FEMA Turned Away Aid, Rescue Crews, Cut Emergency Communication: Witnesses

[NNN0LHI]

http://dominionpaper.ca/international_news/2005/09/06/fema_turne.html

FEMA Turned Away Aid, Rescue Crews, Cut Emergency Communication Lines: Witnesses

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, several witnesses have alleged that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) turned away volunteers who were ready to help New Orleans residents people trapped in their flooded homes. Other witnesses have said that FEMA turned away offers of aid, prevented water and fuel from reaching people on the ground, and cut emergency communications lines.

The agency has cited security and safety concerns.

On September first, Sheriff's deputies and emergency personnel from Loudon County, Virginia, responded to a request from Jefferson Parrish in Louisiana for aid and set off towards the disaster area on the Gulf Coast. According to the Loudon Times-Mirror, "Sheriff Steve Simpson and his staff spent 12 hours trying to get the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the State of Louisiana Emergency Operations Center to act."

"They didn't, and the 20 deputies and six emergency medical technicians–all volunteers–turned around and came back to Loudoun."

[sam sarrha]

1. this is all Deliberate, dont ever think there is an excuse.. there is NONE

[nolabels]

15. That doesn't mean people should stop asking WHY?

WHY are they doing these things?

By what authority do they have?

They are not managing anything, they are instigating mayhem. If and when a one or two major diseases break out things will go from worse to extra worse.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

2. What an incredible amount of bungling by FEMA. It almost looks deliberate.

[Tesla]

3. They want to give the contract to Haliburton!!

[MADem]

21. They already have--and this is rather IMPORTANT

No, I am not kidding....
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/business/3335685

http://www.halliburtonwatch.org/news/hurricane_katrina.html

BUT HERE's THE MONEY QUOTE, FRIENDS:

In March, the former director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which is tasked with responding to hurricane disasters, became a lobbyist for KBR. Joe Allbaugh was director of FEMA during the first two years of the Bush administration.

It is all about SIMPLE greed. What better way to ensure you will get work for those for whom you lobby under a no-compete contract, than to recommend your college roommate, an incompetent who cannot even manage a bunch of horse judges and stewards, and who is "let go" from that job, to be your replacement at a DISASTER PREP agency of the Federal Government?

[itzamirakul]

4. I just saw reports today on ABC that FEMA continues to turn away help and

supplies.

Diane Sawyer is helping WH spin point blame finger to governor.

Victims are saying that relatives are telling them that certain people are trying to politicize the disaster. They do not know what has happened in the past wee.

[skooooo]

11. mentioned several times on CNN this morning too

[qanda]

5. The same thing happened to a specialized team in Maryland

They were on the news the other night and could not figure out why they were told to "Stand Down".

[ixion]

13. and another one from Nevada, and another from Houston...

it was NOT an isolated incident, and is NOT related to state and local governments.

FEMA is a NATIONAL agency, and does not come under the jurisdiction of the governor.


This was intentional. And there really needs to be an investigation as to who was calling the shots.

Of course, we all know the answer to that question. :grr:

[Karenina]

35. Think NORAD

Oh, 'Bout 4 years ago...

[spooked911]

36. that's what I'm thinking too

[bassman79]

65. You got it

[Canuckistanian]

6. OK, so what's the deal here?

So FEMA actually did cut communications lines? If true, how can that be justified on ANY level? Safety? Security? How in God's name is that supposed to improve anybody's life ina disaster area?

It looks to me like the whole exercise was treated as an act of terrorism (probably the ONLY scenario that they trained for).

If there is no investigation, if there are no firings (the sooner, the better), then accountability is dead in America. Might as well turn out the lights and assume the position, because that's all you'll have left of democracy.

[Igel]

54. It's just very strange.

' "They cut them without notice. Our sheriff, Harry Lee, goes back in, he reconnects the line. He posts armed guards on our line and says, 'No one is getting near these lines.'"'

I wonder how he did that, exactly. And if he reconnected one or many.

