Honore: U.S. military should have reached Haiti sooner

cnn ^ | 01/14/10 | cnn

[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

[decimon]

Hmmm...when did the Haitian government request US military aid? Not that this has stopped us in the past but effectively placing Haiti under US martial law should be by request.

[mefistofelerevised]

I was in Miami 35 years ago and nothing but bad things happened. It was a hell hole than, I can’t imagine what it is like now.

[abb]

Were Bush still President, what would today’s NY Times headlines be?

[silverleaf]

Yep. And Haiti has been stuck on stupid for 200 years.
Where’s the $50 million in aid Hillary sent 9 months ago? and the $100 million we have been sending every year.

With all those Haiti mansions and govt office collapsed and a most of the politicians dead, it looks like a lot of swiss bank accounts won’t be drawn on anymore by their depositors.

[listenhillary]

Don’t they need something to do this? Like orders from the CIC?

[colinhester]

Sadly my first thoughts too.

[Steamburg]

Give’em both barrels General Honore and please run for office. We need somebody in there who will call them for being terminally “Stuck on Stupid”!

[silverleaf]

there is no “haitian govt”- the president of Haiti went to the airport for safety, and reportedly has asked to leave Haiti because his house collapsed.

The Haiti ambassador to the US was on FOX News last night- said he went to State Dept and asked for help. I guess that’s the “haitian govt”

[grobdriver]

The first two flights were a free-for-all. I was dodging choppers and C-130s once west of Lake Charles. After that, it got organized.
There was an EC-130 orbiting Lake Ponchatrain - "Sky King", believe it or not. We had to contact him before entering the TFR with destination (Slidell had become the focal point of operations on the North side of the lake by then). Still had to dodge military traffic after unloading and on the way out. Stayed low and fast until clear of the area.
Was a mess...

[RC one]

four words for Gen Honore: “Don’t. Rush. To. Failure.”

[jimbo123]

Obama hates poor black people. Look at how at how he treats his brother George. No surprise here.

[silverleaf]

If Bush was president the NYT would find a way to photograph every Haitian kid dying of thirst and all the dead and dying would be his fault because Republicans hate black people.

But if Bush was President things would be moving quietly and quickly due to lessons learned from Katrina, the faith based NGO’s would have full support from the WH, and the military would have a more competent leader- wouldn't they.

[Non-Sequitur]

We should donate money food and water and let the UN handle it.

Half the country would be dead of starvation and dehydration waiting for the UN to pull it's head out if it's butt and get things organized.

[magritte]

All of them...what, you think France wants them back??

[jersey117]

Any GOP man or woman would have known the need for immediate action, within 3 minutes of the initial reports.

Absolutely. And to their credit, CNN dispatched a team immediately. Once the news came through of a 7.0 hitting an island like Haiti, anyone with a brain immediately knew there would be massive devastation and death.

[bvw]

Right, if CNN knew to move right away, where the hell was Obama? Busy planning his next family vacation? Listening to Rahm and Axelrod explain who the beat-downs of on-the-fence Democrat Congressmen were coming in the blacked out backrooms of the ‘healthcare’ bill?

[KarinG1]

They’d have been there two days before it happened if George Bush’s dog hadn’t eaten 0bama’s homework.

[HereInTheHeartland]

“That is why we have the UN and their “blue helmets”. It isn’t America’s fault the UN isn’t capable.”

We all know the answer to that. The UN isn’t capable of changing a litter box.

If it needs to be done and done right; the our military will have to do it.
There is no government in Haiti it appears, no security at all; there is nothing.
Bottom line if we want the relief to come and supplies to be distributed; things have be secured.

The big question; is how long do we have to stay? Hopefully our people can get out quickly.

I don’t half of Haiti moving to the US. Lets get it secured, get the supplies, and help people out.
Then let’s get out; and keep the Haitians in Haiti. We don’t want them all moving to Florida.

[Roccus]

The first two flights were a free-for-all. I was dodging choppers and C-130s once west of Lake Charles.

Thanks for that. I, like many everyday Americans, was unaware of what was going on there.

Was a mess...

One airport, one useable runway, tower in shambles.....recipe for disaster. Here's hoping the US military will have this straightened out quickly in Haiti.

(not a pilot so I had to look up TFR };^)

[Mister Da]

While I agree this is a nightmare, I don't think Obama has a choice but to take the lead in Haitian recovery.

This is HIS Katrina, & the whole world, rightly or wrongly, will see it that way. Americans will see it that way. I see it that way.

There is no other country in the region capable of even making a difference. To cede this responsibility to the UN is to insure the deaths of thousands more Haitians. Even BHO knows this.

Furthermore, the MSM is giving this disaster big coverage. If the supplies continue to pile up at the airport while the people continue to starve, the MSM will find somebody to blame & it will not be Bush.

Like it or not, Obama & the USA own this disaster, by proximity & ability to help. I sincerely hope he employs speedy, effective, & maximum effort to help Haiti. But I have serious doubts about his ability & inclination to do this right.