US troops withdrawing en masse from Haiti

[Robb]

Source: AP

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – U.S. troops are withdrawing from the shattered capital, leaving many Haitians anxious that the most visible portion of international is ending even as the city is still mired in misery and vulnerable to unrest.

As troops packed their duffels and began to fly home this weekend, Haitians and some aid workers wondered whether U.N. peacekeepers and local police are up to the task of maintaining order. More than a half-million people still live in vast encampments that have grown more unpleasant in recent days with the early onset of rainy season. Some also fear the departure of the American troops is a sign of dwindling international interest in the plight of the Haitian people following the catastrophic Jan. 12 earthquake.

"I would like for them to stay in Haiti until they rebuild the country and everybody can go back to their house," said Marjorie Louis, a 27-year-old mother of two, as she warmed a bowl of beans for her family over a charcoal fire on the fake grass of the national stadium.

U.S. officials say the long-anticipated draw down of troops is not a sign of waning commitment to Haiti, only a change in the nature of the operation. Security will now be the responsibility of the 10,000-strong U.N. peacekeeping force and the Haitian police.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5idZiVQhHcyG1gpBjzXaAmmk4_OtAD9EA1K1O0

---

It appears we are not occupying Haiti. This should relieve the DUers who thought we were.

Edited to fix stupid Yahoo link.

[tabatha]

1. And there has been no controversy or anything negtaive about

their help. The fact that some want them to stay, says much.

[Mudoria]

3. You haven't been reading DU much eh?

Quite a few threads along those lines in the past month or so.

[tabatha]

5. I read DU every day.

Please provide an example for where the US forces messed up.
Please remember that the Haitian government and the UN were in charge.

[JI7]

8. the OP is referring to the DU posters who kept saying the Americans wanted to take over

the country for their own needs.

[EFerrari]

12. Between them, the US, Canada and France already did that in 2004.

And the concern was that Aristide would return after the earthquake. He said he wanted to return at that time. There would be very little chance of that with us controlling the airport, right?

I'm curious as to who will be in charge of that now.

[tabatha]

14. Please remember

the airport although run by the US was under the control of the Haitian Govt and the UN.

The Haitian Govt and the UN decided what flights would land and which would not.

There is a certain segment of the population on both the left and right that just make stuff up in the absence of facts.

[EFerrari]

15. You're prematurely defending our service people when nobody

is attacking them. In any case, they didn't send themselves to Haiti.

The Haitian government is a puppet and the UN is for the most part controlled by the US, so when you say the Haitian government and the UN are in charge, realize what you're really saying.

[tabatha]

17. You are making stuff up again.

Do you know exactly what went on?

The US has too much other stuff to worry about than micromanaging the Haitian govt and the UN. The UN has been in Haiti for decades and knows the place better than the US. In fact, it appears that the UN was responsible for demarcating some areas as unsafe. Not the US.

Do you realize what you are saying, and mind you, from an arrogant judgmental position that your beliefs are actual facts, and that you are somewhat holier than me. Good grief. That kind of intellectual bullying is something I abhor.

If you can find one iota of proof that the US did what you are alleging, I'd be happy to read it.

[EFerrari]

22. If you mistake fact with intellectual bullying, that's a shame.

BookTV: An Unbroken Agony

Randall Robinson talked about his book An Unbroken Agony: Haiti, from Revolution to the Kidnapping of a President, published by Basic Civitas. In his book Mr. Robinson covers the history of Haiti and the Haitian people from the arrival of Columbus in late 1492 to the ouster of President Aristide in 2004. He responded to questions from .. Read More

http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/200332-1

Democracy Now!‘s Exclusive Updates On Aristide’s Return to the Caribbean (All Times EST)

Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman is with Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide and his wife Mildred as they makes their historic return to the Caribbean. Aristide has been accompanied by a delegation led by US and Jamaican lawmakers. The delegation includes Rep. Maxine Waters, TransAfrica founder and close friend of the Aristides, Randall Robinson, Sharon Hay-Webster, an emissary of the Jamaican prime minister, as well as Aristide’s Miami-based lawyer, Ira Kurzban. Washington Post reporter Peter Eisner is also with the group. Over the past 48 hours, Amy has filed regular reports from each stop of the journey.

http://www.democracynow.org/2004/3/12/democracy_now_s_exclusive_updates_on

U.S. & Haiti
by Noam Chomsky
Z magazine, April 2004

Those who have any concern for Haiti will naturally want to understand how its most recent tragedy has been unfolding. For those who have had the privilege of any contact with the people of this tortured land, it is not just natural, but inescapable. Nevertheless, we make a serious error if we focus too narrowly on the events of the recent past or even on Haiti alone. The crucial issue for us is what we should be doing about what has taken place. That would be true even if our options and our responsibility were limited; far more so when they are immense and decisive, as in the case of Haiti. And even more so because the course of the terrible story was predictable years ago-if we failed to act to prevent it-and fail we did. The lessons are clear, and so important that they would be the topic of daily front-page articles in a free press.

