“I thought the name of this web site was Defense Tech?” asks JD, echoing the e-mails of several folks who wrote in over the weekend. “Enough with your personal political views about Katrina. This is not the place for it.“
With all respect, JD, I have to disagree. This isn’t about politics. This is about all of our safety. Katrina, and the response to Katrina, has become a national security issue maybe the biggest one the country has faced since 9/11. As the editor of a website devoted to the future of national security, I can’t and won’t avoid something so important. It wouldn’t be right.
After the September 11th attacks, the Department of Homeland Security was put together with two major goals in mind: deter further terrorist strikes, and respond to disasters, both natural and man-made — since the evacuation plans, medical responses, and the like are largely the same in either case.
Four years and countless billions of dollars later, we’ve seen a clumsy, ten-thumbed response from DHS. Ships and troops were delayed for days before they were ordered to the disaster zone. Tens of thousands were left stranded, without food or water or medical care, while relief agencies were turned away.
All this, after a disaster everyone knew was coming. Now, imagine what would have happened after a surprise attack. Al Qaeda operatives have to be wondering the same thing. It’s as if we’ve hung a giant “kick me” sign around the nation’s neck. No wonder Republicans from President Bush to Newt Gingrich to Joe Scarborough have all called the federal effort “not acceptable.“
In the last few days, some have tried to shift the blame onto the state and city authorities. A whole bunch of it is well-deserved. The locals had more than their fare share of screw-ups. As one homeland security source told me:
NOLA [city officials] should not have allowed that many folks to stay in a shelter of last resort. Why didn’t they get those people out? Plus, the shelter was fucked up. No supplies and no sanitation. Plus, why did they let special needs (ederly, infants, medically unfit) into the shelter. Those people should have gotten out. The feds would have provided tons of buses and transportation if the need had been identified early on.…like years ago.
But the City of New Orleans’ ability to cope with a crisis isn’t a matter of national security. The Department of Homeland Security’s ability is. Ray Nagin isn’t going to be responding to terrorist attacks. That’s what DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff and his team have been hired to do.
THERE’S MORE: With fingers pointing in so many directions, there’s been some question about whether the Feds or the locals are in charge after a catastrophe. Here’s what the U. S. Department of Homeland Security Strategic Plan has to say about the DHS’ role:
Response — Lead, manage and coordinate the national response to acts of terrorism, natural disasters, or other emergencies.
Recovery — Lead national, state, local and private sector efforts to restore services and rebuild communities after acts of terrorism, natural disasters, or other emergencies.
Does DHS need the locals’ permission in order to act? Nope, says the Department’s National Response Plan. In fact, the document calls for a “proactive Federal response to catastrophic events.”
A catastrophic event is any natural or manmade incident, including terrorism, that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely affecting the population, infrastructure, environment, economy, national morale, and/or government functions. A catastrophic event could result in sustained national impacts over a prolonged period of time; almost immediately exceeds resources normally available to State, local, tribal, and private-sector authorities in the impacted area; and significantly interrupts governmental operations and emergency services to such an extent that national security could be threatened. All catastrophic events are Incidents of National Significance…
Guiding principles for proactive Federal response include the following:
■ The primary mission is to save lives; protect critical infrastructure, property, and the environment; contain the event; and preserve national security.
■ Standard procedures regarding requests for assistance may be expedited or, under extreme circumstances, suspended in the immediate aftermath of an event of catastrophic magnitude.
■ Identified Federal response resources will deploy and begin necessary operations as required to commence life-safety activities.
■ Notification and full coordination with States will occur, but the coordination process must not delay or impede the rapid deployment and use of critical resources. States are urged to notify and coordinate with local governments regarding a proactive Federal response.
■ State and local governments are encouraged to conduct collaborative planning with the Federal Government as a part of “steady-state” preparedness for catastrophic incidents.
(Big ups: TPM Cafe)
Thanks for covering this. I completely agree with you that how we respond to the Katrina crisis is indicative of our ability to respond generally. Keep it up!
