I'm amazed that this thread is still alive; and kinda glad too.

Despite some very transparent efforts to hush things up, it has become pretty well documented that the Army Corps of Engineers had, for years, fallen short in designing the levee system and ~ more significantly ~ in assuring that the existing designs were executed properly by the contractors they hired. Unfortunately, some elements within the Corps continue to spend their time and our money on trying to excuse and/or cover-up past transgressions rather than to work at fixing thimgs for the next storm. Also, for years and years, Congress (both parties) has refused to fully fund flood-protection proposals for this area.

On the other hand, the repaired floodwalls on the Industriasl Canal held up during Hurricain Gustav a couple of years ago, under conditions very similar to those under which they caved during and immediately after Katrina. Also, the vast majority of the people working at Corps HQ in New Orleans live here and have an obvious vested interest in getting it right, finally.

I have no doubt that some cops were so freaked by the surreal conditions of that first week after the flood that they killed a number of innocent people. An especially notorious bunch are just now finally being brought to trial for the killings at the Danzinger Bridge. But I don't for a minute believe that urban legend bullshit about 5,000 indidviduals all vicitmized by the same kind of headshot. And even if true, that would have nothing at all to do with one or the other Presidential administration or political party.

Anyone interested in the truth, and in reasonable discussion of these issues, should check out:

www.levees.org.