http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Haiti/US_Haiti_Chomsky.html

Exhiled Haiti President ready to return
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/01/15/haiti.earthquake.aristide/index.html

UPDATE 1-US takes control of Haiti airport to speed aid
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1513622820100116

[tabatha]

55. You had not supplied facts in the post to which I responded.

And the facts you have presented are EXACTLY what I said - the US did take over the airport.

I said so before you supplied the facts saying exactly what I said.

Good grief!

[EFerrari]

56. This is what you said:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=4297233&mesg_id=4298160

And yes, the US is micromanaging Haiti.

Why you keep denying the obvious is unclear to me. The US response to Haiti was faster than it was to NOLA although it was exactly the same. Militarize the area and get to work on the contracts.

I have no idea what you are defending but you don't seem to have a good grip on our history in Haiti dating back to Jefferson or of our current objectives in Haiti which involves replacing US troops with private security companies whose entry fees to the bidding go right into the BushClinton fund.

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/03/03-4

[warm regards]

59. The Hugo Chavez wing...

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. Most of us who understood this

said such.

Oh wait, the chorus will follow shortly...

:popcorn:

[ConcernedCanuk]

4. USA running AWAY from OIL? - boggles the mind . . .

.
.
.

Haiti quake may have revealed oil reserves

A geologist, callous as it may seem, tracing that fault zone from Port-au-Prince to the border looking for gas and oil seeps, may find a structure that hasn't been drilled," said Pierce, exploration manager at Zion Oil & Gas, a Dallas-based company that's drilling in Israel. "A discovery could significantly improve the country's economy and stimulate further exploration."

Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive met Monday in Montreal with diplomats, including Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, to discuss redevelopment initiatives. Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon said wind power may play a role in rebuilding the Caribbean nation, where forests have been denuded for lack of fuel, the Canadian Press reported.

"Haiti, from the standpoint of oil and gas exploration, is a lot less developed than the Dominican Republic," Pierce said. "One could do a lot more work there.

More at >>
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2010898359_haitioil27.html
____________________________________________________________________

HEY Wait!

Turn them troops around already!

Let's build them an embassy, or sumthing?

[EFerrari]

10. Why use our troops when we can pay mercs?

Mercenaries Circling Haiti

by Bill Quigley

On March 9 and 10, there will be a Haiti conference in Miami for private military and security companies to showcase their services to governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working in the earthquake devastated country.

On their website for the Haiti conference, the trade group IPOA (ironically called the International Peace Operations Association until recently) lists eleven companies advertising security services explicitly for Haiti. Even though guns are illegal to buy or sell in Haiti, many companies brag of their heavy duty military experience.

Triple Canopy, a private military company with extensive security operations in Iraq and Israel, is advertising for business in Haiti. According to human rights activist and investigative reporter Jeremy Scahill, Triple Canopy took over the Xe/Blackwater security contract in Iraq in 2009. Scahill reports on a number of bloody incidents involving Triple Canopy including one where a team leader told his group, "I want to kill somebody today...because I am going on vacation tomorrow."

Another company seeking work is EODT Technology which promises in its ad that its personnel are licensed to carry weapons in Haiti. EODT has worked in Afghanistan since 2004 and provides security for the Canadian Embassy in South Africa. On their website they promise a wide range of security services including force protection, guard services, port security, surveillance, and counter IED response services.

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/03/03-4

[ConcernedCanuk]

61. Doesn't anyone see the insanity in the USA's military presence around the globe?

.
.
.

100 years ago they could get away with it

maybe even 50 years ago

BUT NOT NOW.

With the Internets, satellite phones and so on, anyone who is the least bit interested can discover the USA's proliferation of military bases and personnel around the globe.

USA has invaded the planet

The planet WILL fight back

And it's gonna be one unholy mess ...

Why can't the USA just stay home and protect it's shores and skies like the rest of the World?

[Snazzy]

11. no worries

some good Christians from Wyoming or Utah or somesuch (such as!) are going to adopt those oil fields. Fret not.

[ConcernedCanuk]

60. Hmmm - "Fret not" - my damm insane landlady stole my guitar

.
.
.

So my "frets" are not available . . .

And she's a USAmerican.

Good thing I lived in the USA in the past and I know she's not your typical citizen.

If she was the only USAmerican I knew, I'd hate y'all.