Three Cheers Noah,
National defense and Politics are the same thing. As was so clearly demostrated with Katrina, the military doesn’t make the decision of WHEN to go in the POLITICIANS do.
It’s the job of the Military to answer the call,not make the call.
ALLONS,
Byron Skinner
“Stewart’s Platoon”
Great post! Anyone who tries to shelter the administration from its fair share of blame for this disaster is the worst sort of partisan hack. We’ve given up a certain amount of our constitutional rights, and a huge amount of taxpayer dollars, in the name of “homeland security.” If it doesn’t work properly — and it clearly doesn’t — then people of every political persuasion ought to be asking why.
Maybe what we need is less bureaucratic-style leadership. It just doesn’t seem to work in massive organizations like the DHS that need to react to dynamic threats with flexibility and speed. What we need is auftragstaktik. It’s more or less the theory of leadership that the U.S. military aspires it (and it seems to have worked out).
Joal Mendonsa
USMC Officer Candidate (will be 2nd Lt. in May)
Here’s a more in-depth exploration of auftragstaktik:
http://carlisle-www.army.mil/usawc/Parameters/99autumn/keithly.htm
What worries me is that the lessons drawn from this disaster might not be applied widely enough.
I think it’s fair to say there is underinvestment in infrastructure, misallocation of priorities, and leaders replaced by complaint followers throughout many (a majority of?) branches of government right now. On this website, we mostly see it in the context of military R&D and procurement.
9/11 exposed FBI and CIA for what they were. Katrina exposed FEMA and DHS for what they are, but will we fix the others before their hidden declines come back to haunt us, each in its own way?
Before Katrina and in some cases 9/11, many other problems I felt strongly about always came back to one central problem: Government is not inclined to respond to a new development unless there is a disaster to point to as a reason for change.
Will unmitigated disaster continue to be the necessary condition for meaningful change?
Unless someone gets a handle on the organizational side of these failings and the public comes to understand them in this more general way, then we in effect concede that disasters like 9/11 and Katrina are now — and will continue to be — _the_ enabling step for institutional renewal within the US government.
An honest historian in the future may record the following — Given that China, Japan and some other nations held tremendous sums in IOUs created in part by the Bush administration to pay for the Iraq war, plus hugh tax cuts for the already rich and large corporations; and given the Federal costs of hurricane Katrina plus the continuing costs of the Iraq war, and, added to that the graft that occured in “high places” — the United Stattes became a third world nation.
Speaking of local preparations, check out NYC’s hurricane plans:
http://www.gothamist.com/archives/2005/09/06/nycs_hurricane_plan.php
http://www.wnbc.com/news/4937759/detail.html
In many ways, NYC is better prepared and has more capabilities then the Feds do, whether it be terrorism or natural disaster.
I’m sure that it easy to point the finger of blame and all of a sudden president Bush was being pointed at! I always thought that the Govenor of each state was in charge of their own National Guard then why are is the press pointing only at him, I really dont think thats really fair at all! Some other people have to stand up to what they are suppose to do and not shift the blame, Heck pointing a finger is easy even childre can do that!
Noah is right, as are most of the previous comments. The big lesson to me, however, is a little bit different. I see it like this: dont bet on the government saving your hide; you and your family, friends, and neighbors have to be prepared to look out for one another and assume that the govt. wont be able to do so.
And, please, all, if you dont have at least two weeks worth of non-perishbale food and fresh water at your home, get it, no matter where you live. It is just common sense. Everything from tornados to a water-main break can put you in a bad way.
We are all to blame.
We are the ones who fund this government and we are the ones who should be holding it accountable.
Per Byron’s comments, add at least 500 rounds to what one should always have in one’s home if he is going to be responsible. Better yet, make that 500 45cal, 500 12-gauge, and 500 7.62mm (or 5.56mm).
Here’s a nice little link on all the excess moola FEMA handed out last year to Miami-Dade County, which was 120 from the hurricane and received very little damage.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/sfl-femacoverage,0,6697347.storygallery?coll=sfla-news-utility
” A U.S. Senate committee found widespread fraud and waste in the federal government’s payout of $31 million to Miami-Dade County residents for Hurricane Frances aid.”
