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General Russel Honore Discusses National Guard Training; FEMA Press Conference on Hurricane Wilma Preparations; Did US Troops Use Religion to Provoke the Taliban?

Aired October 20, 2005 - 14:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

LT. GEN. RUSSEL HONORE, US ARMY: And that's been a great success for the Army to prepare the National Guard and the Reserve to go right next to their active-duty buddies and perform their missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
And the good news is, next week we have some of our big units coming back: the 42nd infantry division from New York -- over 6,000 soldiers from their headquarters started to flow back just this past weekend to Fort Dix.

That outfit is the National Guard division we mobilized, led by General Taluto. They're going back home to New York. We're very excited it. They had a great mission out in Balat (ph) and we're very proud of them.

And another unit is the 278 Cavalry Regiment from Tennessee that will be returning home under Colonel Dennis Adams. The regimental commander will be bringing them back into Mississippi next week and sending them a few days of demobilization and linking them up with their families.

So, there's a lot of excitement right now on the demobilization work. But, as we speak, 9,000 troops we're preparing to send to Iraq and Afghanistan who will be properly trained and equipped.

Our unwritten contract with the American people is that our National Guard and Reserve soldiers will be well-trained, well- equipped with top-of-the-line resources to go do their mission. And we live up to that.

PHILLIPS: And I want to talk about that because every day we have to talk about this insurgency. And it's not like a typical battle where you know where the bad guy is and you can go in and you can take him down.

It's insane what's happening over there and it's unfair. It's very unfair when it comes to how the insurgency is acting.

IEDs: You train your soldiers to deal with these. This is of tremendous importance.

HONORE: Well, it's war. We called it a global war on terrorism. But, to the those troops in the ground, they're going out and meeting the enemy and taking the fight to them to create a safe and secure environment in both Iraq and Afghanistan, along with the Iraqi army and the Afghan army.

One of the things we also do is teach soldiers to be able to work with the Iraqi and Afghan army in missions.

PHILLIPS: You bring Iraqis here, don't you?

HONORE: Well, we hire Iraqis to come in and role play. We call this training theater-immersion training. But we train the soldier like you're going to fight.

Down at Camp Shuttle (ph), we have some 300 role players. They are actors. Many of them are from Iraq and from the region and they play Iraqi army members. They play sheiks, Iraqi citizens.

And we role play that training so that when the soldier goes to war or arrives in Iraq or in Afghanistan, they have had some experience in dealing with some very tense situations, similar to what they will see in the theater.

PHILLIPS: Hold that thought, sir. I want to continue talking about this. But, real quickly, someone you know very well, David Paulison, acting director of FEMA is briefing folks right now on preps for Hurricane Wilma.

Let's listen in.

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DAVID PAULISON, ACTING DIRECTOR OF FEMA: We're asking for everyone to have three days supply of food, three-day supply of water, medicines. Have a portable radio with extra batteries. Have a flashlight. Make sure your car or vehicle is full of fuel and have a family communications plan.

In fact, my wife, right now, is down in south Florida getting our home ready because I'm up here working. And if we can do that, I'm sure everyone can do the same thing.

Another thing we want to make sure we ask people to do is, if they're asked to evacuate -- if they're in an evacuation zone, there are some other things we need for them to take with them: bank statements, checkbooks, credit cards, birth certificates, insurance information -- important papers like that that you may need if you have to evacuate and you're a long way from home.

As we learned in Katrina, some people ended up a long way from home, indeed, and some of those documents, they did not have them with them.

Make sure, if you're asked to evacuate that you know ahead of time your local evacuation routes and know where your local shelters are. I want to assure you that FEMA's working very closely with local officials and particularly with the state of Florida right now.

I spoke to Governor Bush earlier and I talked to Craig Fugate, the state emergency manager. The state is doing an excellent job. They are ready; they are very pleased with what we're doing and how we're working with them.

By tomorrow afternoon, we will have delivered 150 truck loads of ice, 150 truck loads of water, 30 truck loads of MREs. And also, the Red Cross is delivering 200,000 heater meals there to the state of Florida to make sure they're ready for any type of catastrophe.

We have four urban search and rescue teams in the state and we have two more urban search and rescue teams on alert in their home base. We have nine disaster medical -- emergency medical teams on site and we have nine more teams on alert.

