Obama to commemorate Katrina anniversary

Obama to commemorate Katrina anniversary-
A wreath is seen near the Hurricane Katrina Memorial for St. Bernard Parish in Shell Beach, La., on Saturday, the day before the fifth anniversary of the storm. (Gerald Herbert/Associated Press)
U.S. President Barack Obama travels to New Orleans on Sunday for the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, hoping to underscore his commitment to a region battered by nature as well as the largest oil spill in U.S. history.

Obama will end his Martha's Vineyard vacation and head to the Gulf of Mexico, five years to the day after Katrina roared ashore in Louisiana. Eighty per cent of New Orleans was flooded when the storm tore through protective levees and about 1,800 people died.

After years where halting progress often mixed with setbacks and despair, the city was getting back on its feet when the April 20 BP oil spill dealt another blow. The exploded well spewed more than 750 million litres of crude into the Gulf before it was capped in mid-July.

Obama is to speak Sunday afternoon at Xavier University, a historically black, Catholic university that was badly flooded by the hurricane. The White House says he will discuss what has been done and remains to be done in rebuilding from Katrina and talk about an oil spill cleanup that's been complicated by conflicting assessments of how much oil remains and its long-term effects.

For Obama, one challenge is to reassure residents who are skeptical of government promises after witnessing former President George W. Bush's response to Katrina, which was criticized as out-of-touch.

Although criticism of Obama's response to the Gulf oil spill rarely reached the level of anger directed at Bush, some also saw it as lacking in speed and co-ordination.

Moreover, Obama arrives as many residents of the Louisiana coast chafe under the moratorium on deepwater oil drilling that he ordered in the wake of the spill, which is costing New Orleans' oil-industry-dependant economy. And many residents would like to see a greater federal commitment to restoring the coast's rapidly eroding wetlands, which provide the first line of defence again hurricanes.

The one-day visit to New Orleans is the start of a gruelling period for Obama, who must set a fall agenda amid bad economic news. Crucial midterm elections loom in November.

Tuesday will mark the formal end to combat missions in Iraq, and Obama is to address troops in Ft. Bliss, Texas, and deliver an Oval Office speech.

The next day he plunges into Middle East diplomacy, hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for individual talks and a joint dinner ahead of direct negotiations Thursday between the leaders.

Source: http://townnewsroom.blogspot.com/2010/08/obama-to-commemorate-katrina.html