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Saturday, June 26, 2010
Copper price rising after Chile quake
SANTIAGO–Major copper mines slowly resumed operations on Sunday after central Chile suffered an earthquake that limited power supplies, which analysts fear could curtail exports by the No. 1 producer.
Ricardo Alvarez, manager at Chile's fourth-largest mine, El Teniente, said the recovery pace of output would depend on the electricity supply, which was partial.
Alvarez said the mine could slow extraction if power lags.
Copper prices surged in early trading Monday on supply worries caused by the 8.8 quake in Chile, jumping 5.6 per cent on the London Metal Exchange.
The tremor killed hundreds, with death tolls climbing, most of them south of the northern mine zone that forced Codelco to shut El Teniente and its Andina copper mine.
Production resumed at Anglo-American Los Bronces copper mine, union leader Eduardo Rocco said.
An Anglo American spokesman said there were no initial reports of major damage at the two mines, which together produce some 280,000 tonnes a year.
Chile's biggest mines produce a third of the world's copper.
Analysts feared supply disruptions from mid-sized deposits nearer Santiago would stoke prices.
Anglo American and Codelco halted output at four mines in total.
Source:
Ricardo Alvarez, manager at Chile's fourth-largest mine, El Teniente, said the recovery pace of output would depend on the electricity supply, which was partial.
Alvarez said the mine could slow extraction if power lags.
Copper prices surged in early trading Monday on supply worries caused by the 8.8 quake in Chile, jumping 5.6 per cent on the London Metal Exchange.
The tremor killed hundreds, with death tolls climbing, most of them south of the northern mine zone that forced Codelco to shut El Teniente and its Andina copper mine.
Production resumed at Anglo-American Los Bronces copper mine, union leader Eduardo Rocco said.
An Anglo American spokesman said there were no initial reports of major damage at the two mines, which together produce some 280,000 tonnes a year.
Chile's biggest mines produce a third of the world's copper.
Analysts feared supply disruptions from mid-sized deposits nearer Santiago would stoke prices.
Anglo American and Codelco halted output at four mines in total.
Source:
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Monday, March 1, 2010
Chile earthquake: Santiago airport remains closed as tour operators cancel holidays
The epicentre of the quake, which measured 8.8 on the Richter Scale and struck in the early hours of Saturday was some 30 miles off Chile's coast. The cities of Concepcion, Talca and the capital Santiago have seen the worst damage with 700 people already confirmed dead, a number that is expected to rise say Chilean officials.
Hundreds of thousands of people in 53 countries were evacuated from their homes and millions more put on alert after a tsunami from the quake raced across the Pacific.
Split in two: A damaged apartment block in Concepcion, Chile, after Saturday's earthquake
The FCO website is advising that the regions of Maule and Biobio are currently 'states of catastrophe' and should be avoided by travellers. Phone links to The British Embassy in Santiago are down and Britons in Chile are being asked to 'follow the advice of the local authorities'.
Those due to travel to the country this week have been forced to change their plans as much of Chile's infrastructure, particularly south of Santiago, has been damaged with transport links, including the Pan-American Highway, severely affected.
The country has long been popular with independent travellers and backpackers with around 65,000 Britons visiting Chile every year.
The main gateway for flights, Santiago Airport, has been closed since the earthquake but there are reports that it may reopen later today. Iberia and LAN Chile, which both fly from the UK to Santiago via Madrid, have suspended flights as has American Airlines which flies from Miami.
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Fears for two British couples as death toll from Chile quake reaches 700
Frances Tuke of ABTA, The Travel Association said: "As far as we know there are only a few hundred Britons currently on holiday in Chile and our members are all reporting that they're safe and well in their hotels."
Adventure tour operator Explore has cancelled a 16-day 'Atacama to Paine' itinerary and elsewhere, cruises to the Galapagos Islands were also disrupted as the threat of a tsunami prevented boats from landing or anchoring off the islands.
Although aftershocks are still being felt across southern Chile, a giant tidal wave which could have spread as far as Australia, Hawaii, Philippines and Russia hasn't materialised although large waves have hit - amateur video footage taken in Hawaii shows a beach being flooded.
Fears were growing for four British backpackers missing in Chile as the death toll from the massive earthquake doubled to more than 700.
