'Bomb, not Katrina, broke dyke'

2005-10-13 22:39

Washington - Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan on Thursday fuelled a rumour that explosives, not Hurricane Katrina, broke New Orleans's dykes and flooded poor African-American neighbourhoods.

"A member of the army corps of engineers saw burn marks on the concrete," Farrakhan told reporters, describing an e-mail he had received.

"They found two types of explosives used by the military," he said, without naming the source, adding that an 8m crater had been blown in the dyke.

Farrakhan said locals had reported sounds of explosions, among other things, leading him to believe the rumours should be investigated.

"Wickedness exists in high places," he said.

"The duty of the government is to prove the rumour to be false or that these suspicions are true."

Farrakhan has earned headlines with controversial statements about Jews and homosexuals.

He also attacked the federal emergency management agency and the Red Cross.

"Fema is insensitive, there are not enough blacks high up. The Red Cross, too. It's too white, it is!

"Racism poisoned the bloodstream of politics," he said.

"Don't think it's non-existent in the Red Cross or Fema," he said.

- AFP