[Slit Skirt]

7. there is not bungling here, nor is this a mistake....

people made the same mistake regarding 9/11...thinking that all of our superior intelligence, FAA, DOD, FBI, President etc. all failed at the same time

FEMA...during a NATIONAL EMERGENCY...
according to Broussard and other accounts, water, oil, supplies were turned away...

according to Broussard and Wayne Madison and other reports (there is a thread on here somewhere about this) land lines were cut and jamming of communication by DOD and FEMA was occurring...

there are numerous threads here and reports of shootings taking place and Wayne Madison now reports that evacuees are being shot and treated like prisoners

there are numerous reports that evacuees are not told where they are being taken

there is a thread (this morning) about evacuees being taken to a military or prison camp in Utah they are behind a chain-link fence....why Utah...that is pretty far away from LA, AL or Mississippi

THIS IS NOT BUNGLING...

it is obvious from the above reports that FEMA is not really there to help...but to cause confusion, dislocating it's citizens so they can not tell their stories, maybe even to just get rid of them

is this a dry run?

if you think you were pissed before, you should be really pissed now...if we don't stop them now...it will be us later

[beetbox]

9. At least 1,000 survivors taken to Puerto Rico

Reports from people in Ceiba, PUerto Rico, indicate that at least 1,000 survivors of Katrina are being brought to the (supposedly closed but still run and restricted by) Roosevelt Roads Navy Base. This has precedence, when Haitian survivors of a hurricane ended up in Ft. Allen, Puerto Rico. The people are kept from the press, and from the civilians outside. And if the survivors don't speak Spanish they will have a hard time communicating even if they can get out.

[Richard Steele]

14. That "closed" base just happened to be in perfect shape....

...to serve as a "relocation center"?

What luck! (sarcasm)

I hope EVERYONE here who used to laugh
at the "tinfoil hat" claims about FEMA
(that their MAIN purpose is
to plan for a Martial-Law
takeover of this country,
and they are building
and maintaining prison camps
for when it happens)
takes a LONG HARD look at the situation in New Orleans.

FEMA had NO CLUE what to do to actually HELP...
They spent all their time trying to wrest control from
people who were actually helping already.
AND...they have a nice, ISOLATED camp all ready for refugees.

[Slit Skirt]

19. total agreement with you

[Slit Skirt]

23. it's not incompetence...it's a cover

take a look at the big picture

major intelligence failures prior to 9/11....incompetence
major intelligence failures wmd in iraq......incompetence
major failures on planning in Iraq...........incompetence
major failure of this administration on Katrina.....incompetence

HOW FRICKIN CONVENIENT.......make everyone think that they are bumbling idiots to distract from the cover....which is ALL OF THIS IS INTENTIONAL.

no wonder it took fema so long to respond...they weren't trying to save people with supplies.....they were trying to figure out how to imprison them

don't become distracted and remember this....these are Americans we are talking about....our brothers and sisters...they have been through probably the worst trauma of their life....and look at what our government is doing

[mwwittin]

43. This looks bad, no?

Is it really so bad? I do not see this myself, so maybe I don't see everything, but the German news does not blame this "FEMA" so much as maybe I think they should after reading this. This is a scary thing to think about.

[MADem]

22. Actually, it IS in perfect shape, Chimp closed it as REVENGE for Vieques

That place is PRISTINE. Gorgeous marina. New construction everywhere.

[peacetalksforall]

32. Some cities must come together to demand to take those people.

They are locking up witnesses at the least or have a plan for psy-ops at the worst.

These are people whose agenda holds more horror than King or Koontz or any other writer could dream up.

This is a take over of our country by our own.

IT IS HORROR AS NO ONE COULD IMAGINE.

Let's see if the press sees it.

[Karenina]

39. Tante K. runs down to the dusty cyber cellar...

These old links will bring anyone who can bear it up to speed. Pour yourself a stiff drink first...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x1446190

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x1970879

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x1973615

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x1993570

[NYC]

59. Well done, Karenina.

Thanks.