Kirsty Duff and Dave Sandercock were on a surfing holiday round South America but have not been heard from since Thursday. They were in Pichilemu, a surf resort about three hours from Santiago, when it was rocked by the quake.
Missing: Kirsty Duff and Dave Sandercock both arrived in the surfing town of Pichilemu last week and have not contacted family since the quake
Kirsty’s cousin Clare Slipper, 19, said: 'We have not heard from them since Thursday. They arrived in Chile three weeks ago from Peru, and were living in the town, which is between the two cities badly affected by the earthquake.
'They are both really into surfing and had been travelling and they had went there to surf. The good news is there have been no reported fatalities or casualties in the town.
'But it has been quite badly damaged and because we have not heard from them the family is getting worried. We are just waiting to hear from the British Embassy just now in case there has been any news.'
Another couple, Andre Lanyon from Guernsey and Laura Hapgood, both 29, also went to Pichilemu on Friday.
For more information on the Chile earthquake, visit www.fco.gov.uk or call the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on +44 207 008 0000
Source:dailymail.co.uk/
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Flooding in the southwest, in and around Haiti's third-biggest city of Les Cayes
A massive tent city was huddled back there, he said, as large as a couple of football fields and an absolute breeding ground of disease and desperation. So how could the inhabitants be singing?
“It was late at night, every night, between about 10 and 11 p.m., and in the morning, too. I thought, ‘My God, these people just lived through an earthquake.’ The resilience of the people was incredible to me.”
Equally incredible, though, was the poverty.
“The people of Haiti had nothing before this earthquake, and the earthquake wiped them out,” he said.
Pinney, a Hockinson resident and retired emergency room physician, traveled to Haiti in early February as part of an effort by Project Helping Hands, a growing nonprofit organization that started in Keizer, Ore. Medical professionals pay their own way to hot spots around the globe where they can set up charity clinics.
“We have a lot of people with great talent and big hearts who are willing to give up their time and their own funds to go on these trips,” he said.
Pinney said Project Helping Hands has recently grown to the point where it needs a board of directors — which he has joined. The group is nonpolitical and nonreligious, he said.
He’s been to Bolivia twice in recent years, he said, and when word spread that Project Helping Hands would head for Haiti in the aftermath of the Jan. 12 earthquake, he was eager to join that expedition, too. Twenty people went, he said — 10 from the Portland area and 10 more from elsewhere around the nation.
The group flew American Airlines, he said, which was kind enough to waive a $100-per-piece luggage fee for many plastic tubs of medical supplies being brought into Haiti.
They flew into the Dominican Republic on Feb. 6 and took a 10-hour van ride across the island, past the national border into Haiti and Port-au-Prince, the capital city and epicenter of the earthquake.
“As you cross the border, the difference between the Dominican Republic and Haiti is night and day,” he said. “Suddenly it’s all rutted roads and gravel and people living under tarps by the side of the road.” His sense was that this was partially earthquake aftermath, he said, but partially the underlying state of poverty of Haitian society.
“We got into Port-au-Prince. Man, it was like a war zone,” he said. “The buildings were all just completely collapsed and there’s no equipment, nothing to clean up the mess. There’s been very little work to reclaim all this. The rubble is just sitting there.”
He added that the government offered food vouchers to encourage people to clean up the rubble and sort it into collectable piles. “It was beginning to look somewhat better.”
Eventually, the Project Helping Hands group reached Port-au-Prince and the compound of its host, a Christian group called One World Mission. The accommodations were reasonably comfortable — real rooms, real beds, even a swimming pool. And just over the compound wall were thousands of people who had nothing but their prayers.
“They were living under tarps held up by sticks,” he said. “When they had homes, at least they had places to go to the bathroom. Now they didn’t even have that. It was very heart-wrenching.”
Injuries and poverty
The Project Helping Hands team set up a clinic in a rocky courtyard next to a dilapidated home, Pinney said. Out front was a triage nurse and an interpreter. Inside was a pharmacy tent, an intravenous treatment tent and a supply tent. Patients would line up outside, talk to the nurse and interpreter, and gain admittance to the help within.
“We put out that we needed interpreters, and of course the local folks are all looking for ways to make money,” Pinney said. “We ended up with 10 interpreters who stayed with us.”
