BuzzFlash News Alert

September 19, 2005

Chertoff AWOL As Katrina Strikes

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ALERT

News from the DNC:

Washington, DC - Hurricane Katrina tested the ability of the Department of Homeland Security to respond to a major national emergency. Unfortunately, the newly created agency failed miserably, as thousands were left stranded in the Gulf Coast. The agency’s failed response raised serious questions about DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff’s role as the tragedy unfolded. Concerns have been raised that Chertoff's inaction stalled the deployment of desperately needed federal resources to the affected region.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean called on the White House to release Chertoff’s schedule in the days leading up to and after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast:

“Every day, it becomes clearer that Secretary Chertoff and his agency dragged its feet as thousands of Americans remained stranded. The agency’s failed response also raises serious questions about our nation’s ability to respond to another large natural disaster or terror attack. To answer these questions, the White House should release Chertoff’s schedule so that Americans can begin to learn why their federal government let down so many in the Gulf Coast. Democrats also renew our call for an independent commission to fully investigate the response, at all levels, to our nation’s worst natural disaster."

See below for a new document from DNC Research:

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff was responsible for leading and coordinating the federal response efforts to the biggest natural disaster to ever hit the United States. President Bush finally took responsibility for a botched federal response, which left thousands stranded in the convention center and ignored thousands of others begging for help. While thousands suffered, Chertoff stalled the deployment of federal resources by waiting until days after Katrina struck, and days after a state of emergency was declared, to enact the National Response Plan his agency had created. Chertoff repeatedly ignored the warnings, shrugged off the pleas for help, downplayed the horror and devastation, all the while praising FEMA. We know that President Bush was at the ranch in Crawford and Vice President Cheney was vacationing in Wyoming while Katrina was raging on the Gulf Coast. But, where was Secretary Chertoff?

"Hurricane Pam" Exercise Documented Threat to New Orleans; Did Chertoff Even See The Report? The AP reported, "Under FEMA's direction, federal and state officials began working on the $1 million Hurricane Pam project in July 2004, when 270 experts gathered in Baton Rouge, La., for an eight-day simulation. The so-called 'tabletop' exercise focused planners on a mock hurricane that produced more than 20 inches of rain and 14 tornadoes. The drill included computer graphic simulations projected on large screens of the hurricane slamming directly into New Orleans -the storm eerily foreshadowed the havoc wrought by Category 4 Katrina a few days later, raising questions about whether government leaders did everything possible -- as early as possible -- to protect New Orleans residents from a well-documented threat.' Former FEMA Director Michael Brown said he was kept abreast of Pam planning from the onset... Brown assumed the Pam report was sent to DHS, 'but can I put it in the hands of Secretary Ridge or Secretary Chertoff? No.'" [AP, 9/10/05]

Chertoff Assured Alabama Governor "Any Assistance" Needed Before Katrina Hit. Alabama Governor Bob Riley spoke to Bush and Chertoff before Katrina hit the Gulf Coast. In a statement pre-Katrina, Governor Riley said, "I've spoken with President Bush and Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff, both of whom have assured me they will offer any assistance we may need to recover from this devastating storm." [States News Service, 8/28/05]

Chertoff Briefed on 'Potential Deadly Effects' of Katrina, Warned of Levee Break. "Dr. Max Mayfield, director of the National Hurricane Center, told the Times-Picayune Sunday afternoon [8/28/05] that officials with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security, including FEMA Director Mike Brown and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, listened in on electronic briefings given by his staff in advance of Hurricane Katrina slamming Louisiana and Mississippi--and were advised of the storm's potential deadly effects." Mayfield later told the Times- Picayune, "We were briefing them way before landfall...It's not like this was a surprise. We had in the advisories that the levee could be topped." [Editor & Publisher, 9/4/05; Times-Picayune, 9/4/05, emphasis added]

By Early Monday, At Least 55 Reported Deaths By Hurricane Katrina Throughout Gulf Coast. "Hurricane Katrina barreled into the Gulf Coast on Monday morning, its fierce winds cutting a 125-mile swath of destruction stretching from coastal Alabama across Mississippi to the French Quarter and the Superdome. At least 55 people were killed. The storm's leading edge, wielding winds up to 145 mph across the Gulf of Mexico, made landfall as a fearsome Category 4 hurricane at 7:10 a.m."[Washington Post, 8/30/05]

BROWNIE WAS DESPERATELY SEEKING CHERTOFF

FEMA Director Frantically Sought Leadership from Chertoff. The New York Times reported, "hours after Hurricane Katrina passed New Orleans on Aug. 29, as the scale of the catastrophe became clear, Michael D. Brown recalls, he placed frantic calls to his boss, Michael Chertoff. 'I am having a horrible time,'" Brown said he told Chertoff [New York Times, 9/15/05]