[Lizzie Borden]

58. I remember when ...

Oliver North testified about Fema's purpose during the Iran Contra hearings. The idea is to suspend the constitution and rule by martial law. FEMA was never set up to help anyone in emergencies.

[bassman79]

66. It sounds crazy cause it is, but its TRUE

Just like how many times do we have to watch Clinton and Bush snuggle before we accept that both parties are completely controled and the so-called leftvsright debate is totally staged.

[Nothing Without Hope]

17. got a link for this?

[Chi]

31. I looked for links myself

Not a single hit in Yahoo or Google news, with these search strings...
"Roosevelt Roads Navy Base" katrina
"Roosevelt Roads Naval Base" katrina
(shrug)

[spooked911]

37. You're so totally right, and we're so screwed

[jsamuel]

8. Media Blast this!

[Slit Skirt]

10. this needs to stay kicked

I have to go to work...please don't let this fall off the radar....
we need everyone's attention to this...EVERYONE

[txaslftist]

12. In Lubbock they are going to Reese AFB...

...and you can't get into the main gate to see them without passing a security check. I don't know if they are free to leave the base or not. We have a thousand here.

[MADem]

24. It is why using bases is a bad idea, unless you have bases

...that are constructed using the security level system and can put them in the "recreational" areas where security can be modulated without affecting the security of the remainder of the facility.

[cthrumatrix]

16. the La rethug congressman Jidahl ? said this was "ridiculous"

[arwalden]

18. Why Would They Cut Communication Lines???

[NYC]

60. Canuckistanian's explanation is the only sensible one.

Post #6:

It looks to me like the whole exercise was treated as an act of terrorism (probably the ONLY scenario that they trained for).

[napi21]

20. Listened to Rep. Foley (R-Fl) this morning on c-span.

The only other times I've ever seen this guy was whwen he was speaking on the House floor and I never agree with him, but this morning, he had a few valid points.

He said:

1. The guy who should have been walking with the President, discussing the Katrina disaster effort is Mike Brown, NOT Sec. Chertoff! Brown was just standing off to the side awaiting orders.

2. Making FEMA part of Homeland Security was a mistake. All it did was increase the size of the beureaucracy. Everything is now centralized so nobody wants to make a decision and must get approval for every little thng from the one single authority at the top! He even related a story about some volunteers with airboats that wanted to go in a rescue people, but FEMA turned them down because they said THEY were working on getting things coordinated and didn't need people from outside getting in the way.

Now, I donp't know if he has solutions to those things, but I do agree they seem to be 2 big problems!

[jbnow]

25. Must be about forcing gov to federalize?

This morning Soledad (?) on CNN was showing her interview with the governor where she showed her a clip of the mayor talking about bush telling him he'd given her two choices and he'd been ready to act right away but that gov wanted 24 hours. Soledad asked her what she was waiting for.

The governor said she wasn't waiting to say she wanted all available help, the wait was about some complex paperwork he wanted her to sign right then.

Then Soledad started talking about if that was to federalize why wouldn't she do it. It had been 5 days and nothing was getting done, there would be more help, why resist it when people needed so much help...

And it clicked in for me they had to be stopping the help to make things so bad she would have no choice. She was failing, let the feds do it.

I don't know the timing of the NG coming in or if the feds had the right to slow those that came from other states. I don't know what happens when it is federalized but I'm sure they REALLY wanted that.
If federalized would they have the rights to do all the rebuilding, make all the choices?

This was so intentional and I don't understand that and I can't wait for the hearings.

[belle]

26. I think you're right. Disgusting. But typical.

[Junkdrawer]

27. I've been discussing this in GD:

A Medieval Siege. This whole thing has been about FEMA control...

That they did this is becoming undeniable. The question is WHY?

[Slit Skirt]

28. several reasons....and probably more

they don't want the american public to hear of the atrocities

the less people they have to deal with the betterand they don't want you and I to be in the way either....Americans are going to get real pissed when they realize the end game.

