Troops begin combat operations in New Orleans

[RandFan]

Troops begin combat operations in New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS — Combat operations are underway on the streets “to take this city back” in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

“This place is going to look like Little Somalia,” Brig. Gen. Gary Jones, commander of the Louisiana National Guard’s Joint Task Force told Army Times Friday as hundreds of armed troops under his charge prepared to launch a massive citywide security mission from a staging area outside the Louisiana Superdome. “We’re going to go out and take this city back. This will be a combat operation to get this city under control.”

Jones said the military first needs to establish security throughout the city. Military and police officials have said there are several large areas of the city are in a full state of anarchy.

Dozens of military trucks and up-armored Humvees left the staging area just after 11 a.m. Friday, while hundreds more troops arrived at the same staging area in the city via Black Hawk and Chinook helicopters.

 

[Kopji]

I'm surprised people have not been drawing more comparisons between this and our failure to anticipate the looting and anarchy in Baghdad during a recent, uh, military operation overseas.

Do we just naturally think the best of people, and that they will be spending their free time in prayer groups?

 

[a_unique_person]

Strictly speaking, the troops aren't there to take part in combat operations, according to this.

From what I have read, there is something called a 'posse comitatus' that has to be ordered first. The state troopers can seek out a fight, but the national troops can only react to attacks.