WASHINGTON, Sept 23: The Pentagon rebuffed requests for up to 40,000 extra troops for storm duty in Louisiana and Texas on Friday, but promised to help meet the states’ needs for fuel and other assistance in the face of Hurricane Rita.

Spokesmen acknowledged the Pentagon has received a written request from Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco for 15,000 additional active duty troops and another 15,000 national guards.

“The number is not very informative. What we’re trying to determine is the capability that she needs,” said Lawrence DiRita, the chief Pentagon spokesman.

Lt Gen Russel Honore met with the commander Louisiana’s national guard to work out more precisely what is needed, he said.

DiRita said Texas Governor Rick Perry’s request for 10,000 prepositioned active duty troops has not been received in writing.

The state’s requirements were “still being developed,” he said. “He has not written and said here’s exactly what I need.”

Texas has made a request for 23,000 gallons of fuel to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), but Pentagon officials did not know whether it had been passed on to the military.

The state has promised to provide fuel to people who run out of gas on traffic choked highways out of Houston and other cities.

“Fuel is one of the things we anticipate we are going to be providing some assistance with,” DiRita said.

But he expressed frustration that live television coverage often outpaces information within the government.

“This is deja vu all over again,” he said. “I guarantee that people know that there is a need for fuel, and they are going to work through that. Can I give you the specific execute order that says fuel is on its way? I cannot.”

He was alluding to the intense public criticism of the government’s bungled response to Katrina amid televised scenes of desperation among the thousands of people stranded by flooding in New Orleans.

“You’re going to see a lot of people doing their best to anticipate, and you’re going to see a lot of people calling audibles,” DiRita said.

He said the military evacuated 4,000 non-ambulatory patients from Texas hospitals in a 24 hour period Thursday after the state governor appealed for help, bypassing FEMA, the federal agency blamed for the sluggish Katrina response.

The military is also meeting other specific requests from Texas, providing 340 medical staff, 15 ambulances, and air traffic control. It also has supplied 35 medium and heavy lift helicopters for search and rescue operations.

“They’ve been asked to be able to provide for the capability of feeding 500,000 people three meals a day at 15 locations,” he said. “Does that mean we’re going to provide the food. Not necessarily. We’re going to help them provide the capability.”

“Everybody is trying to pitch in and I think you’ll see a highly responsive involvement,” DiRita said. —AFP