NEWS: Troops begin "combat operations" in New Orleans.

My worry is this.

Yes, order needs to be enforced. The mere sight of military on the streets of the city will probably deter most from being rambunctious. However, most of these people are probably in a frenzy (this isn't taking into account the criminal element, just to be clear). They're cold, hungry, desperate, and terrified. People that persist in that state for very long experience dramatic psychological changes. Even the most strong willed people become frenzied homo sapiens desperate to survive, some of whom are willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish that - without rational thought or clear headedness to guide them.

Combine that with a military presence, the current political climate surrounding our military forces, the current doctrine our military forces have been subject to increasingly since 9-11, and the stated likelihood that military forces will remain in New Orleans (and elsewhere) for "months, not weeks." Then sprinkle in a dash of soldiers' mental fatigue akin to what the men and women stationed in Iraq are seeing daily due to the comparably grizzly sights certain to greet them in New Orleans.

The result of this delectable recipe? A power keg ready to explode.

That is my worry. All involved must tread very carefully here.