Iraq war delayed Katrina relief effort, inquiry finds

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article316682.ece




Relief efforts to combat Hurricane Katrina suffered near catastrophic failures due to endemic corruption, divisions within the military and troop shortages caused by the Iraq war, an official American inquiry into the disaster has revealed.

The confidential report, which has been seen by The Independent, details how funds for flood control were diverted to other projects, desperately needed National Guards were stuck in Iraq and how military personnel had to "sneak off post" to help with relief efforts because their commander had refused permission.

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The report was commissioned by the Office of Secretary of Defence as an "independent and critical review" of what went so wrong. In a hard-hitting analysis, it says: "The US military has long planned for war on two fronts. This is as close as we have come to reality since the Second World War; the results have been disastrous."

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The report concludes: "The one thing this disaster has demonstrated the lack of coordinated, in-depth planning and training on all levels of Government, for any/all types of emergency contingencies. 9/11 was an exception because the geographical area was small and contained, but these two hurricanes have clearly demonstrated a national response weakness ... Failure to plan, and train properly has plagued US efforts in Afghanistan, Iraq and now that failure has come home to roost in the United States."

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Once again, it hits the foreign press. I wonder if any American media outlet will report this :sarcasm:

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This kick and nomination is from a Red Cross Volunteer who sat at the Chapter with his "GO Kit" - and was never told to "GO" ("FEMA doesn't want us"), a Coast Guard veteran, and one time resident of New Orleans.


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Bush's political sacrifice of American lives for oil is destroying the military -- a military where the "Planning" function has been taken over by draft dodging, no prior service, chicken hawks.

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Heard it on the "CNN Radio" break on Ed Schultz's show.

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