But I know better

Having lived in the States for over a year gives me a different perspective on the personalities of USAmericans.

But people like her give the USA a REALLY bad name if they haven't spent time with many of you.

I dunno what she intends to do with a 12-string guitar that she can't play,

But then the US Military has no idea how to use that War-Machine they got except to create more enemies

This single citizen of the USA seems to fall into that same stream . . .

What's wrong down there ????

[Plucketeer]

6. We should have made it clear to these folks that the US...

only stays for decades in countries where WE'VE caused the devastation. Hell, look how little we helped the whole gulf coast!

[Ex Lurker]

7. wait, I thought it was an occupation!

that's what some DU'ers wanted me to believe.

[Regret My New Name]

9. This thread should make for an interesting read tomorrow morning.

[2Design]

13. good - now maybe aid planes and help can get to the people and not be blocked anymore

[tabatha]

16. They were NOT blocked by the US.

The Haitain government and the UN were in charge.


JEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZ make stuff up !

ON edit: please provide real tangible evidence that the US did what you are alleging.

[EFerrari]

18. I'm sorry, that's simply wrong.

UPDATE 1-US takes control of Haiti airport to speed aid
Fri Jan 15, 2010 11:45pm EST


By Andrew Quinn and John Crawley

WASHINGTON, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Haiti gave the United States control of its main airport on Friday to bring order in the skies to aid flights from around the world and speed relief to the quake-traumatized Caribbean nation, the Obama administration said.

U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley told reporters that Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive signed a memorandum of understanding formally transferring operations at Toussaint L'Ouverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince.

"Obviously we will assume this responsibility as long as it's appropriate and to the point where the Haitian government is able and ready to resume that capability," Crowley said.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was due to visit Haiti on Saturday.

The modest airport became a bottleneck almost immediately after Tuesday's devastation as the world rushed help to the impoverished nation. Regional authorities believe as many as 200,000 people were killed in the quake.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1513622820100116

You seem to be interested in defending our forces but the thing is, they don't issue themselves orders.

[tabatha]

19. If you read my response.

I said the US did take over the airport (read it), but the Haitian government and UN decided which planes should land.
I heard that in an interview with a military person.
I'll see if I can find a link.

There is a difference between technical management and overall supervision.

[EFerrari]

23. You understand that no one here is attacking our service people, right?

[tabatha]

30. You are falsely accusing the US.

[EFerrari]

32. Really? What better information do you have?

Thanks!

[tabatha]

36. Try this:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100218/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/cb_haiti_who_landed

and this

http://news.lp.findlaw.com/ap_stories/i/1102/02-18-2010/20100218135007_083.html

[EFerrari]

44. From the link:

The Air Force did initially give priority to military units that were sent to secure the airport, distribute aid and keep the peace. But then it started taking flights according to a reservation system open to anyone.

Because of that, key aid was delayed in some cases while less-critical flights got in.

[2Design]

20. doctors without borders could not land their second plane and were turned away

other countries complained they could not land and were turned away - the military planes were landing and taking orphans and others out of the country regularly - this was on the news - sorry you missed it

[EFerrari]

24. Five planes was the last count before the media stopped covering it. n/t

[tabatha]

26. So where does one get the facts?

From flight logs themselves.

The logs, reviewed exclusively by The Associated Press, document who flew in before and after the U.S. Air Force assumed control of the landing strip that was the sole lifeline for relief. They largely disprove accusations from some humanitarian groups that the U.S. held up aid in favor of military flights.

....


As of Jan. 18, the U.N. World Food Program was put in charge of assigning landing times for non-governmental organizations.

http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=68147

[2Design]

49. watching and reading in the first days before the news is sanitized -

not having water to everyone in the first days was unacceptable while all the photo ops happened and news crews went every where AGAIN like katrina - not sure what you vested interest is in defending this horrific response in the vital first days but the circumstances stink

[ManiacJoe]

28. The problem with the DWoB was that they

did not like waiting in line for their turn like everyone else.

[EFerrari]

31. Does that also apply to all the other entities that reported the same problem?

Okay.

[ManiacJoe]

50. Yes, it does.

According to the media reports, the US military was doing a great job of maximizing the through put with the minimal resources available. Unfortunately, no group likes to be told that they are not the most important group. All of the high priority flights were rotated in as each turn became available.

[EFerrari]

53. Gotcha. The groups that were bringing in aid were annoyed

that they had to wait for our security deployment to secure the same Haiti that Amy Goodman and the kid that is her producer roamed safely and at will for a week reporting.

[ManiacJoe]

58. Not even close...

The groups were annoyed that each had to wait its turn while the other groups got their turn. Feel free to review the previous threads and news reports.

