Bush and Rummy Delayed Sending Troops (Revised Post)

Blanco declares a State of Emergency on Friday, August 26th.

On Saturday August 27th, she (along with the governors of Mississippi and Alabama) formally asks for Federal help in the relief effort in the anticipated devastated area.

On Sunday, August 28th (according to the New York Times) the 82nd Airborne in Fort Bragg, North Carolina had been alerted and was ready to move troops to New Orleans. No order to move was forthcoming from the Pentagon however. (The NYT article says that the order didn't come because the feeling was that National Guard troops could get there quicker and because of legal and political concerns about using Federal troops to put down looters)

On Monday August 29th, Katrina hits New Orleans. Communications immediately fail.

On Tuesday, August 30th, the 17th Street Canal Levee fails and 80% of New Orleans is flooded. 25,000 people are trapped by the water in the Superdome. Another 15,000 are in the Convention Center. They have little water or food. "Looting" reports begin. Nagin begins screaming for State and Federal help.

On Wednesday, August 31st, Bush does a "fly-over" the hurricane-devastated area from Air Force One. According to the New York Times, by this time, Louisiana governor Blanco had requested that 40,000 Federal troops be sent to Louisiana.

Rumsfeld dithers about sending in the requested Federal troops until Friday, September 2nd, due to "legal concerns". He is possibly concerned that Federal troops couldn't be used to restore order with respect to looters and snipers without suspension of the Posse Comitatus Act (which prevents Federal troops from being employed for civilian police-keeping purposes). Posse Comitatus is no barrier to Federal troops being sent to provide humanitarian relief, however.

On Friday, September 2nd, Bush flies into New Orleans and meets with Nagin and Blanco. Reportedly, Bush tells Blanco that no Federal troops can be supplied unless Blanco agrees to "federalize" the Louisiana National Guard and place them, and the New Orleans police force, under "unified Federal control".

Reportedly, Blanco tells Bush she needs 24 hours to consider the implications of surrendering State control of the Louisiana National Guard to the Federal government (according to NPR). Blanco and White House officials dicker for several hours. Ultimately Blanco refuses to surrender control over the LANG -- suspicious of White House motives for the demand and its implications.

On Saturday September 3rd, the 82nd Airborne is sent into New Orleans. This is done, apparently, without suspension of the Posse Comitatus Act or invocation of the Insurrection Act by Bush. The military thereafter arrives promptly. General Honore is placed in charge and he begins evacuation of the Superdome.

Apparently Federal troops are NOT being used for police type operations. Posse Comitatus was NOT suspended. Federal troops in New Orleans are now being used solely for humanitarian relief and not policing. They are presently NOT being used to forcibly evacuate
New Orleans residents per Mayor Nagin's order that this occur. Apparently only NOPD and LANG units are handling this.

The point is, Bush and Rumsfeld seemed to have dithered for over a week before sending Federal troops to New Orleans. New Orleans, meanwhile, was falling into chaos. Blanco only had 4,000 Louisiana National Guard people under her control. 3,000 of the National Guard were in Iraq along with virtually all of the Guard's amphibious equipment and emergency generators. Nagin's police was around 1,500 strong and had been depleted by around 500 resignations and/or desertions. Blanco's prior calls for Federal help and military intervention for humanitarian help went unheeded for around 8 days.
In the meantime, people died.

What the hell kept Bush from sending the troops in sooner on his own initiative? Shit, if he was concerned about Posse Comitatus, he could have suspended it immediately himself and didn't need Blanco's OK. As it was, he sent the 82nd Airborne in anyway -- after a 6 or 7 day delay -- to help with humanitarian relief.

If this is what happened, Bush and Rumsfeld appear highly culpable.

in position on August 26th.