Katrina Wreaking Havoc, Bush Called Chertoff...About Immigration Policy. While Katrina was wreaking havoc on the Gulf Coast, Bush was in Arizona, fielding questions on immigration policy: "I spoke to Mike Chertoff today. He's the head of the Department of Homeland Security. I knew people would want me to discuss this issue [immigration policy], so -- we got us an airplane on Air -- telephone on Air Force One, so I called him. I said, are you working with the governor? He said, you bet we are. That's the most effective way to do things, is to work with the state and local authorities." [Federal News Service, 8/29/05]

CHERTOFF BELATEDLY ENACTS NATIONAL RESPONSE PLAN

Chertoff Failed To Start The National Response Plan Until Days After Katrina Hit. "The National Response Plan, issued by the department in January, allows federal assistance before a disaster strikes. The plan states that a federal response 'can be partially or fully implemented in the context of a threat, anticipation of a significant event, or the response to a significant event.' The plan generally requires the federal government to react to emergencies that exceed state and local capabilities. Chertoff did not declare Katrina as a nationally significant incident until August 30th, a day after Katrina hit. Chertoff's memo came three days after President Bush's Aug. 27 declaration of a state of emergency in Louisiana, in advance of the storm and four days after Governor Blanco said in her letter to Bush that the severity of the storm would overwhelm Louisiana's resources." [Houston Chronicle, 9/14/05; Blanco Letter to Bush, 8/26/05, emphasis added]

Chertoff's Delay in Declaring an Incident of National Significance Meant a Delay in Federal Resources. "Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff delayed declaring Katrina an 'incident of national significance' - a designation that would have triggered a quick and massive federal response - until a day after the hurricane hit, even though weather forecasts predicted the storm would cause widespread destruction." [Houston Chronicle, 9/15/05]

BLANCO CALLS SITUATION HEARTBREAKING...

Blanco Calls Situation "Untenable." Nagin Declared Martial Law. "'The situation is untenable,' Gov. Kathleen Blanco said. 'It's just heartbreaking. The devastation is greater than our worst fears.' New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin declared martial law Tuesday afternoon and ordered everyone still in the city -- including police officers not considered 'central emergency personnel' -- to leave. But evacuation routes were blocked by flooding and debris." [AP State & Local Wire, 8/31/05; Orlando Sentinel, 8/31/05]

CHERTOFF SAYS NEW ORLEANS "DODGED A BULLET"

Chertoff Downplayed Damage, Learned of Levee Break and Devastation. Chertoff on "Meet the Press, recalled, "Well, I think if you look at what actually happened, I remember on Tuesday morning picking up newspapers, and I saw headlines, 'New Orleans Dodged The Bullet,' ...Because if you recall, the storm moved to the east and then continued on and appeared to pass with considerable damage but nothing worse. It was on Tuesday that the levee -- may have been overnight Monday to Tuesday -- that the levee started to break." No major newspaper printed a headline that literally said New Orleans "dodged a bullet," as Chertoff claimed. [Meet the Press, 9/4/05; Wall Street Journal, 9/12/05, emphasis added]

Brown Called Chertoff Tuesday Evening Begging for Chertoff's Help. "Guys, this is bigger than what we can handle... This is bigger than what FEMA can do. I am asking for help." [New York Times, 9/15/05]

Chertoff Claimed He Didn't Know The Storm Would Be So Big. "It wasn't until comparatively late, shortly before, day, day and a half before landfall that it became clear this was going to be a category 4, 5 heading for the New Orleans area," said Chertoff. But, the national hurricane center was warning of Katrina's growing danger four days before landfall. [CNN, 9/4/05]

BLANCO ASKS WHITE HOUSE FOR MORE HELP IN RESCUE EFFORT...

Blanco Asked White House For More People To Help With Rescue Effort. Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco asks the White House to send more people to help with evacuations and rescues, thereby freeing up National Guardsmen to stop out-of-control looters. [AP, 8/31/05]

CHERTOFF SAYS EFFORTS "GOING WELL"

Despite Blanco's Assessment, Chertoff Says Situation At Superdome Secure. Blanco's "remarks contrasted with those by Michael Chertoff, the secretary of homeland security, who said yesterday that the Superdome, where thousands of refugees sought shelter, 'is secure' with the help of 'several hundred' National Guardsmen and city police. His statement was belied by police at the scene, who described the situation as extremely dangerous." [Baltimore Sun, 9/2/05]

Chertoff: "Efforts Going Well," "Extremely Pleased with Federal Response." Chertoff claimed in media interviews that relief and evacuation efforts were "going well," and he declared himself "extremely pleased" with the federal response to Katrina. [CNN/Aaron Brown timeline report, 9/5/05; AP 9/6/05]

