It was Chertoff, not Brownie?

[EnfantTerrible]

http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/12637172.htm

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Posted on Tue, Sep. 13, 2005

Chertoff delayed federal response, memo shows
By Jonathan S. Landay, Alison Young and Shannon McCaffrey
Knight Ridder Newspapers

WASHINGTON - The federal official with the power to mobilize a massive
federal response to Hurricane Katrina was Homeland Security Secretary Michael
Chertoff, not the former FEMA chief who was relieved of his duties and resigned
earlier this week, federal documents reviewed by Knight Ridder show.

Even before the storm struck the Gulf Coast, Chertoff could have ordered
federal agencies into action without any request from state or local officials.
Federal Emergency Management Agency chief Michael Brown had only limited
authority to do so until about 36 hours after the storm hit, when Chertoff designated
him as the "principal federal official" in charge of the storm.

As thousands of hurricane victims went without food, water and shelter in the
days after Katrina's early morning Aug. 29 landfall, critics assailed Brown
for being responsible for delays that might have cost hundreds of lives.

But Chertoff - not Brown - was in charge of managing the national response to
a catastrophic disaster, according to the National Response Plan, the federal
government's blueprint for how agencies will handle major natural disasters
or terrorist incidents. An order issued by President Bush in 2003 also assigned
that responsibility to the homeland security director.

But according to a memo obtained by Knight Ridder, Chertoff didn't shift that
power to Brown until late afternoon or evening on Aug. 30, about 36 hours
after Katrina hit Louisiana and Mississippi. That same memo suggests that
Chertoff may have been confused about his lead role in disaster response and that of
his department.



read the full report, with links to the memo, at

http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/12637172.htm

[Proud_Lefty]

1. And no independent investigation allowed

We just can't allow this to happen again. What they have done to the gulf is beyond criminal. They need to be held accountable according to the people, not GWB.

[etherealtruth]

2. It seems NO ONE having a leadership role ...

... in that department (homeland security / FEMA) had a clue!

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. Cronies not emergency specialists

that is why we must insist on resignation \impeachment, work that meme

[EnfantTerrible]

4. Or they had a clue...

and didn't care. They expend more energy diverting accountability than doing their jobs. First order of business is cover thy ass!

[Double T]

5. The entire management hierarchy at FEMA is filled with patronage....

jobs by the bush administration. Most have NO EXPERIENCE dealing with disasters. Brilliant!!!!!!