Brown calls NO a "war zone"; Honore claims people chose to stay in Dome

[Carolab]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-katrina4sep04,0,1107634.story?coll=la-home-headlines

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The head of FEMA, Michael D. Brown, said he understood the frustration of those still stranded and hungry. "I'm frustrated, sure; everybody's frustrated," Brown said. "This is a war zone we're working in now, and we'll continue to make progress day by day."

The top military commander in the disaster zone, U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Russel Honore, also expressed his sorrow but added that given the challenges, the military had responded in "record time."

Honore said the mood at the Superdome "has been tense. But guess what? There has been more talk of riots and disorder than there actually has been."

The general said evacuees would have left if the shelter had truly become intolerable.

"If there was a fire under your feet, would you stand there? Hell, no," said Honore, a Louisiana native. "There was an acceptable amount of risk. They would have come out of that place. It was better for them to stay."

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