[Peace Patriot]

29. I've got it figured out as just greed, as usual--profiteering from the

hurricane, like they are profiteering from the war. Here's how I think it fell out. First of all, the Bushites had no interest in NO getting blown off the map and thousands dying, until the money train started flowing--Congressional appropriations, donations from many generous countries. Then we find Cheney (AWOL throughout the hurricane) canceling his trip to Canada "due to Katrina." Halliburton gets the first contract (to rebuild the LA naval facility). And the Bushites then finally got focused on LA as a real estate deal that they want to control. And that's when they started strongarming Gov. Blanco to turn over all authority to them. She balked--not wanting martial law. And the LA Nat'l Guard chief, Honore, started saying things like, there is no unusual amount of looting, and ordered his guards to stop pointing guns at people--while the Bushites were playing up and FOMENTING chaos and disorder. The Bushites obstructed aid as a strongarm tactic against Blanco and Honore! She demanded that they at least be given a competent FEMA person (that's when Clinton's FEMA guy, Witt, stepped in). It seems to me that Blanco and Honore were mostly focused on helping people--and Bush was using this against them.

And this is all in the context of pending Fitzgerald indictments--with Cheney in some peril. I think the White House is in disarray because of that. I was quite struck by two things: Bush eating birthday cake and golfing, while LA got blown away. Bad P.R. Stupid. Unnecessary. Where were his handlers? (Could someone actually be sabotaging him?). And the press conference with Bush blathering idiotically, and Daddy Bush and Clinton standing behind him. (Is there some rift going on between Cheney and Bush? Threat of a Cheney coup?). Dunno what's going on, but SOMETHING is going on.

So it took them a while to get focused on disaster profiteering. And then they realized they had to get Blanco to sign off on it. They want to clear out all the poor--dump them on other states--and build BushWorld in NO, a high security enclave for the rich, and grab all those billions that Congress coughed up, and will be coughing up--the last of our federal treasury; and they probably want to confiscate a lot of the privately owned property of poor and middle class blacks (and others).

I don't think the military aspect of it is of that much interest to them. It's just a means to gain control over property, and loot the federal gov't one last time.

This might be good. They're not really interested in establishing and running an empire--just in opportunities for thievery and profit. Frankly, I think that's what Iraq has been about all along, and why it's such a mess. The neocon thing was just window dressing--the way to bring certain parties on board. Their sole purpose has been to rob us and the Iraqis blind. And they have zero interest in government, in diplomacy, in politics, or in the welfare of most people, in either case. They don't want a functioning gov't or society. They just want to exploit the one that we workers and small business people and ordinary citizens have created. They care not a whit if they trash what we have created, and they have nothing to replace it with--no ideas; no plans; no workable philosophy of gov't. They don't care. Like trees, or gold, or oil--the society that we have created is just one more resource to be exploited for what profit there is, and disregarded when it's used up.

Let me state this again. They didn't want to SUCCEED in Iraq. They just wanted to exploit it. That's why they ignored all the advice of the generals (and diplomats and intelligence people, and everybody else). That's why what they have done there looks so imcompetent (to anyone with common sense). They are no better than the looters of Baghdad. They ARE the looters of the Baghdad--just on a bigger scale. (What does social/political chaos do? It creates opportunities for looting.) And, of course, having wrecked Iraq creates more opportunity to loot the U.S. treasury. (--because responsible people will say, "We can't just LEAVE. We have responsibilities there." Thus, Halliburton gets extensions of their no-bid, profit-enhanced contracts).

We may be guessing wrong, when we get alarmed at things like the suspension of the Posse Comitatus laws (no military rule permitted in the U.S.). These are not really Nazis that we're dealing with--with an agenda of racist, lockstep militarism--but rather murderous thieves.

