White House to Release Report on Katrina Response Fiasco

White House to Release Report on Katrina Response Fiasco

The White House will issue a report on Thursday based on its evaluation of the successes and failures of the administration in dealing with the Katrina disaster. The report necessitates a greater involvement of the US military in relief and rehabilitation efforts during a crisis.

The 200-page report titled 'Lessons Learned' has been prepared a committee led by Fragos Townsend, the White House advisor for homeland security. It is supposed to be milder in tone than the one issued last week by a committee of congressional republicans.

This report accused all the levels of government for gross negligence in their response to Katrina. Townsend however, believes that there was “a failure of various aspects of the system to support the kind of decision making that needed to happen, real time and quickly.”

The 'Lessons Learned' report has as many as 125 recommendations for improving the government preparedness in case of a contingency situation. “What we want to do is take a close look at what worked and what didn't work and apply those lessons to the future,” said White House spokesman Scott McClellan. The foremost suggestion points towards a collaboration between the Pentagon and the Homeland Security Department for handling emergencies, with the Pentagon taking a lead in critical situations.

“The report says we have to understand when state and locals will be overwhelmed or incapacitated, in this case, where many were victims themselves,” explained Townsend. “We also have to make maximum use of the state National Guards.”

The report does not demand any resignations instead it suggests that Michael Chertoff continues heading the much criticized Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The review was ordered by President Bush who will deliberate on the report with the Cabinet on Thursday morning before it is released.