We also have three mobile communication vehicles. We are also working very closely with the Department of Defense. They have eight helicopters on standby ready to support us if it's needed for evacuations and also for delivery of supplies.

And the Department of Defense also has several boats ready if we have to deliver supplies to the keys and the roads are out.

I want it say that this has, so far, been a very successful, very cooperative operation between us the state and local communities and we are ready for the storm as best as we can be.

Again, it is a very large storm. We ask people to be very careful and pay close attention to their state emergency managers and their local emergency management officials.

Now, what I'd like to do at this time is just answer a few questions from you.

QUESTION: Are you battling, kind of, a perception problem here because the state is taking such a lead in preparing this because they have such experience with response and not asking for as much help as other states have in previous hurricanes?

Therefore, you don't have to send as much material, necessarily, because the state is taking such a lead. Are you worried about the perception problem that may create?

PAULISON: All I'm worried about right now is making sure we have the supplies on hand, have the equipment on hand, have the medical teams on hand and the urban and search and rescue teams on hand to handle whatever catastrophe might come along.

I don't have the time to deal with perceptions right now. That's my home state. I know what they're prepared to do and they do an outstanding job. Governor Bush and Craig Fugate know about hurricanes; they know about disasters and they know how to handle those.

But at the same time, we're going to do the same thing for the state of Florida we do for any other state.

QUESTION: Can you on the testimony by FEMA regional director Marty Bahamonde to the Department of Homeland Security. He said that he provided regular updates to people who contacted then-FEMA Director Michael Brown.

And he was met with silence in most cases where Brown had said that he wasn't aware of the dire conditions traditions for Katrina, as you know, until days later.

PAULISON: Well, I have been working for the last several days getting ready for the hurricanes. So, I did not listen to Marty's testimony. Marty is a very dedicated, very hard-working FEMA employee and he cares very much for the people that he serves.

So, I really can't comment on the interaction between him and Mr. Brown back and forth at this time. We're going to go back -- like I said earlier, we'll go back and look at Katrina very, very carefully.

There's a lot of lessons we need to learn out of that to make this agency respond better and make this whole system work more smoothly.

QUESTION: You've listed your list of emergency measures in place, but in the wake of Katrina and Rita, how can you assure the public that you're ready?

PAULISON: Well, I guess the answer: the proof is in the pudding. We did very well with Hurricane Ophelia. We did very well with Hurricane Rita and we are going to do very well with this hurricane. This is going to be a good response.

We're hoping the hurricane does not hit Florida or any place else. But if it does, we're going to be ready for it.

QUESTION: How, if at all, are these preparations different in terms of...

PAULISON: The preparations for Rita and Katrina -- I'm sorry, for Rita and Wilma are pretty much the same. We're doing the same types of things.

We're working very closely with, like I said, the Department of Defense, working with National Guard, working with the state Governor's office to make sure that we have the supplies in place and the equipment in place that they need.

So, the response is the same. I've been through a lot of hurricanes and I have been on the ground at the local level. I know what the needs are and we're trying to make sure we have those needs in place for those particular states.

QUESTION: Back to the Monday testimony, specific e-mails that he talked about in the hearings describe the agency as being, quote, "unprepared and out of touch, a place where cluelessness and self- concern persist."

Do you have specific reaction on those specific comments?

PAULISON: Well, I can tell you that, at this point in time -- I cannot answer what happened back then, but I can tell you that at this point in time, this agency is in touch and this agency is ready to respond and we will respond in the appropriate manner to the storm.

Do you have time for one more?

One more question.

Can you speak precisely about lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina. I know that was one item, but also communication...

PAULISON: Well, I really don't want to get into Katrina too much. Quite frankly, I wasn't here then, as far as being in charge and making those types of decisions.

All I can deal with is what we're doing from here on out. And we are going to respond with what the states need and what the locals need to make sure they have the tools to do their job.

And we will get back and very carefully look at Katrina to make sure -- there are a lot of lessons that we're going to learn out of Katrina. That was a huge, huge storm, much bigger than anything we've dealt with before.

But, still, there's a lot of lessons that we need to learn and we will learn from those.

QUESTION: There had to be a call for progression somewhere between Katrina and now. You've been part of some of that. Can you just speak to how -- as far as the lessons learned? Just in the time you've been here, there has to have been discussion of some changes to make.

