The former head of the US emergency agency has defended his role in responding
to Hurricane Katrina and criticised state and local officials.
Michael Brown, who resigned as head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(Fema), said Louisiana officials had been reticent in ordering evacuations.
He made the statement before a congressional panel investigating shortcomings in the rescue effort.
Mr Brown, who himself was blamed over Katrina, also admitted to "mistakes".
The storm - one of the worst ever to hit the US - devastated parts of Louisiana
and Mississippi on 29 August, causing massive flooding in New Orleans and
killing about 1,000 people.
Mr Brown told the congressional panel that Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco
and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin were not co-ordinating their efforts and had
been "reticent" in calling mandatory evacuations.
"I very strongly personally regret that I was unable to persuade Governor Blanco and Mayor Nagin to sit down, get over their differences, and work together," he said.
"I just couldn't pull that off."
'Unfair criticism'
Mr Brown also denied that his former agency was to blame for the breakdown in law and order.
"Fema is a co-ordinating agency, we are not a law enforcement agency,"
he said.
He suggested that Fema had been unfairly criticised because many incorrectly
believed it served as a federal rapid-response force.
In the wake of the hurricane, US media and Democratic politicians strongly criticised Mr Brown - a former head of the Arabian Horse Association - saying he lacked disaster expertise.
Mr Bush also came under fire for appointing him.
Mr Brown resigned on 12 September, saying it was "in the best interest of the agency and best interest of the president".
Mr Brown appeared before a panel of the House of Representatives chaired by Tom Davis, a Virginian Republican.
Most Democrats have boycotted the investigation, calling for a independent
inquiry.
© Gigaware™ Ltd 2005