NOLA "Sniper" Story In Doubt

FreeMarket News ^ | 11/26/05 | n/a

[jordan8]

Those reports have since been found to be a cover-up of payroll padding in the city's employment records

Like to see him prove this.

[t2buckeye]

Another MSM news report bites the dust! Did they get ANYTHING right? (They sure asked that question of Bush and FEMA...but what about the press???)
Who holds them accountable? Thank God for the internet and alternative media or these people would hide their fabrications and "mistakes" from everyone and get away with it.

[jeffers]

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2005/9/6/110013.shtml

Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2005 10:59 a.m. EDT

FEMA Pilot: Rescue Began Just Hours
After Flood

Helicopters from the Federal Emergency Management
Agency were conducting rescue operations in New
Orleans less than a day after breaks in local levees
began flooding the city.

But the lightning-quick fly-out mission had to be
abandoned that same night because local marauders
were shooting at the FEMA choppers.

Story Continues Below



"We first got in on Tuesday night," a FEMA pilot,
who identified himself only as "Randy," told Fox
News Radio's Tony Snow this morning.

The 17th Street levee had begun to give way late in
the evening Monday. Well into Tuesday, city
officials were celebrating reports that the brunt of
Hurricane Kartrina had missed the Big Easy.

By the time the scope of the impending tragedy
became known, however, FEMA rescue operations were
already well underway.

"We were one of two helicopters with night vision
goggles," Snow's caller explained. "They wanted to
start evacuating Tulane Hospital, which is right
next to Charity [Hospital]."

Shortly thereafter, however, the mission ground to a
halt. "We were being shot at by various snipers
around the city," chopper pilot Randy said. "So the
military, Eagles Nest 1, basically called all
helicopters out about 10 o'clock that night."

Within hours, however, reinforcements had arrived.

"They sent in the Blackhawks first to survey all the
rooftops with a gunship. Then they started flying
all their C-130's in . . . the Chinooks went in and
the Blackhawks went in to evacuate."

Asked about allegations that the federal response
was "sluggish," the chopper pilot told Snow: "I
think they're wrong. They had C-130s on the tarmac
[in New Orleans] Wednesday morning, which came in
sometime during the evening on Tuesday."

"They had the Chinooks on the tarmac Wednesday
morning. They had the Blackhawks Wednesday morning.
Everything was there."

If there was any delay at all, the FEMA pilot said,
it was because operations planners needed time to
coordinate the mission.

"If all of them just started doing their own thing,
there would have been total chaos," he told Snow.
"And [the flood victims] would have been a lot worse
off than they are now."