NEW ORLEANS — Combat operations are underway on the streets “to take this city back” in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
“This place is going to look like Little Somalia,” Brig. Gen. Gary Jones, commander of the Louisiana National Guard’s Joint Task Force told Army Times Friday as hundreds of armed troops under his charge prepared to launch a massive citywide security mission from a staging area outside the Louisiana Superdome. “We’re going to go out and take this city back. This will be a combat operation to get this city under control.”
Jones said the military first needs to establish security throughout the city. Military and police officials have said there are several large areas of the city are in a full state of anarchy.
Dozens of military trucks and up-armored Humvees left the staging area just after 11 a.m. Friday, while hundreds more troops arrived at the same staging area in the city via Black Hawk and Chinook helicopters.
“We’re here to do whatever they need us to do,” Sgt. 1st Class Ron Dixon, of the Oklahoma National Guard’s 1345th Transportation Company. “We packed to stay as long as it takes.”
While some fight the insurgency in the city, other carry on with rescue and evacuation operations. Helicopters are still pulling hundreds of stranded people from rooftops of flooded homes.
Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and police helicopters filled the city sky Friday morning. Most had armed soldiers manning the doors. According to Petty Officer 3rd Class Jeremy Grishamn, a spokesman for the amphibious assault ship Bataan, the vessel kept its helicopters at sea Thursday night after several military helicopters reported being shot at from the ground.
Numerous soldiers also told Army Times that they have been shot at by armed civilians in New Orleans. Spokesmen for the Joint Task Force Headquarters at the Superdome were unaware of any servicemen being wounded in the streets, although one soldier is recovering from a gunshot wound sustained during a struggle with a civilian in the dome Wednesday night.
“I never thought that at a National Guardsman I would be shot at by other Americans,” said Spc. Philip Baccus of the 527th Engineer Battalion. “And I never thought I’d have to carry a rifle when on a hurricane relief mission. This is a disgrace.”
Spc. Cliff Ferguson of the 527th Engineer Battalion pointed out that he knows there are plenty of decent people in New Orleans, but he said it is hard to stay motivated considering the circumstances.
“This is making a lot of us think about not reenlisting.” Ferguson said. “You have to think about whether it is worth risking your neck for someone who will turn around and shoot at you. We didn’t come here to fight a war. We came here to help.”
-----------------------------------------
Perhaps there is a reason for the delay in relief.
Police shot and killed at least five people Sunday after gunmen opened fire on a group of contractors traveling across a bridge on their way to make repairs, authorities said.
Deputy Police Chief W.J. Riley said police shot at eight people carrying guns, killing five or six.
Fourteen contractors were traveling across the Danziger Bridge under police escort when they came under fire, said John Hall, a spokesman for the Army Corps of Engineers.
They were on their way to launch barges into Lake Pontchartrain to help plug the breach in the 17th Street Canal, Hall said.
None of the contractors was killed, Hall said.
The bridge spans a canal connecting Lake Pontchartrain and the Mississippi River.
Police shot and killed at least five people Sunday after gunmen opened fire on a group of contractors traveling across a bridge on their way to make repairs, authorities said.
Deputy Police Chief W.J. Riley said police shot at eight people carrying guns, killing five or six.
Fourteen contractors were traveling across the Danziger Bridge under police escort when they came under fire, said John Hall, a spokesman for the Army Corps of Engineers.
They were on their way to launch barges into Lake Pontchartrain to help plug the breach in the 17th Street Canal, Hall said.
None of the contractors was killed, Hall said.
The bridge spans a canal connecting Lake Pontchartrain and the Mississippi River.
No other details were immediately available.
It was originally reported on yahoo that the police shot and killed the contractors, this makes me feel a little better about the situation.
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 4:56 pm Posts: 19957 Location: Jenny Lewis' funbags
I'm still trying to wrap my mind around WHY people are shooting at their own people? Do they want to live in waist deep sewer water? Cause if thats what they want, they won't last very long.
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 7:19 pm Posts: 39068 Location: Chapel Hill, NC, USA Gender: Male
sleightofhandpj wrote:
I'll say it....some people need to be relieved of citizenship.
