Hurricane Katrina - It's Too Early To Point Fingers But We Will

It's still very early in the Hurricane Katrina crisis but we're quite sure that something will become very obvious in the next few days and weeks. The war in Iraq, which many Americans now feel was a clear mistake, will negatively affect our ability to provide relief in the stricken region.

Our primary disaster resource, the National Guard, will be available in limited numbers as many of them are already on duty in Iraq. If those service members were at home they'd be able to be quickly called up and sent to help in restoring order and rebuilding. As it is there will be one of two consequences - either the government will send less help or they will have to further tap an already overworked resource.

In many cases National Guard members that are serving in Iraq were law enforcement personal, firefighters, EMT's and even Red Cross or Salvation Army volunteers. At one point there were as many as 25 Fargo police officers serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. When those local heroes are serving overseas they're not available to assist in a crisis.

Additionally, the types of immediate relief needed - food, water, manpower and funds - are lessened by our need to continue to support our troops needs overseas as well as the relief of the Iraqi people. There is only so much of this type of relief available and our nation has already paid an enormous sum to support the war in Iraq as well as the recent hurricanes that affected southern Florida and the tsunami that ravaged the Indian Ocean.

At a time like this, when our own fellow citizens are in dire need of help, the folly of the war in Iraq becomes crystal clear and the Bush Administration's lack of foresight will undoubtedly cause the extended suffering and even death of many thousands of American civilians.