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by KYW’s David Madden : Newsradio 1060
The local head of the American Red Cross has responded to complaints that the agency has not provided help within the hurricane-ravaged city of New Orleans. He says they weren’t allowed.
More than 50,000 people are being housed in 90 Red Cross shelters throughout Louisiana. Many of those shelters are in areas surrounding the Crescent City, but there are none inside.
How come? Local Red Cross CEO Tom Foley offers this explanation:
“The state Department of Homeland Security in Louisiana asked the Red Cross not to go into the city because they want that message to be, ‘You need to leave the city. This isn’t going to be a sheltering spot.’ ”
Foley says it’s frustrating for volunteers not to be able to help. But the way the Red Cross operates, he says, is that evacuees are brought to them by local officials — much like victims of a fire are taken to the Red Cross by a fire department.
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This is freaking madness – insane – criminal!
Martial law¹ my ass – murder of your own people!
Ceasar Nero Watching New Orleans Burn!
¹) Martial Law should read :: Federal State of Emergency.
More to follow below the fold » »
- Access to New Orleans is controlled by the National Guard and local authorities and while we are in constant contact with them, we simply cannot enter New Orleans against their orders.
- The state Homeland Security Department had requested–and continues to request–that the American Red Cross not come back into New Orleans following the hurricane. Our presence would keep people from evacuating and encourage others to come into the city.
- […]
- The Red Cross shares the nation’s anguish over the worsening situation inside the city. We will continue to work under the direction of the military, state and local authorities and to focus all our efforts on our lifesaving mission of feeding and sheltering.
By Ann Rodgers, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
NEW ORLEANS Saturday, September 03, 2005 — As the National Guard delivered food to the New Orleans convention center yesterday, American Red Cross officials said that federal emergency management authorities would not allow them to do the same.
Other relief agencies say the area is so damaged and dangerous that they doubted they could conduct mass feeding there now.
“The Homeland Security Department has requested and continues to request that the American Red Cross not come back into New Orleans,” said Renita Hosler, spokeswoman for the Red Cross.
“Right now access is controlled by the National Guard and local authorities. We have been at the table every single day [asking for access]. We cannot get into New Orleans against their orders.”
Calls to the Department of Homeland Security and its subagency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), were not returned yesterday.
Update [2005-9-3 7:20:12 by Oui]:
WTF – Citizens of New Orleans spreading the American flags on the roof tops, like saying: “Heh – we are one of the good guys, why don’t you rescue us?
American Flags – The Water Is Rising Pleas
New Orleans residents wait to be rescued from the floodwaters of Hurricane Katrina. New Orleans made a 'desperate SOS' for help as authorities struggled to stem a descent into anarchy and evacuate survivors of Hurricane Katrina, which is now believed to have killed thousands. AFP/Pool/David J. Phillip
Good news is, the Air Force just annouced that hundreds of men and women serving in Iraq, from the disaster area of the Gulf Coast, will be returning HOME to take care of family and relatives.
… after reading dKos and the other blogs all week and seeing over and over again comments that that FEMA and the NG were no where to be seen from the people on the ground in NO, I was wondering where the Red Cross was in all this. They were never mentioned. It was like they didn’t exist. And, after yesterday’s drama at the convention center, the Brown and Chertoff lies, the Red Cross was still MIA.
So I called the Red Cross and asked them if its true …
I just called the (Federal) Dept. of Homeland security (202-282-8000) and asked them the following question:
“Is it true what the American Red Cross has reported that they have not been allowed into the city of New Orleans by the DHS since Hurricane Katrina because their ‘presence would keep people from evacuating'”?
[…] At this point I lost my temper and went on a little tirade. I said (something like) “because it’s a stupid fucking policy! And people have died because of it. And if Michael Chertoff is responsible, people should be made aware of that. And if you and he think it’s a good policy, you should be willing to stand by it and take responsibility for it!”
[…] I am so pissed right now. If Chertoff really did order this, his head should be served up (Cajun style) on a platter to the mayor of New Orleans.
P.S. When I hung up the phone, the first thing my wife said to me was, “Great. Now you’ll be drafted for sure!”
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