The phrase that keeps coming back to me is “provide for the common defense and promote the general welfare.” Wasn’t that supposed to be the whole point of having a United States? To argue that this is all the fault of local officials seems to me nothing short of a betrayal of the principles outlined in the Declaration of Independence.
Thanks for quoting the DHS on the was in which Federal resources should have been brought into play. I’ve seen many claims was that the problem was that the State Governors didn’t ask; not only can these claims be disproved, it’s clear that the DHS didn’t need to be asked.
It’s very suggestive that the Coastguard reacted so differently to the rest, but they do have a long tradition, and a very clear mission.
I wonder what Air Force combat rescue assets are left available in the USA, and what they did.
There’s enough gone wrong, and enough blame, for every level of the disaster response. But we expect something this big to overwhelm local resources.
It’s a shock to see it appearing to overwhelm the US military.
ccplanner is entirely correct.
In addition, the scale of the infrastructure destruction is enormous — equivalent to the saturation bombing of an area the size of the United Kingdom. That meant that a massive information-gathering process had to take place before resources could be deployed. That took time.
I thought Defense Tech was military information concentrator.
“Why Katrina Matters” is a sophomoric and politicized rant from a position of almost prefect ignorance.
It destroys your brand for me — I’m out of here.
Good luck with the Kos Kidz.
Why is it that the folks who are claiming that the main problem was the lack of evacuation would be the first ones to protest if the National Guard actually did show up and start dragging people out of their houses?
Every survey taken in New Orleans showed that there would be large numbers of people to stay behind. Unless you really want police going door to door, demanding YOU leave YOUR house next hurricane, STFU.
Now that the blame game is full on, how about this. “FEMA Wants No Photos of Dead” L.A. Times, Pg. A-17 From Reuters.
Lets see is there some pattern here, no photos or video footage of damaged to or buring of oil infrtastructure. No video or reporting of what happens after dark even though NBC has mentioned at least three times that a gun battle happened over the weekend on a flooded section of road that resulted in five killed and three wounded.
FEMA’s reason given: “We requested that no photographs of the deceased be made by the media.” the un named spokeswoman goes on to say “…space was needed on the rescue boats.“
This is the kind of reporting the state ran and controlled media of East Germany and the old Soviet Union use to do.
This blantant muzzling of the media/press is a direct violation of the 1st. Amendment of the Constitution.
President Bush says he wants to appoint judges who can read the Constition. A question to Judge Roberts from the Senate Judiciary Committee should be: Since this press censorship is in direct violation of the Freedoms of the Press granted in the 1st. Amendment would you find the President and his administration in violation of the law?“
I for one would be interested how a “Reader of The Constitution” would answer this question.
ALLONS,
Byron Skinner
“Stewart’s Platoon”
It’s easy to spot commenters who’ve some military experience — they call fustercluck when they see one. Because they know lives are lost when troops eff up, and they damn sure want to know how and why they did. Not to make heads roll — to be sure it doesn’t happen again.
Katrina matters because it shows dereliction of duty. FEMA and DHS are our LRRP and sentries — and they were sound asleep.
No need to go into the political muck-up. Yeah, our top civilian leaders were variously attending Broadway plays, strumming guitars, buying a mansion and hanging out at a baseball game while our citizens were drowning and dying of dehydration. The voting population has that to solve.
We have to see that this doesn’t happen again.
“FEMA and DHS are our LRRP and sentries“
No.
The LRRPs are the guys who told everyone twenty years back that New Orleans was going to get slammed by a hurricane.
The sentries are the weather forecasters.
FEMA and DHS are the guys back at the supply base, waiting for the combat units — the state and local responders — to tell them where to send the resupply. If nobody tells them they’re out of ammo (or that their unit just got overrun because the commanders are fools), it’s hard to blame the guys shipping MREs and writing paychecks.
