Red Cross Forbidden Access to New Orleans?

Amidst one of the worst natural disasters in recent times, some of our most trusted agencies dropped the ball. While many are quick to label these as 'mere failures,' who's really being held accountable? If this had been a terrorist event, would we really have been ready?

(PRWEB) September 5, 2005 -- Within the first moments after Hurricane Katrina the Red Cross was instructed to stay out of New Orleans. This information is made available freely on the Red Cross website at:
http://www.redcross.org/faq/0,1096,0_682_4524,00.html#4524

The first few paragraphs read:
"Acess (sic) to New Orleans is controlled by the National Guard and local authorities and while we are in constant contact with them, we simply cannot enter New Orleans against their orders.

The state Homeland Security Department had requested--and continues to request--that the American Red Cross not come back into New Orleans following the hurricane. Our presence would keep people from evacuating and encourage others to come into the city."

Yet full-scale evacuation wasn't started until days later. Meanwhile the death toll mounted.

While some may label it as "common sense" to keep workers from entered flood-ridden areas, many others consider this "starve them out" strategy to be both inhumane and criminal. Yet nobody is being held accountable nor are many even discussing the matter. Short of a few in the blogosphere that continue to report on this developing nightmare, this issue is being largely ignored. This begs the question... if your city was hit by a disaster today and you couldn't get out quickly enough, would rescue and aid officials be allowed to help you?

Are we any more ready today for another 9/11 than we were then? I can only hope someone decides to cover this so those preventable deaths can finally see some justice.

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