Experts: Homeland Security Was Off Guard

Sep 4,10:34 PM ET

WASHINGTON - The
Homeland Security Department spent the past four years focused on averting the next terrorist attack and was unprepared to decisively respond to the overwhelming devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, former officials and experts say.

The agency, created after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, was still struggling days after Katrina battered the Gulf Coast to coordinate federal rescue and relief efforts and communicate with emergency workers on the ground. The fractured federal response left critics questioning whether the department is prepared to deal with the aftermath of a terror attack.

"I can't tell you that we're lock, stock and ready to go," said former Homeland Security Deputy Secretary Adm. James Loy, who left the department earlier this year. He called the issue "a very, very legitimate question," and said the agency's front-burner issue has been preventing and preparing a response to terrorism.

"Because of the focus in the last four years, we would be better prepared for" terrorism, Loy said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/katrina_homeland_security


More excuses, has if a terrorist attack would have been any easier to deal with. What the hell is the difference?

Whaaat?

Just that obviously the DHS wouldn't have been able to respond any better to a terrorist attack of this magnitude that comes without any warning, then they could to a major storm that everyone knew about 3 day ahead of time had no choice but to hit somewhere in the Gulf Coast.

For a group that hates big Gov't the Republicans sure like to create new sections of it. It's too hard for them to communicate.

"Nero" poured ZILLIONS of dollars into an agency (homeland security/FEMA) that BUSH oversaw/implimented and how many years later? IT DOESN'T WORK!!!

INDEED, What IF this had been a MULTIPLE terrorist attack at differing places across the nation? Yeah, I really feel safe alright. I really think OUR tax dollars went to a GREAT new institution :sarcasm:

The world is looking at our vulnerabilities right now. Any terrorist could come in and "simply" disrupt our infrastructure and cause calamitous results.... NO need for suitcase bombs or disease. Thank you, you dumb as a rock Prez!

Doesn't that make you feel better?

It was at falloutshelternews.com, but I can't find it anymore. It was hilarious.

simple minded. But at a per capita budget of $135/yr we shouldn't expect much. Well not as compared to the Department of Defense which has a per capita budget of $1339/yr.

...The agency, created after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, was still struggling days after Katrina battered the Gulf Coast to coordinate federal rescue and relief efforts and communicate with emergency workers on the ground. The fractured federal response left critics questioning whether the department is prepared to deal with the aftermath of a terror attack...

Still struggling days after Katrina... In other words, they failed. Furthermore, we had warning. We knew Katrina would strike.

If nearly a million people had not evacuated New Orleans, how much worse this would have been. Without warning people would not have evacuated. Terrorists would not have given the advanced notice Katrina gave.

Disband Homeland Security. Take FEMA out of Homeland Security. FEMA should deal with disasters, not answer to a useless new federal government department.

and they ignored it.

to attack inside United States was ignored.

Both times, Bush was on vacation.

think about it for a moment - imagine if instead of a hurricane and flooding, if this had been a biological attack on NO. The way they respond would be very much like what actually happened - contain the victims for "processing" and quarantine.

BUT because it WASN'T such an attack, the plan could not be put into full motion - no one would have stood for hurricane survivors being treated as a threat rather than victims. So what ended up happening was a half arsed implementation of a plan that probably would have involved full martial law and anyone trying to leave without first being processed and cleared, being killed.

I think this should actually be a wake up call to all Americans that they need to be informed of what the preperations and plans for dealing with an attack entail - they may just find that the planned response to the attack may be worse than the attack itself.

It also shows that the Bush admin has really developed MAJOR tunnel vision in regards to terrorism - they really are treating it as a far greater threat than it truly is, and in the process ignoring other, perhaps more dangerous threats, with NO being the result.

and the sad part is they had days of warning.
I'm sure all thos tarrists out there will be so kind to give advance notice too.
God the "leaders" of this country make me ill.


eta, cuz'I can't spell.