Storm readiness, Louisiana
Keep the people of New Orleans, the rest of Louisiana, and Mississippi in your thoughts today as they face the unknown strength of Hurricane Katrina.
The usual practice in the US is that when there are natural disasters and emergencies, the relevant state's National Guard units play a big role in keeping order, helping people, and minimizing damages. It's notable therefore that just a month ago, more than 400 Louisiana National Guard members based in Iraq all simultaneously extended their terms of service with the Guard. (It's not clear how much longer those soldiers, who're serving with a Brigade Combat team, will be in Iraq.)
It's not easy to find out how many Louisiana Guard members are serving in Iraq, total. But all the "stories" on the front page of the LNG's website have the dateline "Camp Tigerland, Iraq".
Note, though that the leadership of the LNG has not just acted as a patsy for all the Pentagon's diktats about bringing home dead soldiers in a hushed, secret way. This piece on The Memory Hole reports that when six LNG members were killed in a single incident back in January,
- The Pentagon told the Guard to keep out the media, but the families of all six soldiers wanted to share the sad homecoming with the world. Obeying the family's wishes instead of the Pentagon's, the Guard allowed the press... to film and photograph the arrival ceremony.
All the very best luck to the LNG and all the people of the state as they deal with the storm. And may all the loved ones deployed overseas get back home safe and very soon indeed!
I hope will pass with minimum lose.
I had discussions with a friend from US I met him on 2001, and we were discussing Iraq and Saddam at that time, I recall asking him why United State Support Israel even though US had friends in Arab world and they need them and benefits from them.
His answer was three parts, one of them religious, when US support other than Israel there will be nature disasters in US he mentioned one or two events that happened.
I wish I see this friend to tell me if US putdown Israel this year or last year that three nature disasters happened there?
There were 12 hours to go, hope all safe.
It appears that looting in New Orleans has gotten completely out of control, and seems more and more the work of armed and organized gangs. Evidently, there are too few policemen and National Guard soldiers available to stop it. I guess no one planned for the aftermath of a disaster that most people have seen coming for a long time. Does this remind you of anything?
John C.
I don’t know why, but do you recall when Bush senior, lunched the war on Iraq 1991 and while Saddam busy with leanup the chose and looting south done by Iranians and other criminals, in the sametime news came there were a break of looting and chose in one city in USA!!, same thing now, Is it coincident? Or what?
Your blog is realy very interesting.