[2Design]

47. This was in the first day or two - not later - this same crap happened

with katrina - people were kept out - people with small boats wanted to help but Homeland Security blocked people

There was no reason to not have water to these people on the first flights - there were planes coming in but nothing going out to the people until they were ravenous and downright starving and dying from lack of water and food.

[xxqqqzme]

21. Sean Penn was talking about

this very thing on Bill Maher during last Friday's program. He said w/ the rainy season starting, the need for facilities - waste disposal - was greater than ever. With the onset of rain, the occurrence of disease rises sharply and there are not adequate medical venues for the homeless population.

[EFerrari]

25. Damn, I wish I could see that.

Good for Sean Penn.

[tabatha]

27. See #26.

And try acquainting yourself with some facts for a change.

[EFerrari]

29. You don't get facts from a Pentagon PR rag. So sorry. n/t

[WriteDown]

33. For facts you need a blog! nt

[tabatha]

35. I happen to find AP reports reasonably credible.

The AP report NOT THE BLOG reported on airport logs.

How difficult is that to comprehend?

[WriteDown]

38. You missed it.

:)

[tabatha]

39. see this

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100218/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/cb_haiti_who_landed

[WriteDown]

40. You missed it again.

Didn't think I needed to add the sarcasm icon for something so blatant.

[tabatha]

43. Missed what?

I don't get it.

[WriteDown]

48. The sarcasm.

I blame myself in these occasions.

[Robb]

37. DUzy! nt

[tabatha]

41. It was reported in numeous places as wellas that blog

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100218/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/cb_haiti_who_landed

http://news.lp.findlaw.com/ap_stories/i/1102/02-18-2010/20100218135007_083.html

And the fact remains:

The logs, reviewed exclusively by The Associated Press, document who flew in before and after the U.S. Air Force assumed control of the landing strip that was the sole lifeline for relief. They largely disprove accusations from some humanitarian groups that the U.S. held up aid in favor of military flights.

By the way, the blog was reporting an AP story !

[Robb]

46. Oh, I agree with you.

...Doesn't make what he wrote any less funny, tho'. :D

[tabatha]

34. You're doing it again.

You are judging by smearing.

Did you by any chance notice that the article was reporting on an AP FINDING!

It was not their report ---- it was an AP report.

Get it ?

Can you even venture beyond the gates of your biases?

[EFerrari]

42. Really? Then why was this agreement necessary?

UN: US-run airport in Haiti to give aid planes, not US military, priority landing rights

ROME (AP) — The U.N. food agency reached an agreement Monday with the U.S.-run airport in the Haitian capital to give aid flights priority in landing — a deal that came after the U.S. military was criticized for giving top billing to military and rescue aircraft.

At an emergency meeting in Brussels, meanwhile, the European Union's 27 nations pledged more than euro400 million ($575 million) to help quake survivors and rebuild the Caribbean nation after last week's massive earthquake.

The United States has taken over the Port-au-Prince airspace and incoming flights have to register with the Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida.

But an air slot system similar to one used during the Indonesian tsunami emergency and the Pakistan earthquake has been established to make sure that planes carrying food and medicine get priority in landing, World Food Program executive director Josette Sheeran told reporters.

http://74.6.146.127/search/cache?ei=UTF-8&p=US+turning+away+aid+flights+Haiti&rd=pref&xa=Fzo58TWzrQGjC.bzThsCGg--%2C1268164220&fr=yfp-t-701&u=www.kfor.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-haiti-aid%2C0%2C6660689.story&w=us+turning+away+aid+flights+flight+haiti&d=V-h2Kqm4UPlY&icp=1&.intl=us&sig=T0evc2o8WYV4Jcn.ji9Lbw--

The story has been scrubbed but it's still cached. (Note to Pentagon: nice try)

[tabatha]

45. Note, it was the AP not the Pentagon.

And you report is correct - that is what I heard a military person say in an interview on TV, that the UN decided who should land and who should not.

Thanks for confirming.

Edit --- and it kinds of goes against your claim that the US essentially runs the UN, which you followed by a question about did I know what I saw saying?

[EFerrari]

52. I really don't know how to respond to you.

The AP's reports do not come down on stone tablets from a mountain top. They have been caught many times distributing pure bs. They aggregate stories from our largely right wing, corporate run media.

And we do run the UN for the most part which is why the right wing's hatred of the UN is so hilarious.

[tabatha]

54. But, in this particular case

the UN took over from the US according to your own report, or was that report questionable, too.

If you think that the UN is 100% controlled by the US at all times, then you are delusional.

[EFerrari]

57. Okay.

[Renew Deal]

51. That stinks. I was looking forward to visiting the great state of Haiti

:silly: