[The Department of Defense, taking lessons from Katrina, intends to send surveillance aircraft soon after Rita strikes land to] determine the magnitude of the relief required and, secondly, where it would be required, ... We want to ensure as a matter of policy we have better eyes on target. |
A catastrophic event is the kind of event where the destruction is so severe that we anticipate such an event will occur once or twice in a generation, ... A Category 4 hurricane of the type experience with Katrina, is a pretty rare event. |
And my expectation is that any quarantine measures that would be put in place would likely involve a substantial employment of the National Guard, probably under command and control of the governor of an affected state, |
Could we have physically moved combat forces into an American city, without the governor's consent, for purposes of using those forces - untrained at that point in law enforcement - for law enforcement duties? Yes. |
DoD felt a sense of urgency and acted upon it. |
Early situational awareness was poor, a problem that should have been corrected following identical damage assessment challenges during Hurricane Andrew, |
Federalizing the National Guard for purposes of law enforcement would be a last resort, not a first resort. |
However, we are looking at a wide range of contingencies, potentially involving Title 10 forces (federal troops) if a pandemic outbreak of a biological threat were to occur, |
If Rita had produced catastrophic damage, we would not have been reliant on media reports to scope and assess that damage. |
It is conceivable that a biological event would be so large, so catastrophic, that every agency of the federal government, most especially to include DoD, would be involved in a comprehensive federal response, |
It's the Constitution of the United States. It's the recognized authority both of the national government and of the state governments, creating a dual chain of command. |
Katrina taught us we can't rely on cable news broadcasts and early written reports to give an accurate assessment of the loss. |
Perjury is not excused by an apology compelled by overwhelming evidence and delivered under pressure ... This is no longer a question of private morality or political popularity. I have concluded that President Clinton should resign or face impeachment. |
The role of the military within domestic American society, both by law and by history, has been carefully constrained, and there is nothing in our strategy that would move away from that historic principle. |
The word is 'caution. We have to look at a mission and decide if a civilian capability is available and appropriate. |