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Over 10,000 may be dead, says Republican Louisiana senator (as reported by UK papers)

by Re-post

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,11069-1762944,00.html

As corpses rotted in the toxic waters, David Vitter, a Republican Louisiana senator, said he believed that 10,000 people may have died in his state alone, most in New Orleans. A huge chemical explosion spewed acrid smoke across the city.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=15926352&method=full&siteid=94762&headline=dudya--no-cash--no-aid---and-no-sign-of-bush-for-five-days--name_page.html


3 September 2005

DUDYA, NO CASH, NO AID.. AND NO SIGN OF BUSH FOR FIVE DAYS

By Ryan Parry In New Orleans And Chris Hughes In London

PRESIDENT Bush finally made it to the US flood zone yesterday, amid fury at his administration's failure to give prompt help to New Orleans.

As a Louisiana senator awarded a "grade F" to the response to the crisis and warned of more than 10,000 dead, large-scale aid was at last beginning to arrive in the swamped and lawless city.

Mr Bush, leader of the richest nation on earth and floundering in the face of a Third World-style disaster, conceded five days on that the rescue effort was "not acceptable".

As far back as 2001, the Federal Emergency Management Agency was saying that a major hurricane hitting New Orleans was one of the three "likeliest, most catastrophic disasters facing this country".

But the president nicknamed Dubya has constantly slashed the agency's budget, leaving flood defences unrepaired.

He appointed inexperienced people to run it, then the body was swallowed up by the Department of Homeland Security.

Louisiana had a request for pre-disaster funding rejected in 2004 and army money for flood protection was cut hugely.

One emergency chief, Walter Maestri, said: "It appears the money has been moved to the president's budget to handle homeland security and the war in Iraq. I suppose that's the price we pay."

Bush, who has enlisted his father George Snr and Bill Clinton to help deal with the disaster, said in the Mississippi town of Biloxi: "We will deploy the assets necessary to get the situation under control. What is not working right, we're going to make it right." As he spoke, bodies lay in the streets of New Orleans almost a week after Hurricane Katrina struck.

And at the Superdome shelter, still being evacuated, police chief Eddie Compass said: "We have individuals who are getting raped, we have individuals who are getting beaten." Louisiana senator David Vitter urged the deployment of combat troops, saying that the build-up of National Guard troops was too slow to restore order swiftly.

He said of the possible death toll: "My guess is that it will start at 10,000, but that is only a guess." New Orleans' emergency operations chief Terry Ebbert said the rescue operation was a "national disgarce".

He added: "We can send massive amounts of aid to tsunami victims, but we can't bail out the city of New Orleans."

As Mayor Ray Nagin said the city was "holding on by a thread", trucks with food and water drove through the floodwaters.

Dozens of air-conditioned tour buses were drafted in to aid the evacuation.

Weapons were also part of the relief convoy and Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco hinted at a shoot-to-kill policy unless the looting stopped.

Seven thousand more National Guardsmen - half just back from overseas - were going to New Orleans.

Britain was among three dozen countries pledging aid yesterday. Tony Blair said: "As I said to the president yesterday, this country will stand ready to help in any way that we can."

France, Germany and Italy joined in, along with Cuba and Venezuala - putting aside political differences with the US. The UN was also ready to help.

Black members of Congress were angry at the slow federal response, but held off from charges of racism.

It is the poor - many of them black - who have been left behind in New Orleans. Lack of money and transport meant moving out was not an option.

Homeless Sontrica and Ricky Allen, who have four children, made it to a hotel through a friend who works there.

Sontrica said: "I don't think too highly for Bush, he's not helping us, he didn't get my vote, he's a president for the rich."


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