"Anyone who's saying that doesn't understand the situation"

AP: Military: Katrina Won't Affect War Plans---

WASHINGTON - The military's growing contribution to hurricane relief efforts in Louisiana and Mississippi will not diminish its capability to fight the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Tuesday.

Let me be clear: We have the forces, the capability and the intention to fully prosecute the global war on terror while responding to this unprecedented humanitarian crisis here at home. We can and will do both," Rumsfeld told a Pentagon news conference.

There are still more than 300,000 Army National Guard and Air National Guard personnel available to help if needed, he added.

Rumsfeld was asked about criticism from some who say the commitment of large numbers of troops to the Iraq conflict, including National Guard soldiers from Louisiana and Mississippi, hindered the military's response to Hurricane Katrina.

"Anyone who's saying that doesn't understand the situation," he replied.

Rumsfeld also said the Defense Department was asked to fill disaster-response roles that were supposed to have been performed by state and local officials, who in many cases became Katrina victims and were "in large measure incapable of functioning."

"The Department of Defense, needless to say, has been stepping in to help the civilian federal agencies in many missions that the first responders had been assigned and are well-suited for, but in this case, simply not available, and/or they need some time to adjust to their personal circumstances," he said.