CHAOS AND DESPAIR... BUT CHERTOFF SAYS THINGS AREN'T SO BAD

Things Weren't as Bad as They Seemed. Time Magazine reports, "In a conference with President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and five congressional leaders, when chaos and despair reigned in New Orleans, Chertoff insisted things weren't going as badly as media reports suggested, adding that he had spoken to local law-enforcement officials in the past hour." [Time, 9/19/05]

Chertoff Learned of Situation in Superdome, Reporters Were "Exaggerating." "Chertoff first learned--from an NPR anchor in Washington--that there were thousands of people stranded, starving and in some cases dying in the New Orleans Convention Center, a story that had been all over the media that morning. Again, Chertoff suggested reporters were exaggerating. 'If you talk to someone and you get a rumor or you get someone's anecdotal version of something,' he said, 'I think it's dangerous to extrapolate it to all over the place.'" [Time, 9/19/05]

CHERTOFF'S FEMA MIA, CHERTOFF THREE DAYS LATE ASKING FOR HELP

Homeland Security Did Not Ask for Help Evacuating Storm Victims Until Thursday - Three Days After the Storm Made Landfall. "The airline industry said the government's request for help evacuating storm victims didn't come until late Thursday afternoon [September 1st]. The president of the Air Transport Association, James May, said the Homeland Security Department called then to ask if the group could participate in an airlift for refugees." [AP, 9/6/05]

Superdome Evacuation A Louisiana Operation: FEMA Not Involved. "Watching the slow procession from the Superdome, an angry Terry Ebbert, head of New Orleans' emergency operations, said the Federal Emergency Management Agency response was inadequate. 'This is a national disgrace. FEMA has been here three days, yet there is no command and control,' Ebbert said. 'We can send massive amounts of aid to tsunami victims, but we can't bail out the city of New Orleans. We have got a mayor who has been pushing and asking, but we're not getting supplies.' He said the evacuation was almost entirely a Louisiana operation. 'This is not a FEMA operation. I haven't seen a single FEMA guy.'" [Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 9/2/05]

Chertoff to New Orleans: "Good Luck." In a briefing, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff insisted that the government was doing all it could do. In his remarks, he stated that "All of us wish, I know, Godspeed and good luck to those who are suffering." [Homeland Security Press Briefing 9/1/05; Orlando Sentinel, 9/2/05]

Brown And Chertoff: Residents Bear Responsibility for Climbing Death Toll. FEMA Director Michael Brown said those who ignored the city's mandatory evacuation order bore some responsibility. "I think the death toll may go into the thousands and, unfortunately, that's going to be attributable a lot to people who did not heed the advance warnings," he said. Chertoff voiced a similar opinion saying, "Some people chose not to obey that order. That was a mistake on their part." [CNN, 9/2/05; NBC Today, 9/1/05]

CHERTOFF TOUTS PROGRESS, PRAISES FEMA

Chertoff Accompanied Bush to Beleaguered Coast, Touted Progress. Before heading down to the devastated Gulf Coast, Bush told reporters, "Secretary Chertoff and I just finished a meeting with Secretary Rumsfeld, General Myers, other members of my Cabinet, as well as General Honore, Admiral Keating, in charge of NORTHCOM - General Honore is active duty general on the ground in Louisiana - and Mike Brown, who's the head of FEMA... There's a lot of aid surging toward those who have been affected: Millions of gallons of water, millions of tons of food. We're making progress about pulling people out of the Superdome." [AP, 9/2/05]

Chertoff: FEMA Doing "Magnificent Job." "Terry Ebbert, New Orleans' homeland security chief [said] FEMA's response to the disaster has been an 'embarrassment.'... Yet, back in Washington, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff told CNN Thursday that he believes FEMA and other federal agencies have done a 'magnificent job' under difficult circumstances to deal with the unprecedented disaster, citing their 'courage' and 'ingenuity.' Insisting that aid is coming as fast as possible, Chertoff said, 'You can't fly helicopters in a hurricane. You can't drive trucks in a hurricane.'' [CNN, 9/2/05]

CHERTOFF POINTS FINGERS AND SUPPORTS BROWNIE WHILE...

Chertoff Says State Responsible For National Guard Response And Says He Has Full Confidence In Brown. Chertoff told CNN that "[t]he traditional model for recovery and -- response and recovery involves having the federal government come into support the first responders, who are the first on the ground... our constitutional system really places the primary authority in each state with the governor." Chertoff also said he has "full confidence" in FEMA Director Michael D. Brown, the DHS undersecretary and federal officer in charge of the Katrina response. [CNN, 9/3/05; Washington Post, 9/4/05]

Chertoff Claimed Situation In Louisiana Was Improving. "The situation is improving hour by hour, nevertheless we are not satisfied," Chertoff said, adding that the unexpected double whammy of a hurricane followed by flooding in New Orleans had shattered the government's emergency plan with the force of an 'atomic bomb.'" [Agence France Presse, 9/3/05]

BLANCO IS FORCED TO LOOK TO OTHERS FOR HELP...

