaged areas would be shorter than to reposition National Guard troops from other states, regardless of when the "official" orders were issued for the National Guard to be deployed.<BR>
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People were/are dying every hour in this disaster and a matter of hours could make the difference between life and death!<BR>
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Andreas is correct about the new Homeland Security Dept. not responding as it should. This is exactly the sort of national emergency, similar in some ways to a major terrorist attack, that the Homeland Security Dept. in theory would be responding to before the hurricane even hit. So the mayor of New Orleans and the Louisiana governor made bad decisions? Does this excuse failures of the Federal government?<BR>
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What do you think the point was of establishing this massive reorganization of the federal agencies involved that are now under the new Homeland Security Dept? It was to both provide more efficient coordination of intelligence and law enforcement assets, and to respond more quickly, effectively and efficiently to national disasters.<BR>
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Anyone looking at the facts of the size and power of this hurricane, with the absence of meteorological forces to alter its path, knew that New Orleans area was likely to be hit by a category 5 or 4 hurricane, with hurricane force winds over a 200 mile wide diameter, increasing the length of time the hurricane force winds would blow, a major factor in the extent of the devastation inflicted by Katrina. The Feds. and everyone else inquiring knew this, no doubt, as I did, watching The Weather Channel last Sunday night.<BR>
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Come on, Phil! Quit being a knee jerk defender of your political ideology and call a spade a spade!<BR>
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Just admit that the Homeland Security Dept. and FEMA, which was placed under the authority of the Homeland Security Dept., did not respond as quickly or forcefully as required. And that the fantastic war costs and repositioning of assets involved in the war in Iraq was a factor in the lack of funding and domestic response to this horrendous and cruel disaster.<BR>
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Ted Moffett<BR>
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