Posted on 01/15/2010 4:39:13 AM PST by TornadoAlley3
Washington (CNN) -- The retired general who took charge of relief efforts in New Orleans, Louisiana, after Hurricane Katrina said Thursday that the U.S. military should have arrived in earthquake-devastated Haiti 24 hours earlier.
"The good Samaritans who moved early on the first day are to be applauded. They made a difference," said Lt. Gen. Russel Honore, a CNN contributor.
"What we've got to do now is get the heavy equipment in. I thought the U.S. military could have been there a day earlier. They're on the ground now, and they have a brigade en route, and that's going to make a big difference," he said.
Honore, best known for his management of the recovery efforts after the hurricane that killed about 2,000 people on the Gulf Coast, said "time is of the essence" in helping quake survivors.
Repairing the seaport at Port-au-Prince and keeping the airport open are key to bringing in equipment, food, water and medicine, Honore said.
Regarding the airport, he said, "You need to put the right commander there who's going to be a battle captain and keep those aircraft flowing. You come in, you drop off what you have, you put the sick and wounded on and then move out. No one is standing any time on the airfield. You can be in and out in a half hour."
Speaking at the House Democratic Caucus Retreat later Thursday, Obama acknowledged the scrutiny focused on U.S. response.
"This is a time when the world looks to us and they say -- given our capacity, given our unique capacity to project power around the world -- that we have to project that not just for our own interests but for the interests of the world as a whole," he said. "And my national security team understands that
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
U.S. military should have reached Haiti sooner
And Geraldo and Shep Smith.
Oh wait, I just heard on Fox & Friends that Geraldo is getting ready to go. Hang on trapped Haitians! Geraldo is on his way!
Somebody on MSNBC yesterday stated “ we have a president who cares now, this won’t be another katrina”
The amount of obama speech-making on this crisis wil be mind numbing. In cluding ghost writen articles for mags and op-ed pages.
Will haities become the 51st state, on our way to 57 ?
Did you have air traffic control when you flew into LA? No air traffic control at Haitian airport was a problem. No lights for landings after dark was another. The military is setting up ATC now (may already be in operation). Lights went on last night thanks to US military.
BTW, good on you for your help after Katrina!!!
Our Marines never took a vow to defend & protect haiti nor are they trained in rescue missions.
This sudden impulse to send in US Marines and the other branches for humanitarian purposes is wrong. That is why we have the UN and their “blue helmets”. It isn’t America’s fault the UN isn’t capable.
Watch what will happen in Haiti; Marines will be forced to defend themselves or take offensive actions and THEN will be condemned and tried in a court by this administration that sent them on a mission for a purpose they never signed up for.
Been to Miami lately ?
You are exactly correct.
The point is that Bush was blamed for the slow response during Katrina’s disaster - and for letting thousands of black New Orleans residents suffer and some die .....
Now the General in charge of that recovery operation is saying Zero, the black President, the CIC, should be blamed for not getting our troops down to Haiti faster and letting tens of thousands of black Haitians suffer and die.....
He is not criticizing the army - but the CIC, IMHO.
I’ll take it....especially coming from Commie News Network.
You saw it here first.
He is a jerk.
Only CNN would dig him up and milk invalidating soundbites out of him.
That’s what they they do. Thats there industry.
Just after the quake a ‘spokesman’ said that NO UNIFORMED TROOPS would be allowed in Haiti. From radio news while driving home.
Did I hear this correctly?
If this a fact; they should get nothing from the Taxpayers.
Any GOP man or woman would have known the need for immediate action, within 3 minutes of the initial reports. And then withing the hour of what General Honore said. Get to that airport and establish order. Obama did not. He’s a naif.
A real President wouldn’t have cared what the ‘spokesman’ of a corrupt government says in such a case. We’d move anyway. Make excuses later.
I saw uniformed US military at the airport last night.(on one of the news channels) They had just turned on the lights so night landings could be accomplished and were starting to set up ATC.
That’s bullshit. Go away, twerp.
Hey, but what do I know...
However, Vietnam was the beginning of the end, when politicians lack the will to use the miltary as a an instrument of force when needed. Reagan blew it in Lebanon. Clinton blew it in Africa and the Balkans, Bush41 quit too soon in Iraq, Bush43 did a fair job in Iraq after some lessons learned and prodding by Petraeus. But now the jury is out on Afghanistan.
But it seems a guy like obama and the people he has to advise him? Clueless. Not optimistic we will succeed unless somehow, the obamites get out of the way of the people who really know how to sacrifice and produce....
Godspeed to our military.
Not another Katrina? It’s worse. Now 72 hours after the quake and no aid on the ground except at the airport. Which is surrounded by mobs of thieves and murderers.
And 40,000 Americans still missing in Haiti???
Correct me if I’m wrong but weren’t people warned to leave NO, then being bussed and airlifted out of New Orleans within 24-48 hours after the storm and still Bush getting slammed.
How many kids in NO died of thirst?
/sarc
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.