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Schadow
Vice Admiral
Joined: 30 Sep 2004
Posts: 936
Location: Huntsville, Alabama
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 Posted: Thu Mar 02, 2006 8:21 pm Post subject: Katrina on tape |
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Our version of Pravda, The Huntsville Times, today ran 56 column-inches of the Associated Press version of what the Katrina tapes said. The article predictably and breathlessly made the president and FEMA look like doofuses who were warned but failed to take action.
A key piece of information was entirely missing: that the warnings from the National Hurricane Center contained advice that levees could be overtopped, not breached through levee failure. Overtopping without failure, while causing some flooding, could be handled by the high-volume New Orleans pumps. Of course, the levees were overtopped and the footings washed out, causing the levees to fall. That the levees did fail was the result of failure of the New Orleans Levee Board to maintain them, instead building highway overpasses to the casinos and other boondoggles.
Following is an article I picked up through Drudge this morning. It is perhaps the clearest statement of what happened, who is responsible for what, and who did what that I have read:
| Quote: | Sequel: Katrina II - the Re-hash
By Christopher Adamo (03/02/2006)
Ok, so a tape has surfaced on pre-Katrina discussions between FEMA and the President. Regardless of your personal interpretation of the issue. whether you feel the Feds were completely inept and incompetent, or whether they did all they could under the circumstances. the tapes will prove you right - so they're really of no value at all.
It's interesting that these secure discussions were taped at all, and that these tapes have been made public by no-one knows whom. The source has never been identified in any of the stories highlighting the tapes! Who is the source of the leak? (Just wondering.)
But since it's back in the news as we mark 6 months since the storm. it behooves us to rehash some factual information:
1] The Federal Government is not responsible to be the "first responders" in any disaster. That is the province of the state and local officials.
2] Nagin failed to follow New Orleans' own disaster preparedness guidelines (which called for pressing the school busses into service for evacuation rather than leaving them idle to stand in the waters of the flooding!) Tens of thousands of "victims" could have been elsewhere when the storm struck if he had simply READ AND FOLLOWED DIRECTIONS!
3] The Louisiana National Guard is BLANCO's responsibility, and it was also HER responsibility to FEDERALIZE them. Under Posse Commitatus, the Feds COULDN'T enter the state without her authorization, even to lend disaster aid!
4] LA State government was so paralyzed in the wake of Katrina that Bush had threatened to INVADE THE STATE under the INSURRECTION ACT (to supercede Posse Commitatus) so they could begin disaster response if Blanco didn't take action to federalize the National Guard. Even then, she asked for 24 additional hours to "think about it".
5]] The "Category 4" storm ("category" being determined by nothing more than wind speed) didn't breach the levees. They didn't breach till long after the storm DEPARTED their shores. It was the weight of the excess water deposited in the impoundments that breached the levees... not the force of storm winds. The 17th street Levee had recently been one of those UPGRADED and declared "FINISHED" by local officials as to its readiness for a storm. The levee breach that caused the most destruction was among those considered LEAST LIKELY to fail -- hence the "no one could have predicted" statement.
6] LOCAL responsibility for the levees MUST be assessed. Money has been thrown at New Orleans levee system for decades for maintenance, repair, upgrades and construction. Much of that money has been diverted and never spent on its intended purpose. Some has even found its way into Mardi Gras celebrations rather than protecting the city. PERHAPS if they had actually used those funds as intended there might have been better preparation against Katrina.
7] The President is not (nor should he be expected to be) personally engaged in the day-to-day operations of FEMA or any other agency. These functions are DELEGATED.
8] FEMA is not and never was intended to be involved in First Response activities, which were always supposed to be handled locally. FEMA wasn't even supposed to be involved in direct relief efforts. That's the purview National Guard, Red Cross etc. FEMA is and always has been a coordinating and paper-pushing administrative agency. They handle logistics and they write checks... AFTER the damage is done... to help rebuild. That was their role in Andrew. That was their role after earthquakes and tornados. That's what they do. To expect them to be on site as the winds died down holding the levees up and bringing manna from heaven for the residents of New Orleans (who should have evacuated... and COULD have if Nagin had RUN those school busses!) is more than unreasonable... it's ridiculous.