PAULISON: Well, I can tell you that I managed it based on my experiences that I learned with hurricanes on the ground and that's a philosophy we're going to use. The philosophy that we're using is the person we most deal with is that person on the ground, that individual citizen or resident.

That's the most important thing. It's not me, it's not the FEMA people working. It's those people on the ground, and that's the philosophy we're taking. What would you do if that's your family out there? And that's how we're going to manage these storms. So thank you all very much.

PHILLIPS: Acting FEMA Director David Paulison there, straight and to the point, not wanting to talk about the past, definitely talking about moving forward and how he is planning and how FEMA is planning and prepping for Wilma at this time.

Perfect timing to have Lieutenant General Russel Honore with us today talking about his trip back, of course, and looking forward to your mission with soldiers heading to Iraq and Afghanistan. But since you were here, sir, you got to hear the briefing also. Quite a switch from what we saw during Hurricane Katrina. It definitely seems Paulison is heading in the right direction and FEMA is a little more organized this time around.

HONORE: Great public message. FEMA's always been there doing its preparation as a great team they're working with. They had five storms last year. We worked with them from First Army, and as our account, two or three storms this year.

And the thing folks need to remember is that if a Category 5 storm hit Florida, the first quarter people lose. So, take it, the public message that just was given and take all the precautions because a Category 5 storm will win, regardless of how well you're prepared. And I think the message that the director just gave is one that people should take strong advice to, over.

PHILLIPS: Anything that he said in particular that was a good point with regard to preparation, what FEMA has, assets that are in place, what folks in the affected areas or could be affected areas ...

HONORE: I won't grade his paperwork. He had a great message and state what he was doing and I think that's what the people in Florida need to hear. And It's been one news conference after the next, giving some great comments from the leadership and the team, assuring people to be ready and what they should do and what the government is doing.

So, I think they're continuing to prepare, but the emphasis is, that is a plan, got the response ready, but people need to beware. If this is a Category 5 storm, or even a 4, it will create a lot of damage and kill a lot of people if people stay in the way of the storm.

PHILLIPS: Well, we're hearing from him. We're hearing from Governor Jeb Bush. We're hearing from a lot of emergency management officials saying, look, let's not waste any time. Let's get busy.

HONORE: Right.

PHILLIPS: All right. Let's move on to First Army, once again. You're back here dealing with, you said, 58,000 troops you've already trained and put into theater. Dealing now with 9,000, correct?

HONORE: Nine thousand, yes.

PHILLIPS: We talked about the IED training. We talked about the immersion training as you bring Iraqis over here to role play with U.S. soldiers. How is that going, by the way? Is that helping from only from a strategic standpoint, a tactical standpoint, a personal standpoint? Are they understanding each other culturally. Is that helping in the fight as they go over?

HONORE: Absolutely. We get direct feedback from our units we trace them in country as they over and work for General Abizaid, General Casey, General Equiary (ph) over in that we have a feedback loop. And that training is constantly assessed. We have lessons learned team that follows them.

We go in and inspect the training. As a matter of fact, we have a group in Afghanistan this week taking a look at how we trained the 53rd brigade from Florida as they're performing their task. So it's a constant loop of assessing how we're doing and adjusting based on what the enemy is doing. We're proud of that and we have a good feedback loop with the commanders in the field.

PHILLIPS: Okay. Stay with me one more time. I just have to -- we're going to talk about DeLay. We're going to go on. We have got some more developing news with DeLay. And I think just to be safe, sir, I'm going to thank you so much for your time.

HONORE: Great.

PHILLIPS: It has been such a pleasure.

HONORE: Great.

PHILLIPS: You handled all the topics with us today from First Army to the hurricanes to also David Paulison. We got a lot of good time with you today. And you will come back, right?

HONORE: We're going back to training and you can see us in the field.

PHILLIPS: Fantastic. Stay with me for just a second, OK, sir?

HONORE: Absolutely.

PHILLIPS: All right. Thank you so much. And I'm just getting word, Tom DeLay -- this was the other story that we have been following within the past 15 minutes or so -- his mug shot now being released. Surprised to see that he's smiling.

I don't know if I would be smiling if I had to take a mug shot, but, as you know, DeLay was indicted by a grand jury with regard to conspiracy charges on allegations that he steered about $190,000 in corporate donations to state legislature candidates back in 2002.

