Posted on 09/03/2005 8:04:59 AM PDT by Carl/NewsMax
New Orleans Police Chief Edwin Compass said Friday that hurricane rescue efforts were hampered when relief workers came under attack by the city's criminal element, prompting conditions that resembled "urban warfare."
"We have never had an urban warfare battle like this on any front in the history of our nation," Compass told NBC's "Dateline."
"You're fighting in buildings that are pitch black with darkness. These individuals have root - the criminal element have looted all the gun shops and gun stores in this city, so they're armed, they're dangerous."
Federal Emergency Management Agency Chief Michael Brown, under fire for his agency's slow response, echoed Chief Compass's complaint, telling CNN: "We are working under conditions of urban warfare."
Though the city's crime rate is ten times the national average, U.S. news outlets downplayed the connection between New Orleans' outsized criminal element and delays in rescue efforts.
Saturday's London Times, however, painted a bleak picture of the challenges faced by local police as they tried to restore order.
"One New Orleans police officer wept as he described seeing bodies riddled with bullets, and the top of one man's head shot off. He said some looters were armed with AK-47 rifles, and compared the situation with Somalia, with police outnumbered and outgunned by gangs in trucks . . .
"An effort to remove patients and staff from Charity Hospital, in the city centre, was suspended after it came under sniper fire . . .
"'It's a war-zone, and they're not treating it like one,' he said, referring to the federal government . . . Gunmen continued to fire on troops and rescue helicopters, and police officials said that many officers had stopped reporting for duty, cutting manpower by 20 per cent."
I betcha it's those 80 year old white grannies in wheelchairs causing the trouble.
It's a part of Blue Nation.
Something is missing in the MSM coverage (no surprise) - there is an endgame which is either yet to be played out or is just not being talked about.
I would count on it.
Yeah. Fraid so.
I've not heard much about conditions inside the Convention Center. Only that the police force was "beaten back" and that there were thousands of visitors there.
What is happening to the out of town women?
Who would beat back the police?
I think my imagination has the answer but it is too horrible to say...
Even our local news media is downplaying the thug violence down there.
I have utmost respect for those who left before, during and after the hurricane under their own devices. Several are finally taking the notion of WALKING down the hiway! Finally!
And for all those sittin around waitin for an air conditioned bus with a toilet-forget em.
I suspect the a getting a hot meal in Houston as we speak....
I have heard almost everyone interviewed today saying they never plan on going back ....
There could be 2 million people displaced by this... This could affect elections for decades.
...and happily riding a bus to a nice, quiet community near you...
This supposition will be used by disarmament proponents as grounds to further restrict gun sales and private firearm ownership.
"Federal Emergency Management Agency Chief Michael Brown, under fire for his agency's slow response, echoed Chief Compass's complaint, telling CNN: "We are working under conditions of urban warfare."
Though the city's crime rate is ten times the national average, U.S. news outlets downplayed the connection between New Orleans' outsized criminal element and delays in rescue efforts"
That's right. Throw up your hands.
Maybe if Chief Compass and the Mayor had been doing their jobs prior to the hurricane, they would been able to prevent this "urban warfare" situation.
It seems to me, that this should be a very lesson to people all over the country when they head for the polls to vote for their mayor and/or governor next time around.
Vote for the one who seems the most experienced and competent. The one who could really lead in a crisis. Not the best looking or the one who seems to be the most 'caring' or with the nicest smile.
If that won't suffice... how about Karl Rove or Condi Rice? Both have been snidely criticized for NO already.
You know the race-card they're playing in NO will be used when Roberts confirmation hearing begins. They're going to try to smear Roberts as a racist.
The MSM/DNC cabal is shameless and will stop at nothing to destroy this nation!
It's gotta be that, of course.
Couldn't possibly have anything to do with the abysmal lunacy that is "non-profiling."
Nah.
Let me get this straight. The chief of the New Orleans police blames the federal government for letting the situation get out of hand?
No, buddy. The responsibility is yours. And the Mayor's. And then the Governor's.
The proper role of the Mayor is to enforce order in his city. And the proper role of the Governor is to back up local law enforcement if necessary. And the proper role of the President is to back up the Governor. Local law enforcement knows the city best, and knows where the guns shops are where weapons should be safeguarded before they are all stolen.
Since the feds came in in force, the situation has evidently improved. But the breakdown of law and order in the early days, and the looting of guns from markets, was due entirely to the failure of local law enforcement. The police were badly led and incompetent, and the Mayor bugged out of town at the first opportunity, leaving the refugees to fend for themselves.
But they are all eager to blame the problem on Bush, and of course the media are eager to help them.
The truth is many of these thugs were excited about getting an opportunity to take advantage of this disaster. The gangs knew they would be able to run the streets after the storm. I am sure they had no idea it would be this bad but don't think for a minute that this was not their intent. These are cold blooded hard core gang bangers creating most of the problems. This is no different then any other day in the life of N.O. except no lights and no cops
(sorry for my lousy brain/hand coordination this morning)
Can't we just celebrate "DIVERSITY" and not focus on the negatives? :)
Kill 'em where they find 'em.
I've also heard those "Keep Left" signs have been on a rampage as well. :)
Troll or parody, you decide.
You're pretty quick these days! Nice work.
'It's a war-zone, and they're not treating it like one,' he said, referring to the federal government."
AND, if the big, bad federal government under the nazi dictator Bush had so much as shot at the thug looters, our noble ACLU, the esteemed Congressional Black Caucus, St. Jesee Jackson, the Blessed Reverend Al Sharpton, and the ENTIRE venerable Democrat machine would have rushed to the looters' rescue.
This is the first time I've seen a word reported out of his mouth and I don't know that he's done on a single TV interview. If he has, I haven't seen it.
Hmm...perhaps it wasn't such a good idea for the Lousiana Attorney General to justify the looting for ANY reason.
It doesn't take long for word to spread that cops are letting people take what they want...and they did.
yup , those geezers are deadly, don't forget the religious Jewish kids, they must've been rippin' it up also[/srcsm]
The criminal element in New Orleans prevented the Red Cross from entering the city. Aid was at the ready from a variety of agencies but their safety could not be guaranteed. NO Homeland Security chief Terry Ebbert totally dropped the ball.
You mean your daddy done left you holding the bag, boy? You mean you didn't think the lights would go out? That the criminanimals would go on a spree? Couldn't find that paper with the emergency plan Stan?
LOL! You've got that right! (I'm afraid you and I are in need of "sensitivity training"!)
This world is full of evil people and many lived in the projects in N.O. The kind of trash ( both black and white) that prey on the week. Yes I am positive they stayed to steal and rape and take advantage of the old and weak as all cowards do.
The gun shop owners were irresponsible. They should not be allowed to reopen within the city, ever. I don't care what all you gun enthusiasts say, this was unconscionable negligence. NO police force should have to waste its time and resources protecting gun shops abandoned by their owners or have to clean up the mess when those shops are ransacked and the guns used.
"The last thing the Dems want is it coming out that 20% or so have been murdered."
For some reason, I see the opposite. That is, I see them COUNTING on there being alot of urban warfare deaths so they can blame the president for not having troops there to protect themselves from themselves.
Remember, these people are not responsible for anything, much less their own actions. They need to be protected from themselves, and if the feds cant' do that, then its a conspiracy of racism.
After all, they will claim, if this happened in a white community, where white people were being shot, President Bush would have rode in on the first tank to protect those "white folk"... nevermind this was their own community tearing itself apart... they dont' want to talk about that.
The blame for these "gangstas" with stolen guns will be placed squarely on the NRA for allowing guns to be sold and stolen in the first place. It will never be blamed on individuals. After all, they are black, uneducated, urban and therefore not responsible for their own actions.
You are correct. I'll bet you could count the number of Republican voters in the center of New Orleans on the fingers of one hand.
Last night on Fox I caught a snippet of an elderly African-American lady in New Orleans. She had obviously swallowed all of Jesse Jackson's propaganda, because she was lambasting President Bush. It would probably be a waste of breath to try to explain to her that the rescue was delayed because African-American thugs were shooting at the rescuers.
1) they are drug addicts they won't blend in for long.
2) anticipate locals will expose the criminals. The poor innocents are traumatized but will turn on the thugs as they feel safe and learn more about the situation.
3) there will be massive arrests & trials
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