Bush returns to hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast

US President George W. Bush on Tuesday returned to the US Gulf Coast, starting his fifth tour in three weeks to the region devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

After arriving Gulfport, Mississippi, Bush told local officials and businessmen that every time he visited the region, he saw new progress in the recovery efforts.

However, he said there is much work left to be done.

In a familiar tone repeatedly used in his post-Katrina speeches, he said after all this, "a better Mississippi will emerge."

His next stop is New Orleans, Louisiana, where he will be briefed about the latest developments of Hurricane Rita, which is moving quickly towards US Gulf Coast and could hit the region again in coming days.

In Washington, the White House announced earlier in the day that Bush has named Frances Fragos Townsend, his personal homeland security adviser, to lead an probe into federal response to Katrina.

Townsend will call a meeting with cabinet members in the next few days to determine how to proceed the investigation.

After this trip, Bush is expected to return to the region again on Friday, touring Alabama, Texas and Arkansas where large numbers of Katrina evacuees are taking shelter.

Local analysts said staying away from Washington on this weekend will keep Bush far from an anti-war march that is expected to gather 100,000 protestors and feature Cindy Sheehan, the "anti- war mom" who had camped outside Bush's Texas ranch last month to demand a direct meeting with the president.

Source: Xinhua