The Katrina blame game

The Katrina blame game

Michael Chertoff, Homeland Security Secretary has finally admitted that his department failed to respond adequately to the crisis situation created by Hurricane Katrina that hit the Gulf coast and parts of New Orleans in August.

Thirteen hundred people died and thousands of others were rendered homeless due to the storm. In another episode, a report by republicans accused that there wasn't enough initiative on the part of the White House.

Mr. Chertoff, on Wednesday accepted that his department's rescue and rehabilitation efforts during the Katrina crisis were inadequate and delayed. He took full responsibility of the ineffectiveness of his department in dealing with the situation.

“I'm accountable and accept responsibility for the performance of the entire department, the bad and the good,” he said. “It is completely correct to say that our logistics capability in Katrina was woefully inadequate” he added. Mr. Chertoff was addressing the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee.

However Mr. Chertoff said that it would be wrong to say that the administration was oblivious to the disaster. “I have to say that the idea that this department and this administration and the president were somehow detached from Katrina is simply not correct. We were acutely aware of Katrina and the risk it posed.”

On the other hand, a report by a panel comprising selected republicans from the House of Representatives said that the response of the Bush administration to the hurricane was “a failure of initiative. It was a failure of leadership.” According to the report, the government response displayed a lack of resourcefulness and the promptness.

It said that a timely participation of the government would have reduced the magnitude of the damage done. “The executive office of the president can wave a wand and get things done faster than anybody else,” said Tom Davis, the chairman of the committee, accusing the White House of lack of willingness.