Bush to visit New Orleans

CRAWFORD, Texas (AFP) - US President George W. Bush next week will visit New Orleans and parts of the Mississippi coast ravaged two years ago by Hurricane Katrina, the White House said yesterday.

Bush will arrive in New Orleans on Tuesday after a fundraising swing and a speech to a US veterans group to defend the war in Iraq, spokesman Gordon Johndroe told reporters as the president spent time on his ranch here.

On Wednesday, Bush and First Lady Laura Bush "Bush will visit New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast. This will be the president's 15th visit to the region since Hurricane Katrina," said Johndroe.

"The president continues to follow through on his commitment to help local citizens rebuild their lives and communities on the Gulf Coast," said the spokesman.

"The federal government has provided more than 114 billion dollars for relief, recovery and rebuilding efforts, over 96 billion dollars of which has been disbursed or is available for states to draw from," he said.

Bush drew sharp criticism for Washington's sluggish response when the devastating storm struck the Gulf Coast on August 29, 2005, flooding most of New Orleans and killing about 1,500 people.