As New Orleans rebuilds, one must consider: If the WEIGHT of water in the impoundments is responsible for breaching levees - what is the value of building HIGHER levees? Imagine the weight of a single inch deeper water, over the vast expanse of Lake Pontchartrain!! We saw the result of rising water levels on the levee holding back the Taum Sauk Reservoir in Missouri. Only a billion gallons there! How THICK and strong must a levee be to hold back Pontchartrain if it rises against these higher levees they propose?
Copyright © 2005 by Doug Edelman |
Source
Schadow
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Capt, 8th U.S. Army, Korea '53 - '54 |
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dusty
Admiral
Joined: 27 Aug 2004
Posts: 1264
Location: East Texas
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| Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2006 3:05 pm Post subject: |
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Good one Schadow.
I'm passing this one around. Thanks for posting it.
Dusty
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Left and Wrong are the opposite of Right! |
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JN173
Commander
Joined: 10 May 2004
Posts: 341
Location: Anchorage, Alaska
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| Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2006 5:42 pm Post subject: |
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Quote Shadow:
| Quote: | Sequel: Katrina II - the Re-hash
By Christopher Adamo (03/02/2006)
snip----------------------------------------------------------------------------------.
It's interesting that these secure discussions were taped at all, and that these tapes have been made public by no-one knows whom. The source has never been identified in any of the stories highlighting the tapes! Who is the source of the leak? (Just wondering.) |
According to Brit Humes yesterday these weren't exactly "secure" discussions.
From Brit Hume's "Grapevine":
| Quote: | | In fact, most of the August 28 briefing was open to the press and was covered by numerous media outlets including FOX News. |
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,186681,00.html
_________________
A Grunt
2/503 173rd Airborne Brigade
RVN '65-'66 |
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Army_(Ret)
Lt.Jg.
Joined: 06 Aug 2004
Posts: 108
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| Posted: Sat Mar 04, 2006 12:53 am Post subject: |
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The police departments are also a first line of defense, for the orderly evacuation of the city and the safety of the public while carrying it out.
SOURCE: REUTERS · ASSOCIATED PRESS · AFP · DRUDGE REPORT
NEWS: BREAKING · WORLD · US · POL · BIZ · ENT · LIFE · SCI · ODD · SPORTS
ADVERTISEMENT
Grand Jury to Probe New Orleans Police
Jan 25 5:55 PM US/Eastern
Email this story
By CAIN BURDEAU
Associated Press Writer
NEW ORLEANS
A Louisiana grand jury will investigate several controversies involving police in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, including the theft of cars from a Cadillac dealership and the shooting deaths of two men suspected of firing on contractors.
The grand jury will be the first impaneled here since Hurricane Katrina hit on Aug. 29. District Attorney Eddie Jordan, whose offices were flooded in the storm, announced the investigations Wednesday from his temporary headquarters in a former nightclub.
More than 200 vehicles _ including 88 new Cadillacs and Chevrolets _ were taken from a dealership amid the chaos after the hurricane hit. New Orleans police have acknowledged that some of the cars were taken by officers to replace flooded police cars.
In October, two civilians were arrested in the case and on Friday a federal grand jury indicted a former officer on charges of stealing a pickup truck from the dealership.
The police shooting case has been surrounded by confusion. On Sept. 4, police said five people were shot to death by officers after opening fire on a group of contractors on a bridge in New Orleans. But the number was later revised down to two, and questions have been raised about whether those killed were involved in any wrongdoing.
The grand jury also will look at evidence in a case involving a police chief and police officer from the small town of Mermentau who were accused of looting after Katrina. And it will examine allegations of possible malfeasance involving a Port of New Orleans official who dismissed about 60 port security officers who could have helped protect a mall and taken part in rescue efforts.
Jordan said the grand jury will probably also look into the deaths of patients at hospitals during Katrina and investigate whether the levees and floodwalls that broke were improperly built.