While the medical team saw its fair share of festering earthquake wounds and injuries that had never received proper treatment, Pinney said, more of the ailments it faced were the ongoing, grinding effects of poverty and hunger — easy to treat in the short term but tough to prevent without a wholesale shift in conditions.
Uncontrolled high blood pressure. Untreated diabetes, both adult and juvenile-onset. Ear infections. Scabies and fungal infections — and secondary infections that festered after the primary ones were left untreated. Malnutrition and even typhoid — a disease that can rage where conditions are unsanitary.
“I’ve never seen it in this country,” Pinney said during a telephone interview from his Hockinson home. “But the streets are littered and the water isn’t clean.”
Lack of clean water and hygiene also had the Project Helping Hands seeing plenty of vaginal infections in young girls — not to mention the evidence of sex trafficking and rape.
“There was a girl who was repeatedly raped by a local boy and treated like a slave by her aunt,” Pinney said. “We were able to get her out of that situation.”
All in all, he said, the clinic treated more than 250 people per day — 30 percent to 35 percent of them younger than 18. It amounted to more than 1,400 people over the course of four whole days and two half days.
“There were so many ‘thank yous’ and smiles and ‘God bless yous,’” Pinney said. “It was very rewarding to see how grateful they were for what we did.”
He added that Project Helping Hands apparently scored points for cultural sensitivity — which is part of what had them invited back by One World Mission.
In contrast, one church-sponsored clinic appeared to be interested in treating large numbers of people quickly and in proselytizing, he said. Another faith-based clinic decided to shrug off an official nationwide period of mourning and remembrance one Friday morning; Pinney said that group prayed together and decided God was on their side.
“Their interpreter just went ballistic. He wouldn’t work for them,” Pinney said.
The Project Helping Hands group, by contrast, took its time and talked at some length with each patient. Its host, One World Mission, guaranteed it continuing space and opportunities. “We’re going to have a regular presence in Haiti once or twice a year from now on,” Pinney said.
Pinney said he wanted to thank several generous donors to the Project Helping Hands mission to Haiti, including Lacamas Medical Clinic, which donated $1,000 in equipment, and Hockinson Middle School, which raised $6,300. He will be speaking to a school assembly, and presenting a slide show, at 9 a.m. Thursday.
“I was very impressed by the enormity of the response to Haiti by the people of the world and the people in this country,” he said.
But he won’t be going back to Haiti. Next stop is an orphanage in western Kenya, he said.
“I have always wanted to do this,” said Pinney, 60. “Now that I’ve retired, my skills have given me the opportunity to do something good. It’s been very exciting and very fulfilling.”
Source:columbian.co
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
US troops secure Haiti presidential palace, hospital
PORT-AU-PRINCE — US troops descended by helicopter to take control of Haiti's ruined presidential palace Tuesday, AFP reporters saw, as the military earthquake relief operation gathered pace.
Paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne division arrived in at least four choppers to secure the executive mansion, a once elegant white building in the devastated city center, now surrounded by a vast refugee camp.
From the palace, a 100-strong infantry company headed on foot to the city's general hospital, swamped with injured left behind by last week's catastrophic earthquake, which the Haitian government says killed at least 70,000.
"We are here to provide security to the hospital. We work with the government of Haiti. We have rules of engagement, but we are on a humanitarian mission," Sergeant Bill Smith told AFP.
The arrival was the most spectacular deployment so far in the US military's operation to bring relief to Port-au-Prince, but was not welcomed by some in the crowd who saw the arrival as an affront to Haitian sovereignty.
"I haven't seen the Americans in the streets giving out water and food, but now they come to the palace," said Wilson Guillaume, as some of the homeless living rough in the Champ de Mars square before the palace shouted abuse.
"It's an occupation. The palace is our power, our face, our pride," said Feodor Desanges.
While most Haitians have welcomed the international intervention, there is mounting frustration as what many see as the slow pace of moves to provide food and shelter to the homeless, and looting has broken out.
While army paratroopers took charge of key downtown sites, Marines were landing southwest of the city to link up with UN peacekeepers and prepare to land a larger flow of troops and equipment, a US military official said.
Source:AFP
Canada sending money, troops to assist in Haiti
International Co-operation Minister Bev Oda announced the additional funding for emergency food, water, sanitation, medical treatment, shelter and protection of vulnerable people. That brings the federal commitment to $135 million, including up to $50 million in matching funds for public donations to registered relief organizations. Prime Minister Stephen Harper said public donations exceed $30 million so far.