Five to six people were.
_________________ "Though some may think there should be a separation between art/music and politics, it should be reinforced that art can be a form of nonviolent protest." - e.v.
I'm still trying to wrap my mind around WHY people are shooting at their own people? Do they want to live in waist deep sewer water? Cause if thats what they want, they won't last very long.
good question
it's not as if being left homeless, without any possessions, without food or water, and being deserted by your government for upwards of a week while you watch those you care about rot and die is enough to drive someone insane
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I'm still trying to wrap my mind around WHY people are shooting at their own people? Do they want to live in waist deep sewer water? Cause if thats what they want, they won't last very long.
good question
it's not as if being left homeless, without any possessions, without food or water, and being deserted by your government for upwards of a week while you watch those you care about rot and die is enough to drive someone insane [/url]
The "insurgency" began after less then 2 days. That's hardly deserted, especically since the governer banned federal action for 24 hours after the disaster hit. A helicopter that is shot down cannot help anyone. I think the people who stuck in the superdome should have "taken matters into their own hands" with regards to the 'opppressed insurgents'.
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 7:19 pm Posts: 39068 Location: Chapel Hill, NC, USA Gender: Male
If I had to guess ... it's some sort of gang-related, showing-that-I'm-in-charge-of-this-area sort of thing. "Those copters aren't taking you out, unlessI want them to." EDIT: In which case, the "fuck 'em" policy allows the gangs to stay in control and make life for victims even more unbearable.
My wife tells me that Oprah went to the Superdome and reports were that since there was no law enforcement in there, gangs ran everything. Per Oprah's report, gang members just grabbed women that they wanted and raped them and most were powerless to stop it.
_________________ "Though some may think there should be a separation between art/music and politics, it should be reinforced that art can be a form of nonviolent protest." - e.v.
Last edited by ¡B! on Wed Sep 07, 2005 1:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I'm still trying to wrap my mind around WHY people are shooting at their own people? Do they want to live in waist deep sewer water? Cause if thats what they want, they won't last very long.
good question
it's not as if being left homeless, without any possessions, without food or water, and being deserted by your government for upwards of a week while you watch those you care about rot and die is enough to drive someone insane [/url]
By that same logic then, explain why didn't this same thing happen in Mississippi? Or Florida? Some people in Mississippi still haven't been helped yet we don't see the same problems.
I believe, though not sure, New Orleans has (had) the highest per captia murder rate in the nation.
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 1:14 am Posts: 37778 Location: OmaGOD!!! Gender: Male
broken_iris wrote:
Dawz wrote:
MF wrote:
I'm still trying to wrap my mind around WHY people are shooting at their own people? Do they want to live in waist deep sewer water? Cause if thats what they want, they won't last very long.
good question
it's not as if being left homeless, without any possessions, without food or water, and being deserted by your government for upwards of a week while you watch those you care about rot and die is enough to drive someone insane [/url]
By that same logic then, explain why didn't this same thing happen in Mississippi? Or Florida? Some people in Mississippi still haven't been helped yet we don't see the same problems.
I believe, though not sure, New Orleans has (had) the highest per captia murder rate in the nation.
Gang organization technology has been sorely lagging in Mississippi as compared to New Orleans.
_________________ Unfortunately, at the Dawning of the Age of Aquarius, the Flower Children jerked off and went back to sleep.
I'm still trying to wrap my mind around WHY people are shooting at their own people? Do they want to live in waist deep sewer water? Cause if thats what they want, they won't last very long.
good question
it's not as if being left homeless, without any possessions, without food or water, and being deserted by your government for upwards of a week while you watch those you care about rot and die is enough to drive someone insane [/url]
By that same logic then, explain why didn't this same thing happen in Mississippi? Or Florida? Some people in Mississippi still haven't been helped yet we don't see the same problems.
I believe, though not sure, New Orleans has (had) the highest per captia murder rate in the nation.
Gang organization technology has been sorely lagging in Mississippi as compared to New Orleans.
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