I think of Nazis as drunk with illusions of superiority and greedy for power, for power's sake, not for money's sake; whereas Bushites are drunk with the awesome power they have achieved to ROB PEOPLE WITH. They have no interest in transforming our society, really, just in looting it. And everything they've done--their outrageously hypocritical fake "Christianity," for instance--has just been spinning P.R. illusions that will hoodwink some people, or create the IMPRESSION that they have support. Not that they have support (I don't think they ever did). But the IMPRESSION that they have support. But, really, the rightwing beliefs of the profiteers are just a charlatan show. They have no core beliefs, and have ALSO been merely exploiting those sincere rightwing souls who think they do.

It's important to know your enemy--and to think strategically. I'm not sure right now what this might mean as to strategy, but I think it's an important insight into the Bush regime. They are not Nazis--they don't have that kind of ambition (the drive to dominate and transform). What they are is ruthless thieves.

[Tiberius]

33. Fascinating, fascinating analysis

Whew. You've changed my thinking. All the Iraq bungling makes a hell of a lot more sense now.

[kodi]

34. well put, much of what they say are fig leaves to hide their whoring ways

They seem to be without principles, calling what guides them a philosophy seems to be giving them far more distinction than they deserve. Rather their thought seems to be nothing more than crumbs and shards raked together from various sources-- Hobbes, Locke, Smith (invisible hand leading towards utopia), Marx (economic determinism), Freud (where they get their constant urge to play on middle class fear) and numerous others -- and shaped together into a formless mass which they mold to the desired situation. There is no philosophical system from them, rather only cynical opportunism mascarading as coherent thought, a fig leaf of virtue to hide their whoring ways.

I have no respect for them because they have no sense of shame. They are more akin to the Bolsheviks of Russia than to anything American (that is the reason that "Busheviks" appeals to me so much). For them everything comes down to attaining and retaining power and cashing in, nothing more.

[Just Me]

50. I totally agree. The neoCONsters exploit,...that's all they do is exploit

Your analysis is so spot-on that I had to print it out. The only point of contention I would have is about the neoCONsters' ambition,...they are quite ambitious about maintaining power in order to continue to exploit this nation's people and treasure and tragedy.

[Slit Skirt]

30. check this thread out

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1756013

also Sean Penn came back and said that nothing is happening out there.........no help...now if he can go out there and drag bodies from the water....why not fema...

and of course, it wasn't that dangerous on Monday...they could've gone then

[barb162]

38. kick

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

40. Kicked and recommended

http://www.leftandrightfight.com for the Broussard video.

[rhosgobel]

41. List of denied / delayed aid reports

I've compiled a list (with quotes and source links) of reports showing delayed / denied aid here:

<http://rhosgobel.blogspot.com/2005/09/doing-everything-possible-to-help.html>

[watercolors]

42. Orlando sent 100 people rescue team

There were five fire trucks, they returned today very upset that they spent time waiting for direction to help. Were not even allowed near the coast of Miss. They came home and said it was pretty much a waste of their time. How many other disastor workers were turned away like this?

[rhosgobel]

46. Do you have a link to a news story for that? n/t

[iverglas]

53. not finding that one, but this one's interesting

http://www.sun-herald.com/NewsArchive4/090605/tp6de6.htm?date=090605&story=tp6de6.htm
(my emphases)

Charlotte County Deputy Fire Chief Verne Riggall doesn't know exactly when he'll be called up, where he'll be stationed, or how long he'll be away.

But he knows what he'll be doing: Working to restore order to the logistical nightmare of coordinating the massive recovery effort under way in a devastated six-county area of southern Mississippi.

Riggall, the county's special-operations supervisor, is the commander of a 40-member Florida Division of Forestry team that will coordinate the transfer of ice, water, food, fuel and other disaster-response material at a logistical staging area to be set up at Stennis, Miss.

... "I see a lot more victims than any system can initially respond to," Riggall said. "It is much more gigantic than anticipated, I think, even though it was what the models said would happen."

Riggall said emergency managers typically order such materials as ice and water to be moved from warehouses to strategic locations some 72 hours before a major hurricane makes landfall.