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Peace is acheived through victory |
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wwIIvetsdaughter
Captain
Joined: 02 Sep 2004
Posts: 513
Location: McAllen, Texas
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| Posted: Sat Mar 04, 2006 1:30 am Post subject: |
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| Considering the difference between "overtopped" and "breeched" and the attempt of the old leftist media to portray W. as oblivious to Katrina's dangers, how can anyone with an iota of common sense not realize the media if full of B.S.? |
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Schadow
Vice Admiral
Joined: 30 Sep 2004
Posts: 936
Location: Huntsville, Alabama
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| Posted: Sat Mar 04, 2006 4:35 pm Post subject: |
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The Associated Press quietly sent out a 'correction' to its original story on the videoconferences. Few papers printed it (ours didn't) but the Arizona Daily Star (Tucson) did. A Tucson reader who reported this to PowerLine remarked this as a milestone for their paper, usually referred to as the "Arizona Red Star":
| Quote: | WASHINGTON — An Associated Press story Thursday on this page incorrectly reported that federal disaster officials warned President Bush and his homeland security chief before Hurricane Katrina struck that the storm could breach levees in New Orleans, citing confidential video footage of an Aug. 28 briefing among U.S. officials.
The story should have made clear that Bush was warned about floodwaters overrunning the levees, rather than the levees breaching.
The Army Corps of Engineers considers a breach a hole developing in a levee rather than an overrun.
The day before the storm hit, Bush was told there were grave concerns that the levees could be overrun. It wasn't until the next morning, as the storm was hitting, that Michael Brown, then head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said Bush had inquired about reports of breaches. |
And this from PowerLine this morning (emphasis added):
| Quote: | FOOTNOTE: Stephen Waters is the publisher of the Rome (NY) Sentinel. He writes this morning:
FYI, perhaps one reason that AP printed a clarification is that AP newspaper members like our newspaper hound our state bureau chiefs with emails like this: "Who's running AP and what are they trying to do with the brand? [provides link to John's post criticizing the AP's story on the Katrina video] It's really bad when Popular Mechanics is a more authoritative source than AP."
In his message to us, Mr. Waters adds: "I thought you ought to know that some of the MSM are interested in the quality of what is reported and we act -- regularly -- to give constructive feedback." |
Master source for all above is HERE
Here we have the usual case of a faulty and damaging tale which has to be undone reluctantly, if at all, and in a manner guaranteed never to reach the eyes of the public which has been lied to. That's our MSM.
Schadow
_________________
Capt, 8th U.S. Army, Korea '53 - '54 |
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shawa
CNO
Joined: 03 Sep 2004
Posts: 2004
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| Posted: Sat Mar 04, 2006 7:56 pm Post subject: |
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RATHERGATE II???
From Wizbang:
| Quote: | As I was the first to note, one of the authors of the original AP story, Margaret Ebrahim, appears to have a tangential Rathergate connection via her previous employment by CBS's 60 Minutes II.
The Rathergate similarities don't end there however. It's amazing how utterly and completely the AP followed CBS's tragically flawed formula of attempting to buttress their lies with more lies. The Blanco video story just compounded their errors.
By Friday the AP was reduced to interviewing an AP reporter to pump up the importance of their original story - long after it had been breached more severely that the levees in New Orleans. If that doesn't smack of the Gunga Dan defense of his 60 Minutes II piece I don't know what does...
Don't feel too sorry for the subject of that interview, AP Political reporter Ron Fournier, since he admits to being the person who actually procured the tapes for the AP and the one who set the tone of the reporting. In Ron Fournier and Margaret Ebrahim I'd say we've got this story's Dan Rather and Mary Mapes...
