Katrina Coverage

The post "DOD: No New Rules Needed" gives me the impression that no changes to Posse Comitatus are necessary because about the only thing standing in the way of the military conducting law enforcement operations in the U.S. is their discretion.
Perhaps a lawyer who specializes in this area will chime in about this; if you […]

This isn't the first time "archaic laws" like Posse Comitatus have been discussed. In fact, Sen. Joseph Biden (D-DE) said he'd support allowing (U.S.) soldiers to arrest (U.S.) civilians back in 2002. And, here's a related FR thread from that year.
Our wacky, outdated laws! What American desperately needs is a bipartisan team of patriotic Americans […]

From "Military May Play Bigger Relief Role":
President Bush's push to give the military a bigger role in responding to major disasters like Hurricane Katrina could lead to a loosening of legal limits on the use of federal troops on U.S. soil.
…Bush did not define the wider role he envisions for the military…
At question, however, is […]

The article "Key military help for victims of Hurricane Katrina was delayed" says that Bush already had enough military powers to do what was necessary, he - and Michael Chertoff - simply failed to act quickly enough. The military has taken part in past disasters, and that's allowed as long as they don't perform police […]

From the LAT's "Water Levels Down Sharply in New Orleans":
Water levels dropped precipitously Monday in the worst of the flooded neighborhoods in and around New Orleans. Areas that had been under 6 to 8 feet of water less than two days earlier were dry at dawn, with ooze now smearing the streets and water collecting […]

Always keep a watchful eye out for those "some" people:
…National plans developed after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks rest on the notion that police, fire and other emergency groups are best positioned to serve as first responders. Federal agencies are supposed to function as backup to state and local ones, and military forces are […]

NYT:
As New Orleans descended into chaos last week and Louisiana's governor asked for 40,000 soldiers, President Bush's senior advisers debated whether the president should speed the arrival of active-duty troops by seizing control of the hurricane relief mission from the governor.
For reasons of practicality and politics, officials at the Justice Department and the Pentagon, and […]