Bush tours tornado-ravaged Kansas town

By Matt Spetalnick

GREENSBURG, Kansas (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush toured a tornado-ravaged Kansas town on Wednesday after criticism his administration's decision to send National Guard equipment to Iraq had hampered the state's disaster response.

As survivors combed through the rubble of homes and businesses in Greensburg, Bush flew in by helicopter for a close-up look at the devastation five days after a huge killer tornado nearly wiped out the small farming community.

"The pictures don't do it justice," said Bush of the collapsed homes and stripped tree trunks. "There is a lot of destruction."

He hugged and comforted residents and promised the federal government would get aid to the small farming community as quickly as possible.

Ten people were killed in Greensburg, a town of 1,600 people, when the twister struck on Friday night.

Bush's visit came amid renewed debate over whether a heavy deployment of soldiers, vehicles and other equipment to Iraq had left state National Guards throughout the country stretched too thin to handle local disasters.

Accompanying Bush was Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, who said a shortage of National Guard trucks, helicopters and other equipment would hamper disaster recovery in the state.

The White House and the Pentagon rebuffed the criticism, saying Kansas and other states had adequate resources that they could share in event of disasters and insisting that any aid requested had been granted without delay.