The Austin District Attorney, Ronnie Earle, is the one that DeLay has been having this ongoing dispute with, as you know. It's a story we've been staying on today. Tom DeLay turning himself in on an arrest warrant. Now, this mug shot being released. And we're getting word from his attorney, Dick DeGuerin. Just moments ago, he released this reaction to this mug shot going public.

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DICK DEGUERIN, TOM DELAY'S ATTORNEY: Mug shot so he could put it out to Congressman DeLay's political opponents and he's got what he wanted. There's no reason for this. it was pure retaliation on the part of Ronnie Earle because we have not led him up. He has exposed his prosecution. There it is, take a good look at it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Once again, Tom DeLay's attorney, Dick DeGuerin responding to this mug shot, just recently made public after Tom DeLay turned himself in on an arrest warrant after a grand jury indicted him and associates on conspiracy charges on allegation they steered more than $100,000 away on corporate donations to state legislature candidates in 2002. We're on the story. We'll take a quick break. More LIVE FROM right after this.

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PHILLIPS: There you can see General Honore, quite the star here at the CNN Center. Meanwhile, the U.S. Command in Afghanistan has launched a criminal probe into alleged soldier misconduct that was captured on videotape now being aired around the world. And with that story, CNN's Jamie McIntyre joins us live from the Pentagon.

We should probably separate the two stories, Jamie, as General Honore is here visiting talking about, of course, the hurricane and his soldiers and training that he's doing. Much different than what you're tackling right now.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: That's right. This videotape, which shows the burning bodies of some Taliban fighters who were killed in a fire fight with U.S. forces, aired as part of a documentary on Australia's SAS Television.

It was shot by a journalist who was embedded with the U.S. forces in Afghanistan right around the beginning of this month. And, the program charges that the bodies of these men were deliberately desecrated and faced towards Mecca in order to mock the Islamic faith, and that American soldiers from the psychological operations unit then taunted the Taliban over loudspeakers calling them lady boys for failing to retrieve the bodies.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEPHEN DUPONT, PHOTOJOURNALIST: They deliberately wanted to incite that much anger from the Taliban so the Taliban could attack them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Smoke them out.

DUPONT: Smoke them out. They want the Taliban to fight them because they can't find them otherwise.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCINTYRE: That is Stephen Dupont, the journalist who shot the videotape. The program drew a quick response from the U.S. military. One commander in Afghanistan called it "repugnant" and an investigation was immediately ordered.

A statement released by the U.S. military in Afghanistan says, quote, "the command does not advocate nor tolerate the wrongful desecration of anyone's remains or the use of broadcast messages in conjunction with an act such as this. These are very serious allegations," it goes on to say, "and if they are true, they are reprehensible."

One reason for the forceful reaction is the U.S. military is concerned, or the U.S. government is concerned, about the kind of anti-U.S. sentiment that was whipped up by recent revelations, allegations, of Koran abuse by the U.S. military.

And today at the State Department, a spokesman underscored that these actions will be investigated and, Kyra, that they do not reflect the values of the U.S. military or the U.S. government -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Jamie McIntyre, live from the Pentagon. Thanks, Jamie.

Well, America's death toll in Iraq is steadily approaching 2,000. Four U.S. soldiers died yesterday, three in a roadside bombing near Balad, about 40 miles north of Baghdad. The fourth soldier was killed in a suicide bombing in Anbar Province near the Syrian border.

The military also reports that the death of U.S. soldier on Tuesday of a gunshot of termed as non-hostile near the northern city of Mosul. These latest American casualties put U.S. military deaths in Iraq at more than 1,980.

We're going to take a quick break. More LIVE FROM right after this.

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(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

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PHILLIPS: Well, it's the second biggest lottery jackpot in U.S. history, $340 million. And all that money may go to one, single person. The only ticket with the six numbers selected in last night's Powerball drawing was purchased in Jacksonville, Oregon. Hey, wait a minute -- that's where my brother lives.

Well, at a news conference this morning, lottery officials said that no one had stepped forward to claim the prize. As we know more, well, you'll know more.

That wraps up this Thursday edition of LIVE FROM. I'm Kyra Phillips at the CNN Center in Atlanta. We'll be back tomorrow. Now Wolf Blitzer live in THE SITUATION ROOM.

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