NewsMine — nature-health — environment — katrina-hurricane-2005 — Viewing Item

Private mercanaries protect rich in new orleans { September 12 2005 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)    http://www.guardian.co.uk/katrina/story/0,16441,1567656,00.html http://www.guardian.co.uk/katrina/story/0,16441,1567656,00.html Mercenaries guard homes of the rich in New Orleans Jamie Wilson in New Orleans Monday September 12, 2005 The Guardian Hundreds of mercenaries have descended on New Orleans to guard the property of the city's millionaires from looters. The heavily armed men, employed by private military companies including Blackwater and ISI, are part of the militarisation of a city which had a reputation for being one of the most relaxed and easy-going in America. After scenes of looting and lawlessness in the days immediately after Hurricane Katrina struck, New Orleans has turned into an armed camp, patrolled by thousands of local, state and federal law enforcement officers, as well as 70,000 national guard troops and active-duty soldiers now based in the region. Blackwater, one of the fastest-growing private security firms in the world, which achieved global prominence last year when four of its men were killed and their bodies mutilated in the Iraqi city of Falluja, has set up camp in the back garden of a vast mansion in the wealthy Uptown district of the city. David Reagan, 52, a semi-retired US army colonel from Huntsville, Alabama, who fought in the first Gulf war and is commander of Blackwater's operations in the city, refused to say how many men he had in New Orleans but indicated it was in the hundreds. Asked if they had encountered many looters so far, Mr Reagan said that the sight of his heavily armed men - a pump action shotgun was propped against the wall near to where he was standing - was enough to put most people off. Two Israeli mercenaries from ISI, another private military company, were guarding Audubon Place, a gated community. Wearing bulletproof vests, they were carrying M16 assault rifles. Gill, 40, and Yovi, 42, who refused to give their surnames, said they were army veterans of the Israeli war in Lebanon, but had been living in Houston for 17 years. They had been hired by Jimmy Reiss, a descendant of an old New Orleans family who made his fortune selling electronic systems to shipbuilders. They had been flown by private jet to Baton Rouge, the capital of Louisiana, and then helicoptered to Audubon Place, they said. "I spoke to one of the other owners on the telephone earlier in the week," Yovi said. "I told him how the water had stopped just at the back gate. God watches out for the rich people, I guess."

21 mysterious deaths during katrina Airlines planes buses canceled during evacuation { September 1 2005 } All parts of new orleans included in rebuilding plan { January 8 2006 } Anger mounts at federal response { September 5 2005 } Big oil loots new orleans { September 2 2005 } Bodies in new orleans left uncollected { October 27 2005 } Brown removed from fema Bush admits serious deficiencies in katrina response Bush chertoff warned of levees before katrina Bush fema hire knew arabian horses { September 8 2005 } Bush list of katrina charities are mainly religious groups Bush plans to blame envinromentalists for katrina { September 16 2005 } Bush rallies for robertson to get katrina charity { September 7 2005 } Bush rebuffs castro offer for hurricane relief Canadian rescuers in lousiana first { September 7 2005 } Chavez offers victims food oil and water { September 2 2005 } Cheney heckler is gulfport physician who lost house Cheney heckler tells story on ebay Cheney told to fuck himself in mississippi Chertoff admits lapses in katrina responses Chertoff delayed federal response memo shows Conservative paper criticizes bush Debit card idea from fema scrapped Democrats secretly replaced black mayor { May 21 2006 } Dismantling fema was a disaster { September 6 2005 } District purposely flooded to alleviate another { September 4 2005 } Engineering probe into levee failure { October 10 2005 } Evacuation ordered from toxic timebomb { September 7 2005 } Exxonmobile taking 110m a day { September 7 2005 } Federal reserve downplays katrina fears Feds hinder local response and rescue { September 6 2005 } Fema blocks journalists from reporting Fema destroyed by homeland security { August 30 2005 } Fema director joked partied as katrina churned Fema informed levee breach earlier Fema planning and response faulted { September 2 2005 } Fema promotes pat robertson diamonds { September 9 2005 } Fema sent to sexual harrassment class instead Fema to end paying for victims hotel Former first lady hurricane donation aids bush son { March 23 2006 } Gop bankcruptcy law hurts katrina survivors Governor says troops from iraq know how to kill Guardsman on hold with no mission Halliburton tapped for katrina repairs { September 5 2005 } Hospital may have euthanized patients during hurricane Hospitals run out of food and power Hurricane destructiveness increased over last 30yrs Hurricane donation benefited president bush brother { March 25 2006 } Instead of levee funding bush gave pork { September 8 2005 } Katrina causes 44 oil spills in southeast louisiana Katrina will turn new orleans into cesspool { August 29 2005 } Lake water courses into mid city before hurricane Levee leaks ignored before katrina hit Levees didnt act appropriately { November 3 2005 } Looting cartoon [jpg] Louisiana superdome situation ghastly { September 1 2005 } Louisiana vunerable from loss of wetlands { August 28 2005 } Lousiana officials indicted for emergency fund misuse { September 17 2005 } Major oil spills in mississippi river Media outlets exaggerated some of new orleans woes { September 28 2005 } Mexican military joins effort { September 8 2005 } Military occupation turns new orleans into war zone { September 6 2005 } Military threatens shooting journalists in new orleans { September 9 2005 } Mississippi suffering overshadowed in news Mississippi troops are refused leave to help families Navy pilots who rescue victims are reprimanded { September 7 2005 } New orleans convention center [jpg] New orleans crime after katrina exaggerated New orleans evacuation money misused New orleans facing environmental disaster from hurricane New orleans resident compares evacuation to nazis { September 12 2005 } New orleans residents traumatized by police { September 12 2005 } New orleans rocked by explosions Neworleans housing demolition protesters clash { November 2007 } Oil spills from katrina may be worst on record { September 16 2005 } Potential infectious diseases outbreaks worries doctors Presidents approval dips below 40 perc { September 10 2005 } Private mercanaries protect rich in new orleans { September 12 2005 } Reports of raped babies were ruinous rumors Reports of rapes and murders were exaggerated { September 27 2005 } Sewage in floodwaters carries disease { September 1 2005 } Soldiers assaulted hurricane victim { September 7 2005 } Storm survivors must show breasts for rescue Superdome evacuations enter second day Thousands dead and dying in new orleans { September 4 2005 } Tons of ice for katrina victims went nowhere { October 2 2005 } Troops ordered shoot to kill Warning of unprecendented storm day earlier Water pollution concern in new orleans Files Listed: 89

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