And this evening they got hung out to dry by their bosses... |
_________________
“I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. ‘Tis the business of little minds to shrink; but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death.” (Thomas Paine, 1776) |
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shawa
CNO
Joined: 03 Sep 2004
Posts: 2004
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| Posted: Sat Mar 04, 2006 8:47 pm Post subject: |
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This is really a hoot!! Wizbang links to this AP statement of news values and principles.(bold emphasis mine)
| Quote: | Posted 11/29/2005
Amended 01/18/2006
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS STATEMENT OF NEWS VALUES
AND PRINCIPLES
(Warning:BARF ALERT)
For more than a century and a half, men and women of The Associated Press have had the privilege of bringing truth to the world. They have gone to great lengths, overcome great obstacles – and, too often, made great and horrific sacrifices – to ensure that the news was reported quickly, accurately and honestly. Our efforts have been
rewarded with trust: More people in more places get their news from the AP than from any other source.
In the 21st century, that news is transmitted in more ways than ever before – in print, on the air and on the Web, with words, images, graphics, sounds and video. But always and in all media, we insist on the highest standards of integrity and ethical behavior when we gather and deliver the news.
That means we abhor inaccuracies, carelessness, bias or distortions.
It means we will not knowingly introduce false information into material intended for publication or broadcast; nor will we alter photo or image content. Quotations must be accurate, and precise.
It means we always strive to identify all the sources of our information, shielding them with anonymity only when they insist upon it and when they provide vital information – not opinion or speculation; when there is no other way to obtain that information; and when we know the source is knowledgeable and reliable.
It means we don't plagiarize.
It means we avoid behavior or activities that create a conflict of interest and compromise our ability to report the news fairly and accurately, uninfluenced by any person or action.
It means we don't misidentify or misrepresent ourselves to get a story. When we seek an interview, we identify ourselves as AP journalists.
It means we don’t pay newsmakers for interviews, to take their photographs or to film or record them.
It means we must be fair. Whenever we portray someone in a negative light, we must make a real effort to obtain a response from that person. When mistakes are made, they must be corrected – fully, quickly and ungrudgingly.
And ultimately, it means it is the responsibility of every one of us to ensure that these standards are upheld. Any time a question is raised about any aspect of our work, it should be taken seriously.
"I have no thought of saying The Associated Press is perfect. The frailties of human nature attach to it," wrote Melville Stone, the great general manager of the AP. But he went on to say that "the thing it is striving for is a truthful, unbiased report of the world's happenings … ethical in the highest degree."
He wrote those words in 1914. They are true today. (NOT!!--downright laughable, isn't it?)
* * *
The policies set forth in these pages are central to the AP’s mission; any failure to abide by them is subject to review, and could result in disciplinary action, ranging from admonishment to dismissal, depending on the gravity of the infraction.
STANDARDS AND PRACTICES
~SNIP~
CORRECTIONS/CORRECTIVES:
Staffers must notify supervisory editors of errors or potential errors, whether in their work or that of a colleague. Every effort should be made to contact the staffer and his or her supervisor before a correction is moved.
When we're wrong, we must say so as soon as possible. When we make a correction in the current cycle, we point out the error and its fix in the editor's note. A correction must always be labeled a correction in the editor's note. We do not use euphemisms such as "recasts," "fixes," "clarifies" or "changes" when correcting a factual error.
A corrective corrects a mistake from a previous cycle. The AP asks papers or broadcasters that used the erroneous information to use the corrective, too.
For corrections on live, online stories, we overwrite the previous version. We send separate corrective stories online as warranted.
For graphics, we clearly label a correction with a FIX logo or bug, and clearly identify the material that has been corrected.
For photos, we move a caption correction and retransmit the photo with a corrected caption, clearly labeled as a retransmission to correct an error.
For video, corrections in scripts and/or shotlists are sent to clients as an advisory and are labeled as such.
For live broadcasts, we correct errors in the same newscast if at all possible. If not, we make sure the corrected information is used in the next appropriate live segment. Audio correspondent reports that contain factual errors are eliminated and, when possible, replaced with corrected reports.
~SNIP~
http://www.ap.org/pages/about/whatsnew/wn_112905.html |
So corrections are to be made as soon as possible and no euphemisms.
It only took AP a week to correct and then euphemized the 'correction' to a 'clarification' which I guess is not as horrendously egregious as a 'correction'.
_________________
“I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. ‘Tis the business of little minds to shrink; but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death.” (Thomas Paine, 1776) |
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