Blanco Brings In Experienced Emergency Management Official To Advise On Relief Effort. Blanco created a philanthropic fund for the state's victims and hired James Lee Witt, Federal Emergency Management Agency director in the Clinton administration, to advise her on the relief effort. [Washington Post, 9/4/05]

CHERTOFF PLAYS DUMB; SAYS GOVERNMENT IS IN CONTROL...

Chertoff Claims The Levee Breaks Were Unexpected. Chertoff repeatedly spoke about the hurricane and the break of the levees in New Orleans as if they were separate events, another unpredictable one-two punch. "A devastating hurricane followed by a second devastating flood." Chertoff admitted FEMA knew the levees around New Orleans might be overrun by a category 4 hurricane however - Chertoff defended, "The collapse of a significant portion of the levee leading to the fast flooding of the city was not envisioned." [CNN, 9/4/05]

Chertoff: No Amount Of Planning Could Have Prepared Them. "So no matter what the planning was in advance, we were presented with an unprecedented situation." [NBC's Meet the Press, 9/4/05]

Chertoff Assured the Government Had Control of the Situation. "Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said Sunday the federal government is in control of hurricane-ravaged New Orleans after days in which authorities failed to reach stranded refugees and evacuate the city." [AP, 9/4/05, 9/5/05]

BUT BLANCO STILL LACKS RESOURCES

Blanco Praised General Honore But Was Disappointed He Didn't Have More Resources In Tow. "Honore quickly became a media darling and the take-charge face of the federal government in New Orleans, barking out orders to surprised National Guards members who aren't even under his control. Blanco said she liked Honore's style, but was surprised that he arrived with only a few aides in tow. 'He didn't bring any resources,' Blanco said. 'I just kind of expected, based on my conversations with the White House, that we could be getting a surge of equipment and we did not.'" [Newhouse News Service, 9/5/05]

Former DHS Inspector General: Devastating Indictment Of Department's Performance. "This is what the department was supposed to be all about," said Clark Kent Ervin, DHS's former inspector general. "Instead, it obviously raises very serious, troubling questions about whether the government would be prepared if this were a terrorist attack. It's a devastating indictment of this department's performance four years after 9/11." [Washington Post, 9/4/05]

CHERTOFF FINALLY VISITS REGION, MAKES OUTRAGOUS COMMENTS

Chertoff Made Trip to Region. On Monday, September 5, President Bush, First Lady Laura Bush and Secretary Chertoff traveled to the Gulf Coast. [CNN, 9/5/05]

Chertoff... How could you? After claiming to have no warning of a possible levee break and stalling the federal response by not putting into action the National Response Plan until days after the hurricane hit, Chertoff finally visited the devastated region and plainly stated, "We are going to uncover people who died, maybe hiding in houses, got caught by the flood." [Houston Chronicle, 9/15/05; Meet the Press, 9/4/05; Chicago Tribune, 9/6/05]

CHERTOFF BRIEFS CONGRESS, GIVES OVERLY ROSY VIEW OF EVENTS

Chertoff Briefed Senators: "Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said efforts now focus on rehabilitating the battered coast and helping displaced residents find housing, education and jobs. 'I think what we have to offer the people of all of the afflicted areas now is hope,' Chertoff said after briefing senators. 'There is a tremendous amount of work to do.'"[AP 9/5/05]

Chertoff Under Fire. Chertoff visibly upset members of the Homeland Security Committee by taking a laissez fair tone, minimizing the suffering and anguish of evacuees at the Superdome and insisting the federal response had been far better than the media portrayed. Ranking Committee member Bennie Thompson of Mississippi said of Chertoff's remarks, ''He was the first speaker, and it sort of went downhill after that. People felt we are not going to get the truth here.'' Elijah Cummings, Democrat of Maryland, became increasingly frustrated by what he heard. ''The picture was being painted that things were not as bad as they appeared to be'' in news reports, Mr. Cummings said in an interview. ''It reached the point where the answers didn't add up.'' [New York Times, 9/8/05]

Chertoff Called Superdome Crisis a "Small Soda-Straw View" of What Happened. NBC's Mike Viqueira reported that in the closed briefing Cabinet officials gave House members last night, homeland security chief Michael Chertoff contended to members that what the members saw on TV from the Superdome "was a small soda-straw view of what was going on" in terms of the crisis, and not representative of the true situation. Per Rep. Elijah Cummings (D), after Chertoff said that, some members got up and walked away. [MSNBC, 9/7/05]

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ALERT

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