Canadian Forces personnel set to work in Jacmel, delivering food, water and medical assistance from HMCS Halifax offshore and through the DART — disaster assistance response team — which travelled from Port-au-Prince. The first soldiers also began arriving at the Jacmel airport.
"The first soldiers from Quebec, part of the 3rd Battalion, Royal 22nd Regiment, are already on the ground and hundreds more are en route as we speak," army chief Lt.-Gen. Andrew Leslie said in an interview. By midnight Tuesday, he said, 1,000 Canadian Forces personnel and other Canadian officials will be in Haiti to help in the aftermath of the earthquake a week ago that has left tens of thousands of Haitians without homes or basic necessities.
"The environment is devastating," Leslie said. "All those poor people, with literally tens of thousands of dead, clamouring for help and support, the security situation is problematic, the distribution of humanitarian supplies is getting better with our presence, but where we're not — we being the international community and those who can help — it's very problematic."
Leslie said Canada is sending a shipload of heavy engineering equipment and heavy vehicles to Haiti on Thursday from Quebec and Canada is working with the U.S. government on getting the deepwater port of Port-au-Prince reopened so the equipment can be brought to shore.
"The big issue is the port," he said. He said the equipment will be brought ashore somehow. The Americans have amphibious assault craft that can carry heavy equipment but Canadians don't, he said.
Oda said the lion's share of the new funds, $60 million, is in response to a United Nations appeal for money for basic supplies and services. Another $11.5 million will go to non-government organizations such as CARE, Medecins du Monde, Save the Children, Oxfam Quebec, the Canadian Red Cross Society, the Centre for International Studies and Co-operation and World Vision. Another $8.5 million is in response to an appeal from the International Federation of the Red Cross to pay for emergency help to an estimated 300,000 people.
"We are committed to playing a significant role in responding to the impact of this disaster, not only in these early days of rescue and relief operations, but also in addressing longer-term recovery and reconstruction needs," Oda said.
The relief funds are separate from what the military costs will total. Defence Minister Peter MacKay had no information about the military price tag when asked at a news conference Tuesday.
Leslie said the focus now is getting the job done.
"We go into crisis mode and we are absolutely focused like a laser beam on saving lives and getting as many of our troops there as we possibly can," he said. "We'll worry about the money in a couple of weeks."
The number of missing Canadians had gone down to 699 by Tuesday morning.
Source:canada.com/
Haiti Relief Comes Rolling in From Banks
Several banks, large and small, responded quickly to the tragic Haitian earthquake by pledging money directly or setting up funds through which customers and employees can contribute.
Through Monday, at least 24 institutions and financial services firms had pledged more than $14 million in aid to Haiti after the Jan. 12 quake that killed up to 200,000 people and left at least 1.5 million homeless, according to reports.
“The recent earthquake in Haiti has caused unprecedented devastation and tragic loss of life, and at U.S. Bank we understand how important it is for us to step up and provide financial assistance in support of the relief efforts,” said Richard K. Davis, president and CEO of U.S. Bancorp, in a statement.
Meanwhile, as donations from the U.S. poured in, news emerged this week in the UK that millions of donations to Haitian refugees were being held up because of glitches with banks’ anti-fraud software, which often block out-of-norm payments of credit and debit-card holders. The BBC noted that banks sometimes halt payments to charities because a standard tactic by card thieves is to test stolen cards with charity organizations to see if the card has been reported lost. An HSBC spokesman told BBC Radio 4’s Money Box that the “vast majority” of Haitian donations have gone through. For more on that story, click on http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8463286.stm
Here’s a partial list of financial institutions that have made donations to the earthquake relief effort:
Deutsche Bank: $4 million through AmeriCares, Doctors Without Borders, Oxfam America and Partners in Health. The donations came from all of its US agency equity trading commissions on Friday.
Citigroup: $2 million to American Red Cross and other local organizations involved in reconstruction efforts.
Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs: $1 million each.
Bank of America: $1 million to victims of the earthquake, as well as a $500,000 grant to the Haitian Relief and Development Fund.
JPMorgan Chase & Co: $1 million in company and employee contributions, which will include funds for Red Cross and CARE.