For example, Riggall said such material was moved from warehouses to Lake City, where he was sent to manage a logistical staging area, two days before Hurricane Dennis struck the Panhandle in July.

Riggall said the transfer of aid material from warehouses to strategic locations for Katrina only started after the hurricane struck.

"Why were the resources not already in Crestview, (Fla.), Atlanta or Austin?" he asked, referring to strategic locations for staging areas under a New Orleans hurricane response plan.

... Logistical support is crucial in such events because an organized staging area enables other relief workers to quickly obtain supplies to perform their jobs.

[rhosgobel]

62. That is a good one!

I've added it (and a few other new ones) to my list at <http://rhosgobel.blogspot.com/2005/09/doing-everything-possible-to-help.html>.

[genieroze]

44. Cut Emergency Communication Lines?

This makes no sense. My husband works out of Fort Monmouth (the place * wants to close down for his buddies in Maryland) and they are looking for people to go down to New Orleans to help set up communications there. I don't know if it's communications for the military only or if it's to help people find loved ones. Maybe both? I was under the impression that communications were down because of the storm and flooding, not cut on purpose. Weird. :wtf:

[Occulus]

45. Okay, I'll say it yet again:

CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE

CALLOUS DISREGARD FOR HUMAN LIFE

[Sequoia]

48. and don't forget: We're waiting for the War President to show up first

so he can march in with the Guard behind him.

[SomewhereOutThere424]

47. There is a line between messing up, and premeditating ways to hurt people

And I say I believe the US government and bush himself is guilty of genocide.

[sakabatou]

49. What. The. Fuck?!

[Junkdrawer]

51. .

[defiant1]

52. Sweet Chebus....

Goddamn FEMA.
Goddamn Bush.

:grr:

[melody]

55. retribution against Democrats

To quote the Shrub, "we encourage people who share our values".

Of course, the entire world has now seen what "their values" entail.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

56. If they cut COM lines it's genocide.

Criminal.

[Wordie]

57. On Olberman there was a comment about how the NO airport was still...

operating, and rescue people were trying to get through but they were held up because of Homeland Security rules that required screening, and the screening machine was broken, so finally they got a special order from D.C. to let them screen by hand. Jeez.

...and people voted this administration in because they wanted to be safe!

[neuvocat]

61. Never change horses in mid-stream, right?

Right?

[philosophie_en_rose]

63. kick!

:kick:

[GoldenOldie]

64. Excuse Me if I my tin-foil is getting wrapped a little to tight!

With each bit of information that we hear about rescue units of fire, police, medical, and equipment such as generators, boats, etc., etc., etc., coming from every State and city within the US, much as they did during 9/11 for NYC and FEMA denying all of them entry to help?????

Now today in one of the threads they have posted that those very same Coast Guard helicopter angels who we watched with our very own eyes rescue hundreds of NO flood victims from roofs, streets. This group were amazing to watch and we can only guess what they were saying to the children, babies, old young to calm them for this experience. These angels of mercy were expecting accolades from their commanders in Florida but when they returned to their base in Florida they were reprimanded for not sticking to surveillance and dropping food?????

My tin-foil is making me suspect if this was/is to become one big experiment by these evil, evil people. It looks like they wanted to I keep all of these stranded victims well controlled within the NO areas and the out lying Parrish's. They were trying to wrest control from LA so as they could enter the city fully armed and prepared to fire on these victims. They could then call them all looters and thugs. It would give the psycho's in the BFEE and their corporate thugs an opportunity to do a Mengela as they studied the bodies for the affects of the toxic soup that is now NO.

Our past history has shown that our Government is not beyond using its unknowing citizens and its military as lab rats. They have done it to test hydrogen bombs, LSD, brain surgery, radiation, etc., etc.

Why are they placing these NO victims in the ghetto's of DC and Chicago? Why are they not opening abandoned military facilities. It should take less money to re-open a base than to scatter these victims into other poor areas of our Nation.

I leave it to your imagination what this evil Bush crime family can do to our people.