I know this about General Honare entering New Orleans with the military is on every news service by now but I want it for my records:
Honore said getting food and water to the people at the convention center was a difficult process. "If you ever have 20,000 people come to supper, you know what I'm talking about," the general said. "If it was easy, it would have been done already."Class act.CNN's Barbara Starr, who is traveling with the three-star general, said Honore is "very determined to keep this looking like a humanitarian relief operation.A few moments ago, he stopped a truck full of National Guard troops ... and said, 'Point your weapons down, this is not Iraq,'" Starr reported.
Update: It's nice to be nice and good to be good. And, now, 1,000 Haligonians are heading to New Orleans to help. All good. I will be in central New York tomorrow assisting with economic stabilization myself...at least in the frozen custard branch of the economy.
Update #2: CNN reported this blog as being in NOLA written from an office building.
Comments
cm - September 2, 2005 5:13 pm
Over at americablog, they're calling for him to lead the show altogether. I still can't bear to watch any of the news about it, but I'm reading obsessively.
John of Argghhh! - September 2, 2005 6:54 pm
As one of those guys who used to plan and do what LTG Honore is doing... I say no, put a civilian in charge. Let Russ do his job.
The civilian? *Not* Chrenkoff.
Giuliani.
optimus - September 2, 2005 7:41 pm
"This is not Iraq."
Oh no? Snipers with semi-autos shooting at the USACE guys trying to fix the levee? Heavily-armed gangs running the streets? Is it a humanitarian op? No. This is a PEO -- peace enforcement operation. They need to deliver supplies and impose order. This means that they need to start engaging the armed looters etc. with will and resolve. Pretending that this is a simple relief operation will not bring order back to NOLA.
Ron Valentine - September 5, 2005 6:25 pm
The General will get the job done. You can count on him. He's the right man for the job. He knows the people and the landscape well, we could not have selected a better fit.
Ed - September 6, 2005 12:46 am
I'm surprised, disappointed and sickened that people can be so quickly swayed by an image rather than substance. LTG Honore's bluster on CNN calling reports of lack of governmental coordination "B.S.", talking over reporter's questions and walking off the podium can hardly fit the definition of the right man for the job. Think about this - the mayor, the governor, the parish presidents all demanded armed troops in the afflicted areas. The troops showed up - National Guard troops ready to lend assistance even while their homes and full-time jobs were in jeopardy. What's the first clip we see on the news? LTG Honore bellowing at them to lower their weapons even as they're mounting up to patrol the streets to provide a safe and secure environment. Let's think about that. As a vet of Bosnia, Afghanistan and recently Iraq I can catagorically say there was nothing wrong with the way those weapons were presented. What WAS wrong was that there happened to be a CNN camera nearby - and Honore knew it. He even goes a step further and orders a police official to lower their weapons - but did you see his PSD (personnel security detachment)? Same weapons attitude as the very people he's yelling at. So now we have two issues. Honore is attempting to order local law enforcement officials - something he has no authority to do. Secondly, if he wants a diminished weapons attitude why isn't he asking his PSD to do the same?
If indeed Honore's attempting to keep this as a humanitarian act, he can do it without being a bully when a question or circumstance doesn't agree with him. That's part of his problem and why he's still at 1st Army rather than in a higher visability position - his leadership style leaves much to be desired and he has a history of alienating the very people he's supposed to be working with. The reason he's so reactive about questions concerning joint coordination is because he recently served as Commander, Standing Joint Force Headquarters – Homeland Security, U.S. Northern Command - the very people that wee supposed to have had contingency planning and RAPID response to these very ultracatastrophies.
Optimus is on the right track. The initial steps for security include a stabilization force which will allow civilians to do what they need to do to engage in their relief effort as well as follow on military forces to provide their assistance as well. We DON'T need a thinned-skinned loudmouth that won't engage all parties (yes, even the media) to the betterment of NOLA and its' citizans.
Mark - September 6, 2005 6:34 am
Hearing all kinds of conflicting reports, but hey, what else is new when you got media (mainstream) frenzies, an info revolution (what's left of it), some broadband (me like!) and bloggers (icing on da cake mommy)?
Either it's the Feds fault or the state of Louisiana.
At any rate, I say Gen. Honore ought to run for Prez. Hell, he's already a fine commanding officer, let's just have him in the White House to kick some congressional ass - and make him the chief!
william - September 9, 2005 6:19 pm
Lt. Gen. Honore is doing just a fine job. I think he deserves and will get that 4th star just to so you how wrong you are about him and his command.
Go Russ !!!! GO !!!!