Jefferies: $1 million of Friday’s net commissions to the Red Cross, Unicef, Save the Children and the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund.
State Street: A $400,000 grant through the State Street Foundation’s Disaster Relief Emergency Assistance Fund to Oxfam America’s Haiti Earthquake Response Fund. Also matching employee contributions through Oxfam America and global Oxfam chapters up to $100,000.
Harris Bank/BMO Financial Group: $250,000, as well as waiving fees on sending drafts and fund transfers to relief efforts.
Visa, MasterCard and American Express: Each pledged between $200,000-$250,000, as well as a waiver on interchange fees for donations. Discover donated $100,000, as well as pledging $1 million through a card-member matching program.
BBVA Compass: Up to $100,000 in dollar-for-dollar matches to customer contributions.
New York Life Insurance Co.: $100,000 the Red Cross, plus another $150,000 in matching employee contributions.
Northern Trust: Pledged $250,000 in aid to the Red Cross.
US Bancorp, M&T Bank, TD Bank and Wells Fargo & Co: $100,000 each to the Red Cross.
Astoria Federal Savings: $25,000 to the Red Cross, and up to $25,000 in matching contributions through February from customers at its branches in New York. Astoria will also match two-for-one on each dollar contributed by its employees, up to $5,000.
Both The State Bank and Park State Bank & Trust in Colorado are teaming with mobile transactions firm Bling Nation to donate 1 percent of all mobile transactions to the Salvation Army for 30 days.
Northfield Bank Foundation (NY): $25,000 to the American Red Cross International Response Fund.
Source:americanbanker.com/
Through Monday, at least 24 institutions and financial services firms had pledged more than $14 million in aid to Haiti after the Jan. 12 quake that killed up to 200,000 people and left at least 1.5 million homeless, according to reports.
“The recent earthquake in Haiti has caused unprecedented devastation and tragic loss of life, and at U.S. Bank we understand how important it is for us to step up and provide financial assistance in support of the relief efforts,” said Richard K. Davis, president and CEO of U.S. Bancorp, in a statement.
Meanwhile, as donations from the U.S. poured in, news emerged this week in the UK that millions of donations to Haitian refugees were being held up because of glitches with banks’ anti-fraud software, which often block out-of-norm payments of credit and debit-card holders. The BBC noted that banks sometimes halt payments to charities because a standard tactic by card thieves is to test stolen cards with charity organizations to see if the card has been reported lost. An HSBC spokesman told BBC Radio 4’s Money Box that the “vast majority” of Haitian donations have gone through. For more on that story, click on http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8463286.stm
Here’s a partial list of financial institutions that have made donations to the earthquake relief effort:
Deutsche Bank: $4 million through AmeriCares, Doctors Without Borders, Oxfam America and Partners in Health. The donations came from all of its US agency equity trading commissions on Friday.
Citigroup: $2 million to American Red Cross and other local organizations involved in reconstruction efforts.
Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs: $1 million each.
Bank of America: $1 million to victims of the earthquake, as well as a $500,000 grant to the Haitian Relief and Development Fund.
JPMorgan Chase & Co: $1 million in company and employee contributions, which will include funds for Red Cross and CARE.
Jefferies: $1 million of Friday’s net commissions to the Red Cross, Unicef, Save the Children and the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund.
State Street: A $400,000 grant through the State Street Foundation’s Disaster Relief Emergency Assistance Fund to Oxfam America’s Haiti Earthquake Response Fund. Also matching employee contributions through Oxfam America and global Oxfam chapters up to $100,000.
Harris Bank/BMO Financial Group: $250,000, as well as waiving fees on sending drafts and fund transfers to relief efforts.
Visa, MasterCard and American Express: Each pledged between $200,000-$250,000, as well as a waiver on interchange fees for donations. Discover donated $100,000, as well as pledging $1 million through a card-member matching program.
BBVA Compass: Up to $100,000 in dollar-for-dollar matches to customer contributions.
New York Life Insurance Co.: $100,000 the Red Cross, plus another $150,000 in matching employee contributions.
Northern Trust: Pledged $250,000 in aid to the Red Cross.
US Bancorp, M&T Bank, TD Bank and Wells Fargo & Co: $100,000 each to the Red Cross.
