The Draining of New Orleans Begins, and 'the Worst is Yet to Come.'

—BBC NEWS VIDEO: The Big Easy Now a 'Carnival of Horrors,' Sept. 4, 00:05:28
—BBC NEWS AUDIO: Mayor Ray Nagin Loses His Temper in a Now Famous-Interview About the Relief Effort, September 4, 00:09:37

At Root of Post-Katrina Crises, Racism ...

Condoleezza Rice’s protestations notwithstanding, the behavior of the Dallas chief of police and others in the State of Texas shows that, according to this op-ed from France’s L’Humanite, at the heart of the growing crisis over the rescue effort is racism.

By Jean Chatain

September 6, 2005

l'Humanite - Original Article (French)    

The worst is yet to come, after the water is pumped out of New Orleans, warns Secretary of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff: “It will be worse than anything we have had in this country, perhaps with the exception of September 11. I believe we need to prepare the country for what's coming." Chertoff himself continues to refuse to guess at the number of deaths, but a member of Congress said it could exceed 10,000. Anxious to make people forget his initial indifference, George W. Bush decreed a 48-hour period of mourning. "If you want to help this country recover, please give money to the Red Cross," beseeched the president, while visiting the headquarters of the institution in Washington.

—C-SPAN VIDEO: Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff on Hurricane Katrina Relief, September 4, 00:04:51

REMARKS CONTRADICTED AT ONCE

In order to counter the critics (over recent days, Hillary Clinton has called for the formation of an independent commission), Condoleezza Rice and Donald Rumsfeld visited victims in the disaster zones. The first secretary of state declared herself convinced that racism played no role in the slow delivery of aid: "I am African-American, I am from Alabama, and I can say to you that this reaction has nothing to do with skin color ..."

—C-SPAN VIDEO: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Briefs Reporters on Relief Efforts In Bayou La Batre, Alabama, September 4, 00:10:26

Her remarks were contradicted at once by certain people from Texas, the state next to Louisiana whose population is overwhelmingly white, and where the conservative authorities grimace at the surge of black refugees from Louisiana "We are prepared for the worst," David Kunkle, the police chief of the Texas capital [Dallas] confided to the Dallas Morning News. "But we will ensure the safety of the residents of Dallas," added Kunkle, with a conviction evoking the racist cops of the deep south, the type that are strewn through old Erskine Caldwell novels. Having received more than 200,000 evacuees, the State of Texas, one of richest in the United States, has announced that it is already stretched to the limit, and is preparing to airlift the disaster victims to other States.

In New Orleans, the black community remains in shock. "People of color were described as thieves, looters and hooligans," denounced Bruce Gordon, president of National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Across the entire [Gulf] region, the situation remains horrendous. Thus authorities have just evacuated a shelter in the town of Biloxi after an epidemic of dysentery broke out. The heat, the mosquitoes, the feted water, and especially the thousands of people living in precarious hygienic conditions are an explosive mix likely to lead to a sanitary disaster.  Hundreds of thousands of homes are deprived of electricity, although the current was restored to certain neighborhoods of New Orleans on Sunday evening. 

THE CADAVERS

Rescue squads that have been rushed to the city have been recovering increasing numbers of corpses.

In the city’s 9th district, the boats of the first-aid workers pass dozens of bodies floating in the muddy water. "We saw more dead than alive," called out Michael Lester, who passed the day on his boat crisscrossing the submerged streets. The international community has begun sending aid to the United States, which accepted United Nations assistance on Sunday. This is rather unusual behavior for a country concerned about affirming its place as the top economic, political and military power on the planet.

At first, President Bush had declined all foreign aid, but the government quickly altered course and maintained that it was open to all offers of assistance.  The European Union announced that the United States had requested emergency aid in the form of medical kits, water and food rations.  The French government prepared to send supplies that are propositioned in Martinique.  Venezuela, a regular target of hostility for Washington, declared itself ready to furnish 1 million barrels of gasoline. 

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