Bush returns to New Orleans

2005-10-10 22:09

Washington - President George W Bush was returning to New Orleans on Monday to get an update on rebuilding efforts following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Bush will be attending a dinner with local officials in Louisiana.

White House spokesperson Scott McClellan told reporters last week that the Bush administration was particularly concerned with efforts to provide temporary and longer-term housing for people who had lost their homes.

"Some communities had their houses totally destroyed and there is nothing there but just the slab of concrete.

"The president has seen that firsthand," McClellan said.

The two-day trip will be Bush's eighth visit to the Gulf of Mexico region in the aftermath of the storms.

Bush had been criticised for what was seen as a slow initial response to Hurricane Katrina, which killed more than 1 000 people after making landfall on August 29.

That has contributed to a decline in Bush's popularity, along with other issues, such as the continued bloodshed in Iraq and rising fuel prices.

The White House has sought to counter criticism through frequent trips to the region by Bush and other top US officials.

Bush has also proposed spending billions of dollars for recovery efforts and was more actively involved in preparations for Hurricane Rita, which struck the Gulf coast on September 17.

- AP