Haiti: While Americans Approve of Longer Stay, U.S. Military Envisage Exit
Jan 26th, 2010 | 10 responses
As the number of U.S. troops arriving in Haiti was quickly mounting during the early days of the humanitarian relief effort, there were scattered wails that the U.S. was invading and trying to occupy that country.
Those who had such worries may want to read recent reports where some officials with extensive experience in humanitarian relief and peacekeeping now express concern that “the troops, ships and helicopters will leave too soon, before security is reestablished.”
The Miami Herald points to the fact that with ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, “the Obama administration has little appetite for an extended military mission in the Caribbean.”
According to Andrew Natsios, who led the U.S. AID from 2001 to 2005, ”The risk is the opposite: that they will leave too quickly, and we will have chaos…They’ve got their hands full in Iraq, Afghanistan-Pakistan. The U.S. military does not want to do this, in terms of anything beyond the humanitarian response.”
As the number of U.S. military on land and offshore approach 18,000, plans are already being formulated for their gradual departure and for turning over the task of recovery and rebuilding to United Nations agencies and other organizations and private groups.
Surprisingly, there are still some doubters and naysayers.
For example, according to the Miami Herald, Elizabeth Harris, an expert on humanitarian issues at the Brookings Institution, says that the U.S. military role in Haiti is “still not clear” to her and asks whether there are plans for the U.S. military to “exit in a reasonable period of time,” once international and nongovernment agencies stand up their operations.
Perhaps the words of a senior State Department official quoted by the Herald might provide a clue. The official said that the chances of Somalia-like “mission creep,” with U.S. forces staying in Haiti as political arbiters, “are zero. . . . What’s the strategic rationale?”
In the meantime, the U.S. military continue to do their job rebuilding roads and water and electrical systems—rebuilding Haiti’s badly damaged infrastructure. Back home, according to a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll released yesterday, “more than six out of 10 Americans believe U.S. troops and relief workers should remain in Haiti until life is more or less back to normal.”
10 Responses to “Haiti: While Americans Approve of Longer Stay, U.S. Military Envisage Exit”
Reading the roundup of news about Haiti, there appears to be a consensus that, while there have been a few isolated incidents, the primary concerns of Haiti are not about Security.
Damned if you do and damned if you don't. Some people just want to hate us. Best to get used to it.
Perhaps american people could be the best helpers : they 've got a great Haïtian community, and are nearer (than other rich countries).
Four days ago, I've saw on TV the french ambassador saying they weren't riots in Port-au-Prince.
About the prisoners escaped from the jail, they seems to feel more concerned about their families and relationships, trying to survive too.
Difficult to know what 's the best for haïtian people, better to see soldiers than nothing (?). But I'm sure that J. Travolta has nothing to do there.
aficionadaa,
It is good to see your comment again at The Moderate Voice. The American people have been very generous in their giving to help the people of Haiti. This is in addition to the help sent from our government.
Security, crime and riots are not a problem now. But this will be a long recovery process. There is much devastation in Haiti in addition to the country's chronic poverty. Security problems may still arise, though I hope they do not.
Looks to me that the Haitians will be getting more discretionary spending that we will. Hope they save a few of those tents and food packs for us because we are going to crap loads of them.
Hi Tidbits !
Lot of things to read since September. Today on tv, they said the recovery would take 10 years min … First, it would be great if the survivors could stay alive and receive what they need.
(late here)
Next Haitian government officials will be saying: “Just give us money”.
The up side: Zurich bankers will start smiling again.
It would be remarkable if actual proof of US public interest in a long-term or indefinite stay or in grandiose idealistic dreams of a “new Haiti” were actually provided somewhere, sometime.
I wonder if all the effort being put into grand schemes for Haiti will be even bigger and worse than what the Dems tried to do this past year here in the States, which repelled everyone but the left fringe.
The prosperous European socio-economic model will work just as well for us as it does for the Europeans. Especially since 4 to 6 of European nations have higher standards of living than we do. It is only generous to wish this same prosperity on Haiti. You are very hateful and deceptive DLS. You really shouldn’t be that way. It will harm your cause in the end.
“You are very hateful and deceptive[,] DLS.”
You may actually believe this, of all things.