First, I want all of you to know that I’d feel really safe if any of you came to help after a disaster. What I think that Katrina points up to is the screwed up agenda of this entire administration. What is the first thing that their favorite political philosopher Grover Norquist did? All these people died, some are dying, the whole city is a disaster because the rich got 75 percent of the tax cuts (which they did not need, but that is another post) and Norquist writes this screwed up fax to Bush saying that the minimum wage laws should be suspended to save “taxpayers” money. Since Norquist and his rich buddies pay very little of the bills that they run up, I don’t think that he has the right to speak for those of us who do. Wage earners pay more taxes proportionate to their wages than rich folks who have all kinds of loopholes and so much “wealth” that’s untaxable that it is unreal…yet it is the wealthy who want more cuts. In this instance, the poor folks who return and want some kind of work to fix their houses or whatever can’t even expect $5.15 an hour for working in a hazardous waste dump?
It’s just plain wrong. There is so much wrong being done that I don’t know where to begin. What do people expect from a guy who’s failed at everything that he has tried? Who got through college because his grandpa was a big fundraiser, not because he made the grades or studied and who doesn’t give a flip about the solidiers that he sends into war without the right armor or the poor left standing beside the Superdome. He only cares about the money filtering into the pockets of those he designates.
I am disgusted and repulsed by what I saw.
MK
Thank you for your comments on the Katrina fiasco. And a fiasco it was when United States citizens are left to fend for themselves in the multiple thousands after a cataclysmic event that was forecasted for days on end prior to the event.
There was absolutely *no* surprise when the hurricane hit. It was a Category 5 hurricane that was larger than Hurricane Andrew which nearly decimated that part of Florida when it hit.
And while hurricanes may not be as “sexy” as terrorist acts, they are no less devastating to the lives of citizens caught in harms way.
Over 1300 people lost their lives. And countless tens of thousands have been left homeless. This is a shameful stain on our nation, and one we will do well to remember.
And if we do *not* put all of our resouces and energy into fixing our first lines of defense against catastrophe what then? What happens if a pandemic bird flu hits, or another devastating earthquakes, or “the big one” in California, or, God forbid, another terrorist strike?
As citizens we owe ourselves the best defense possible for our homeland. And if leaders of our Homeland Security Department and their bosses can’t see that, then it’s time to clean the slate and bring in a fresh crew who will see this done right.
Enough is enough.
I hate you…soo much…like this much
Bush is god. Don’t be talkin’ smack ’bout him.
P.S. your news articles suck anyway…douche
I find it amazing that no one seems to see the connection the dramatic change in hurricanes from 2004 and 05 with this year. Has HAARP been disconnected? Turned on? What is happening?
A young tank commander proud of his 3rd duty in Iraq, back to the Cape on RR; upon returning to duty was blown up by a landmine. While he was waiting with his 6 year nephew and I with my little daughter for the bus,I asked him why he was going back.He said “I’m worried about my men.
“I told him I was very upset about the lie that Rumsfield told to the men while doing question and answer in Iraq.When asked about the lack of armament on Humvees–he said it was ordered and on the way. Later the armour companies said there was no such product ordered. Our young commander said a lot of the first Hummer had soft side doors
initially. You can’t even get it like that for Recreational use.That’s what our present leaders thank of our boys. Let’s use Rumsfield as a human mine sweeping tool, since we can’t afford much machinary to protect them. I am both proud and said to have met such a brave man.
When I was on the university, I played the Rappelz game under my classmates introduced. At first, I heard Rappelz from my classmate; I did not feel the game is fun. Until one day, I went on the line, because I had nothing to do, so I think I can look at the Rappelz game. When I looked the screen, I was attracted. Then I applied an account and I spent a little to buy rupees. And I began my Rappelz trip.
As a premium player you will have additional abilities and advantages inside and outside the game. Buy Tibia Gold to make Tibia even more fun!
There is no room for softness or love in the world of Requiem gold. There is only death, carnage, and salvation through extreme force.
because she did not have enough money to buy flyff penya, I send some to her she did not accept
I used my parents
I buy fiesta Gold for him, in the end he was send for another people