Mike Brown Formally Resigns From FEMA

After a tumultuous week, Michael Brown has resigned as the Director of FEMA. He has been castigated for failures in delivery for the people of New Orleans, even as others commend the rapid deployment in historical terms.

WASHINGTON Federal Emergency Management Agency director Mike Brown said Monday he has resigned “in the best interest of the agency and best interest of the president,” three days after losing his onsite command of the Hurricane Katrina relief effort.

“The focus has got to be on FEMA, what the people are trying to do down there,” Brown told The Associated Press.

His decision was not a surprise. Brown was abruptly recalled to Washington on Friday, a clear vote of no confidence from his superiors at the White House and the Department of Homeland Security. Brown had been roundly criticized for FEMA’s bearish response to the hurricane, which has caused political problem for Bush and fellow Republicans.

“I’m turning in my resignation today,” Brown said. “I think it’s in the best interest of the agency and the best interest of the president to do that and get the media focused on the good things that are going on, instead of me.”

Hattip Joe V.

9-11 Remembered; Don’t Ever Forget

It has been four years and in many respects it seems like yesterday. The images and horrors of that day will last a life time, as well as the personal nature on the events that took place September 11, 2001. Having gone to school and lived in the NYC area and presently living near Boston and Portland ME, we were affected rather closely with people and alumni who passed away on that fateful day. Other friends through the grace of God changed their business flights, were late for work that day and some were on vacation. It is important to remember what happened in NYC, in Washington DC, and in a field in Pennsylvania.

Please see the Gateway Pundit for more on Flight 93, Heroes we will never forget. Let’s Roll.

Michelle Malkin has a poignant and fantastic post on 9-11.
Jawa Report
PoliPundit; WE WILL NOT FORGET

Washington Post: A Nation Remembers Victims of 9/11 Attacks

America grieved the victims of Sept. 11 on Sunday as the brothers and sisters of the dead recited their loved ones’ names and tearful messages of remembrance to a weeping crowd gathered at the site where the World Trade Center once stood.

There is a fear that people will become complacent and forget the significance of this date and what it represents. Please don’t let this happen. Just as important though as remembering those that we lost is to remember the images of that day. The images that many refuse to show.

Don’t Ever Forget.

Discussion Forum for 9-11

(All photos AP)

Hat Tip: NikkiNurse for helping with pic roundup

Five Years Later … 9/11 Remembered … Remembering 9/11 Five Years Later … We Will Never Forget  … While We Remember Those Lost on 9/11 … Don’t Ever Forget the Day … What were you doing?

911 Remembered

It has been Four years since 9/11 happened. We have all changed a little bit because of it. Many have been changed a great deal because of the horrible attack. To those who made the ultimate sacrifice, and to those family’s that gave up a loved on, you are in our prayers daily.

Cox and Forkum has a touching tribute up today, along with a great list of 9/11 resources.

God Bless.

ABC Poll; Who Is to Blame for For Hurricane Response

Unfortunately in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina people have decided to play the blame game instead of concentrating on the matter at hand, evacuating the people from the hard hot Gulf coast regions and providing them with care. Of course we need a scape goat in all of this and by the looks of how the hurricane response was handled it appears that there is more than enough of blame to go around.

The MSM and curious enough the Governor of Louisiana and the Mayor of New Orleans seem to be the loudest critics of the Federal Government and President George W. Bush. What a shock. I think Mayor Ray Nagin best look at his own actions. A really good look. Some how in all of this due to political partisanship, not only is President Bush responsible for the slow hurricane response many also are blaming him for the hurricane as well. Even some people in this country have decided to as well. Even though the focus should be on relief efforts, lets look at who the American people think is to blame.

In an ABC News Poll on Views of Hurricane Response it would appear that although Americans blame the Federal Government and even more so the local/State governments for their unpreparedness.

Americans are broadly critical of government preparedness in the Hurricane Katrina disaster — but far fewer take George W. Bush personally to task for the problems, and public anger about the response is less widespread than some critics would suggest.

The most critical views cross jurisdictions: Two-thirds in this ABC News/Washington Post poll say the federal government should have been better prepared to deal with a storm this size, and three-quarters say state and local governments in the affected areas likewise were insufficiently prepared.

Other evaluations are divided. Forty-six percent of Americans approve of Bush’s handling of the crisis, while 47 percent disapprove.

Read more

Another Arrest in the War on Terror

A father and son are arrested in Lodi, CA this morning and charged with “making false statements of material fact within the jurisdiction of the FBI,” as part of an ongoing FBI probe. Also taken in to custody was a Muslim leader in conjunction with this FBI terrorism probe .

(CNN) — Federal agents searched the homes of two Islamic leaders in Lodi, California, and have made four arrests since Sunday, part of an ongoing terrorism investigation, according to the FBI and witnesses.

Two of those arrested are top Muslim leaders in Lodi, including one who publicly condemned the September 11, 2001, terror attacks and issued a declaration of peace with Christian and Jewish leaders in Lodi three years ago.

The other two were a father and son, identified as 47-year-old Umer Hayat and 22-year-old Hamid Hayat, who allegedly lied about the younger man’s attendance at an al Qaeda training camp in Pakistan, according to the FBI affidavit unsealed by a federal court Tuesday evening.

The affidavit states that both Hayats, who are U.S. citizens, are charged with “making false statements of material fact within the jurisdiction of the FBI.”

As per Fox News, the son admitted to receiving terrorist training.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A father and a son are among four men who have been detained in a terrorism investigation in Northern California.

The son allegedly received terrorist training and funding from the father, an ice cream truck driver, so he could carry out attacks on hospitals and large food stores in the United States.

An FBI affidavit says Hamid Hayat first denied any link to terror camps, but then told agents he attended an Al Qaeda camp in Pakistan for 6 months.

Federal law enforcement officials who spoke on condition of anonymity said authorities were trying to determine if they had uncovered a terror cell in Lodi, which is an agricultural community 40 miles south of Sacramento.

Rusty at the Jawa Report has a tremendous post on this story. Well worth the read.

Also video of the News Conference via the Political Teen.

The arrests were made just after the son was discovered aboard a San Francisco-bound plane even though his name appeared on a “No Fly” list of suspected extremists.

The arrests came days after the younger man was discovered aboard a San Francisco-bound plane even though his name appeared on a “No Fly” list of suspected extremists.

At the time, according to an FBI affidavit, Hayat was returning to the U.S. after having visited Pakistan.

According to the affidavit, he told agents that after attending Al Qaeda training camps in Pakistan in 2003 and 2004, he was given his pick of where to carry out his terrorist mission.

“Hamid advised that he specifically requested to come to the United States to carry out his jihadi mission,” the affidavit says. “Potential targets for attack would include hospitals and large food stores.”

Also a Hat Tip to Michelle Malkin. Great updates and some other related interesting material.