Astoria Federal Savings: $25,000 to the Red Cross, and up to $25,000 in matching contributions through February from customers at its branches in New York. Astoria will also match two-for-one on each dollar contributed by its employees, up to $5,000.
Both The State Bank and Park State Bank & Trust in Colorado are teaming with mobile transactions firm Bling Nation to donate 1 percent of all mobile transactions to the Salvation Army for 30 days.
Northfield Bank Foundation (NY): $25,000 to the American Red Cross International Response Fund.
Source:americanbanker.com/
UN to send 3,500 more peacekeepers to Haiti
The UN Security Council agreed unanimously to the increase. The troops will bolster efforts by 7,000 UN peacekeepers and 2,000 police already there, to maintain security and support earthquake relief efforts.
Haitian officials are now saying the death toll from last week's earthquake will hit 200,000.
Some 70,000 bodies have now been recovered from the rubble and trucked off to mass graves. The latest casualty report from the European Commission, which cited Haitian government figures, doubled previous estimates of the dead, to approximately 200,000.
European Commission analysts estimate another 250,000 have been injured and a staggering 1.5 million are now homeless. Most of those are sleeping in the streets of the capital or trying to find transportation to get out to the countryside, where some hope food is easier to find.
For those who stay, accessing the aid that is being brought in is a huge challenge.
CTV's Tom Clark, reporting from Port-au-Prince, says the problem isn't a lack of aid, as it was in the early days of the quake aftermath -- now it's a matter of distribution.
About 100 aircraft a day, loaded with food, water and supplies, are now being allowed to land at the capital's only airport. They include huge Hercules C-130 and C-17 transport planes that are coming in around the clock, 24 hours a day.
As well, the U.S. military says it will begin using two additional airports to bring in aid in the coming days.: one in the town of Jacmel, where Canada's DART team has based its efforts; and another airfield in neighbouring Dominican Republic.
"So there's no shortage of aid arriving. The real problem is getting it out to the people," Clark told Canada AM Tuesday.
"I liken it to taking all that aid and getting it through the eye of a needle."
With the port in the capital blocked and badly damaged, distribution of supplies can only come through the city's lone airport.
Getting it out to the people from there is proving a further challenge. Most infrastructure is completely destroyed, and many roads are blocked and impassable, Clark says.
"And even if you get into the neighbourhoods, you have the problem of how do you distribute aid without causing a riot. That has already happened a few times here," he says.
The U.S. military tried to do an air drop of relief supplies from C-17 transport planes Monday, parachuting pallets of ready-to-eat meals to a secured area outside the city, rather than landing and unloading at the crowded airport.
"But that created a riot on the ground," says Clark. "Then they tried passing it out through iron gates. When they finally ran out, the mobs just broke down the gates and took the last of the stores.
"So there's a clash between the desperation, the need for help and the need for order."
United Nations relief agency officials said the security situation was largely under control and had not hampered distribution of food rations to 270,000 Haitians so far.
"The situation is tense but calm. Of course there are lootings because the population is on edge," Elisabeth Byrs, spokeswoman of the UN Office for the Coordination of humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), told Reuters in Geneva.
Still, there have been reports of outbreaks of violence. In the huge Cite Soleil slum, gangsters who escaped from the city's notorious main penitentiary are reportedly reassuming control. Police are urging citizens to take justice into their own hands.
"If you don't kill the criminals, they will all come back," Reuters reports a Haitian police officer shouted over a loudspeaker.
Nighttime is especially dangerous is some neighbourhoods, prompting some locals to carry machetes and travel in groups to fight bandits.
Medical relief workers say they are treating gunshot wounds in addition to broken bones, with many of those bullets coming form the same police forces charged with protecting citizens.
Clark reports that in some neighbourhoods, citizens have set up blockades at the ends of their streets, in an effort to prevent bandits from coming in.
United Nations Chief Ban Ki-moon says he had recommended to the Security Council that 1,500 police and 2,000 troops be added to the 9,000-member UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti, to provide further security.
Alain Le Roy, the UN peacekeeping chief, told reporters that the reason for more troops is three-fold: securing the humanitarian convoys; creating a "humanitarian corridor," and building a reserve force in case the situation "unravels" further, he said.
Clark says the key to keeping the lid on the violence is to get the food, water and supplies out to the people quickly.
"Everybody knows the consequences of not getting the food out and that's that you could reach a tipping point where desperation simply overwhelms the relief effort," he said.
