More on Blanco
September 9th, 2005 | by Todd W |Political Issues Snarled Plans for Troop Aid - New York Times
The NYT is reporting more on Blanco’s failure to request military aid. Recall that the Hurricane hit on Sunday and the levees broke on Monday.
Officials in Louisiana agree that the governor would not have given up control over National Guard troops in her state as would have been required to send large numbers of active-duty soldiers into the area. But they also say they were desperate and would have welcomed assistance by active-duty soldiers.
“I need everything you have got,” Ms. Blanco said she told Mr. Bush last Monday, after the storm hit.
In an interview, she acknowledged that she did not specify what sorts of soldiers. “Nobody told me that I had to request that,” Ms. Blanco said. “I thought that I had requested everything they had. We were living in a war zone by then.” By Wednesday, she had asked for 40,000 soldiers.
In the discussions in Washington, also at issue was whether active-duty troops could respond faster and in larger numbers than the Guard.
By last Wednesday, Pentagon officials said even the 82nd Airborne, which has a brigade on standby to move out within 18 hours, could not arrive any faster than 7,000 National Guard troops, which are specially trained and equipped for civilian law enforcement duties.
This is all spurring some thoughts about the role of the military in law enforcement, the danger of an active military within the borders of the US, and the posse comitatus act. I’m wondering if most readers here understand these issues.
So look for a longer post soon.
