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| CNN transcript of Lt. Ge. Honore Interview |
| 2005-09-06 |
| Aired September 5, 2005 - 07:31 ET After days of outrage, a massive military relief effort is pouring into New Orleans and some of the other devastated areas. Lieutenant General Russel Honore is the commander overseeing military relief efforts. Joint Task Force Katrina it is called. He joins us from Camp Shelby in Mississippi. General, good to have you with us. LT. GEN. RUSSEL HONORE, JOINT TASK FORCE KATRINA: Good morning. M. O'BRIEN: Could you bring us up-to-date right now, number of boots on the ground and what the situation is right now? HONORE: Yes. We have approximately 30,000 National Guard troops on the ground with more on the way, and approximately 10,000 active- component troops. And our priority of work will focus -- continue to focus on search and rescue, of providing food and water, and assisting the people in the devastated area that goes from Mobile to the west side of New Orleans. This is a disaster of enormous proportion. And the big impact on the region in Mississippi, where the coastline was destroyed for two or three miles inward, then damage north of that, all the way up to I- 20, almost the entire span -- width of the state of Mississippi. M. O'BRIEN: Well, I'm told, general... HONORE: A significant challenge there in the rural areas. M. O'BRIEN: ... it's the size of the country of Great Britain. Is40,000 troops enough? Do you need more people? HONORE: Well, we have -- we still have the local officials to get the job done. And if we need more troops, they will flow. Right now, we are linking up with each one of the four parishes in Louisiana that had significant damage and in the flood areas. And we're doing the same thing in the state of Mississippi. We are just completing the search and rescue phase of this. After we do the search and rescue and evacuate the people, we'll work off the priorities of the governor is what we do. And we'll continue to do that. And right now, we have enough people to get that done, based on what we know. But phase two and three of this might be harder than phase one, which is to do search and rescue. We're going to have to determine what we're going to do to mitigate the water in New Orleans. And much has to be done about establishing shelter. So, there's a lot left to be done, and much of that is a task that the industry do, not military equities. We don't build buildings, per se, or build cities, but we'll do what we are told to do to help mitigate this situation. Over. M. O'BRIEN: Let's talk about chain of command for a minute, general, if we could. You mentioned the governors being in the mix here. The president has made an offer, put an offer on the table to federalize this whole thing, to streamline your chain of command. I assume that's something you'd like to see happen. HONORE: We are working with the arrangements we have now, which is in relationship to the national response plan, where the inner agency led by FEMA on the homeland security will work in response to the governors at their request for support. That's what we are doing. We're getting the job done. We evacuated 20,000 people at one location from the Convention Center the day before yesterday. We evacuated another 3,000 yesterday. We cleared the hospitals in New Orleans. We are working the outlying parish of St. Bernard and Jefferson parish... M. O'BRIEN: General... HONORE: ... in New Orleans... M. O'BRIEN: General, let me ask you though... HONORE: ... and Hancock County in Mississippi. M. O'BRIEN: General, let me ask you this, though. If it were federalized, if the chain of command were such that it was streamlined, wouldn't that make your job easier? HONORE: We're getting the job done. We're focusing on our search and rescue. Troops are doing a great job. That question -- I'm hearing your question, but that's a question you need to answer at a higher level. I'm telling you, we're achieving success, and we're getting the job done working with the generals or working for the governor and meeting the requirements of FEMA. Boots on the ground, as we continue to deploy the forces in there, get the hospital ships off the coast and the aircraft carriers, we have more of ability to help coordinate the effort. Right now, we are still in the crisis phase of this, because we have not gotten the people out of the destroyed area, because we're still looking for them. There are still people hiding in the top of their houses. If we could see them, we would go to them. And in some cases, we're getting phone calls from them, and they're telling us where they are. And we're going after them, and we're getting them. That's what my focus is right now. We might be in the half-time in this game, we might be losing 50- 0, but I'm going to focus on this next half. We're going to win this half, and we're going to get it done, and we're going to get it done as quick as we can. And the people of New Orleans need to know that. And there has been much talk about the security of New Orleans. We are moving freely in and around New Orleans. And there are isolated incidents, but we're getting the job done, and we're going to continue to do it. And I wish we could of been there on day one, but wishing something is not making it happen. M. O'BRIEN: Well... HONORE: Playing something is not reality. M. O'BRIEN: Let me show viewers who might have missed it over the weekend what happened when you finally got there on the ground. Let's take a look at this piece of tape and how you handled the troops in the situation there for just a moment. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Put those (EXPLETIVE DELETED) weapons down! I'm not going to tell you again, (EXPLETIVE DELETED)! Get those (EXPLETIVE DELETED) weapons down! (END VIDEO CLIP) M. O'BRIEN: Well, I've got to tell you, general, if you told me to put my weapon down, I would. You went in there, and you took control very quickly. People literally applauding there. Isn't it a shame that it took that long, that it was Saturday for you to be there, and that whole scene had to even occur as it did? HONORE: I wish we didn't have to do that. But the reality of the situation, when we got the mission, we went in and got it done. The New Orleans Police Department was decisively engaged with that operation, and we evacuated that center. And as much talk as had been had, there were ill people there, but there was not mass starvation. People were taking care of one another. They used the local stores in the region to provision themselves. And this was not -- it was filthy. It was crowded. It was uncomfortable. It was every description you could give of a situation you would not want to be in. But the people took care of themselves. And in spite of this, they kept good order. There was some activity inside the Convention Center. But much has been said about that. But we evacuated over 20,000 people from there. And you'll be able to go in and get the count of how many people didn't survive that. But this should be looked at as somewhat of a success that the number of people that were there, living in the conditions that there were, that many days later, we were able to evacuate them. And, look... M. O'BRIEN: General, this is your home. HONORE: This was -- yes. M. O'BRIEN: This is your home. What was that like being there, having to do that job in your home state of Louisiana? Did you ever envision that? HONORE: Now, look, the storm had a vote here. It's the storm that did this. It's not anything any government did or any individual. The storm had a (EXPLETIVE DELETED) vote, and the storm is still there. The water is there! You can't vote that water out of the city of New Orleans. That's reality, folks. We need to get on with it. We need the big brain people in America finding a (EXPLETIVE DELETED) solution and stop worrying about the first-half. The second-half is yet to come. Take care of the evacuees. Let's get it on. And I need to go to work. Any other questions? Over. M. O'BRIEN: No, sir. Over and out. Thank you. HONORE: See you. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #5 I see a fourth star in his future. |
| Posted by: Steve 2005-09-06 14:26 |
| #4 Background: General Honore is a native of Lakeland, Louisiana. He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant of Infantry and awarded a Bachelor of Science degree in Vocational Agriculture upon graduation from Southern University and A&M College in 1971. He holds a Master of Arts in Human Resources from Troy State University as well as an Honorary Doctorate in Public Administration from Southern University and A&M College. General Honore has served in a variety of command and staff positions. His overseas assignments include tours in Korea and Germany. He served as Commanding General, 2nd Infantry Division in Korea; Vice Director for Operations, J-3, The Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.; Deputy Commanding General and Assistant Commandant, United States Army Infantry Center and School, Fort Benning, Georgia; and Assistant Division Commander, Maneuver/Support, 1st Calvary Division, Fort Hood, Texas. Most recently, General Honore served as Commander, Standing Joint Force Headquarters – Homeland Security, U.S. Northern Command. General Honore’s awards and decorations include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit with four Oak Leaf Clusters, the Bronze Star Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Army Commendation Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2005-09-06 12:45 |
| #3 This is too big for any one country to handle...let's call in the blue helmets. Kofi save us! |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2005-09-06 12:11 |
| #2 You can't vote that water out of the city of New Orleans. Perhaps a mayoral or state proclamation, or a restraining order, would work??? |
| Posted by: Ptah 2005-09-06 12:08 |
| #1 ROFL! Love this guy. Giuliani / Honore 2008... Damn! I need a spot for Kurilla, too. |
| Posted by: .com 2005-09-06 10:46 |