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US accused of 'occupying' Haiti as troops flood in | |||||
2010-01-19 | |||||
France accused the US of "occupying" Haiti on Monday as thousands of American troops flooded into the country to take charge of aid efforts and security.
Geneva-based charity Medecins Sans Frontieres backed his calls saying hundreds of lives were being put at risk as planes carrying vital medical supplies were being turned away by American air traffic controllers.
The diplomatic row came amid heightened frustrations that hundreds of tons of aid was still not getting through. Charities reported violence was also worsening as desperate Haitians took matters into their own hands.
While food and water was gradually arriving at the makeshift camps which have sprung up around the city, riots have broken out in other areas where supplies have still not materialised. Haiti was occupied by the US between 1915 and 1935, and historical sensitivities together with friction with other countries over the relief effort has made the Americans cautious about their role in the operation. American military commanders have repeatedly stressed that they are not entering the country as an occupying force. US soldiers in Port-au-Prince said they had been told to be discreet about how they carry their M4 assault rifles. A paratrooper sergeant said they were authorised to use "deadly force" if they see anyone's life in danger but only as a "last resort". Capt John Kirby, a spokesman for the joint task force at the airport, said the US recognised it was only one of a number of countries contributing to a UN-led mission. He also emphasised the US troops, which he said would rise to 10,000 by Wednesday would principally be assisting in humanitarian relief and the evacuation of people needing medical attention. The main responsibility for security rests with the UN, which is to add a further 3,000 troops to its force of 9,000.
He played down the threat of violence, saying: "What we're seeing is that there are isolated incidents of violence and some pockets where it's been more restive, but overall it's calm." | |||||
Posted by:Steve White |
#14 I, for one, breathlessly await the arrival of the Charles DeGaulle to help with the rescue and recovery efforts. It will be nice to have sophisticated people running this show instead of a bunch of gun-clingin', Bible-totin' rednecks. It is coming, right? |
Posted by: Cornsilk Blondie 2010-01-19 18:01 |
#13 It takes a lot of weapons to do good works (as Richard the Lionhearted could have told us). And this is not just a Somali problem. We have poverty and deprivation in our own country. Try standing unarmed on a street corner in Compton handing out twenty-dollar bills and see how long you last. P J O Rourke |
Posted by: Phavirt Bonaparte8262 2010-01-19 16:57 |
#12 So joyandt is pissy because he couldn't get his flight of French citizens out of country when he promised. And the un is contributing one word per casualty for their narrative spinning their imputence as caused by the USA. Is MSF coordinating, or just flying planes towards PaP and demanding to land? After the Greensburg tornado there was a call to help answered across the state, especially at the university towns...they were turned back because the last thing needed was a thousand untrained people showing up without warning with no supplies, getting in the way. Has mr. joyandet walked out of the wire without protection? Mission Envy. And envy is such a low emotion, especially during a disaster. France and the UN had their chance after the aristide deal, and personally thought they should all go fornicate a power outlet after that turd in the thank you envelope, but people need help and in this part of the world that means that means hanging up the grievences and getting it done. Sorry if these governing bodies do not understand so I'll put it in terms they use...its a cultural thing, so respect our culture to help an immediate neighbor. Wanna help, great, but stop trying to be the BDOC, quit'cha bitchn' and start coordinating. It is nice to see a gently-put ROE outline. Its why the police go to fires, to make sure the scene is secure so that the firefighters can work a scene already dangerous without having to worry about spectator interference and such. |
Posted by: swksvolFF 2010-01-19 11:43 |
#11 France can shut the hell up. Tout suite. |
Posted by: mojo 2010-01-19 10:46 |
#10 Lead, follow, or get the hell out of the way. |
Posted by: Procopius2k 2010-01-19 09:44 |
#9 As my Mom would say: "Sit down and shut up." |
Posted by: Parabellum 2010-01-19 08:20 |
#8 Cheese eating surrender monkeys like a good whine with their snails when they feel "usurped". Its a problem of ego bashing, they cant handle it . |
Posted by: Oscar 2010-01-19 08:20 |
#7 Gee I wonder what is more efficient, a civvie cargo plane with 20 tons that takes hours on the tarmac to unload or a C-17 with 50 tons that can be unloaded in 20 minutes via drive-in forklift? And let the rest of the world handle the next natural disaster. Americans are pooped out. We'll just stand on the side lines sniping at every little imagined grievance. |
Posted by: ed 2010-01-19 07:31 |
#6 Well, someone has to do it since the Useless Nitwits ain't. Fuck you France, and fuck you UN. You are all worthless. |
Posted by: DarthVader 2010-01-19 07:28 |
#5 Well if anyone knows about occupying Haiti it would be the French. pheucking hypocrites |
Posted by: Beavis 2010-01-19 05:40 |
#4 OTOH TOPIX > WILL HAITI BECOME ISLAMIZED? Fear of many of Haiti's mostly Christian refugees turning Muslim due to Islam-intensive prosletyzing by the heavily Muslim Govt-State of Senegal once the former are allowed to temporarily resettle there??? |
Posted by: JosephMendiola 2010-01-19 02:02 |
#3 Who the hell would want to occupy Haiti? What? We want to steal all their Voodoo? |
Posted by: CrazyFool 2010-01-19 01:24 |
#2 The US is not in Haiti because we want to. We are actually kinda booked up right now, so STFU Alain and help unload those planes if you got nothing to do while you wait for your clearance to GTFO. |
Posted by: Alaska Paul 2010-01-19 00:59 |
#1 France accused the US of "occupying" Haiti on Monday as thousands of American troops flooded into the country to take charge of aid efforts and security. No, France/UN. It's called "Gettin' 'er dun." Something you aren't all that used to. |
Posted by: gorb 2010-01-19 00:34 |