Number of U.S. Marines in Haiti could reach 2,000, Pentagon says

[lebkuchen]

The U.S. military presence in Haiti could reach 2,000 troops as the Caribbean island nation struggles to rebuild its government, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Monday.

On Sunday, President Bush sent in a contingent of U.S. Marines to be the “leading element of a multinational interim force” until the United Nations establishes a peacekeeping force.

The initial contingent of Marines, from Camp Lejeune, N.C., made their way Sunday night to the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince to secure key U.S. sites, such as the U.S. Embassy and the city’s airport.

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How long U.S. forces will stay in country depends on how the country’s security and stability, how quickly an effective government can be established, and how quickly the other nations who have pledged support can ante up their forces, Rumsfeld said.


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Both he and Myers refused to discuss whether the Marines will protect Haitians or their property from looters or from Haitian-on-Haitian crimes, such as revenge killings.



http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=20785

Color Americans "uncomfortable" with this charade. Poll numbers should start dropping drastically.