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."
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.
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