"DSK" wrote in message
...
So how was Bush supposed to handle the Katrina crisis?


By sending people other than the National Guard


NOYB wrote:
LOL. So who are these imaginary people that you would send?

Are you seriously suggesting that the National Guard is the only resource
for disaster relief? What about FEMA?

FEMA doesn't have near enough people to handle a crisis that reaches the
magnitude of katrina...and certainly not the number of people or resources
necessary to handle law enforcement.

So now answer the question:
Who are these imaginary people you would send?





.... The military is off-limits thanks to Posse Comitatus

For use as police forces, yes. For disaster relief, no.
Let me remind you that the U.S. Navy was quite prominent in sending ships,
including a hospital ship, to the relief of disaster victims. But they
didn't get orders until the Friday after Katrina had hit... a full working
week.

The U.S. Navy wasn't providing law enforcement, which is prohibited under
Posse Comitatus. If you remember, there were two issue preventing assistance
from reaching the area:

1) a destroyed infrastructure (flooded roads, unsafe bridges, etc)

2) hoodlums rioting and firing at rescue workers






and the National Guard is off-limits thanks to Gov. Blanco's refusal to
hand them over to the President.


Which was totally legal & proper, according to Governor Jeb Bush.


Fine. But Blanco was incompetent. It took Bush's urging before she ever
called them up to assist.



Where would you find the people you speak of?


Start at the FEMA office and work my way down the hall.

Here's a nice list to chose from.

http://12.46.245.173/cfda/prog_index.html


Let's put it this way... the U.S. Coast Guard was *there* that very
afternoon.



The Commandant of the Coast Guard reports directly to Homeland Security.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi..._Org_Chart.jpg


Did they get orders via Homeland Security?

Of course!


If so, why weren't some of the other branches of Homeland Security on the
spot?


Which branches are you speaking of? Homeland Security doesn't have it's own
branch to handle law enforcement issues in times of crisis. Perhaps the
answer is to assign to DHS the authority over a portion of each state's
National Guard or Reserve troops to handle law enforcement issues in times
of crisis.