Source:edmonton.ctv.ca/
Wyclef Jean Fights Tears at Yele Haiti Press Conference
As people continue to question Wyclef Jean's Yele Haiti foundation, the former Fugees member told reporters that while he made mistakes he didn't take any money.
"Yele's books are open and transparent, and we have been a clean bill of heath by an external auditor every year since we started," Jean said in a press conference on Monday. "On the books, it looks as though there was benefit, but there was not. It was done with the intent to do anything other than efficient."
As Spinner previously reported, the Smoking Gun published reports last week questioning the charity's finances. According to the site, Jean and his partner were paid for various administrative and production expenses. While Yele Haiti has so far raised over $2 million since the 7.0 earthquake that hit the country last week, Jean's fundraising efforts may be threatened because of the allegations.
"The Haitian on the ground of course are going to suffering, frustrated, violent," Jean said while fighting back tears. "I tell them I do not cry for myself that I cry for them."
However, the heated debate isn't stopping Jean from moving forward with his plans to help. He has called for an "exodus" from the capital city and asked for assistance in constructing massive tent communities to serve as a refuge for earthquake victims. "We need to migrate at least two million people in different parts outside of Port-au-Prince," he said. "And I give you my word. If I tell them to go, they will go. But they need somewhere to go to." Check out the video of the press conference below.
Source:spinner.com/
MTV to show Haiti benefit concert in UK
Featuring performances from Justin Timberlake and Alicia Keys, the two-hour telethon will be screened live from 0100 GMT on Saturday, 23 January.
It will then be repeated at 0900 GMT on Saturday morning.
Funds raised will go to Oxfam America, Red Cross, Unicef, Partners in Health and the Yele Haiti Foundation.
Performances are also due from Bono, Sting and Christina Aguilera.
Speaking ahead of the Golden Globes on Sunday, Clooney said more than 40 stars had already signed up to take part.
He added the aim of the event was to "to show the people of Haiti that the whole world is paying attention".
The actor will host the event with former Fugees star Wyclef Jean, who was born in Haiti.
In the US, the telethon is being screened without commercials on 11 channels, including the main broadcasters NBC, ABC and CBS
Source:bbc.co.uk
DFA: 28 more Pinoys safe, accounted for in Haiti
MANILA, Philippines – Twenty-eight more Filipinos are were found in safe condition following last week’s powerful earthquake that struck Haiti, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.
As this developed, Philippine Ambassador to Cuba, Macarthur Corsino and Vice Consul Jason Anasarias arrived in Haiti and are now coordinating with authorities to assist affected members of the Filipino community.
According to Corsino, many Filipinos would like to be repatriated to Manila. The ambassador was tasked to present a plan of action for the repatriation of Filipinos willing to return to Manila, as well as oversee the relief operations there.
Upon their arrival in Haiti, Corsino and Anasarias immediately established a task force which would assess the condition of Filipinos, ensure that food, water, shelter and medical supplies are available to them.
The Filipinos are grouped together in 4 “evacuation centers” — in Laplian, Delmas 31, Delmas 41/56, and Petionville. They have food and water supply, said the DFA.
The task force is set to visit other Filipino community groups in Haiti in the coming days to ascertain their condition.
Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Esteban Conejos is reportedly in talks with Labor and Employment Secretary Marianito Roque on the possibility of securing a chartered plane to fly the Filipinos home.
The DFA earlier said that 165 out of approximately 290 Filipino community members in Haiti were found to be safe and in good condition. The number does not include the 172 members of the Philippine Peacekeeping Contingent.
4 still trapped
As of latest, there are 2 Filipino peacekeepers trapped in the collapsed headquarters of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) and 2 Filipinas inside the Caribbean Supermarket.
Aside from the 4, the Philippine Peacekeeping Contingent and Filipino community leaders are not aware of other Filipinos still trapped or otherwise injured, the DFA added.
On Tuesday, the body of Filipino Navy Petty Officer Pearlie Panangui was recovered from the collapsed Christopher Hotel, bringing the total number of confirmed Filipino fatalities to 2.
Earlier, the DFA said that the body of Jerome Yap, a UN staff member, was recovered Monday.
Filipino community leader Tony Duran provided the task force the list of the 28 Filipinos.
The 28 Filipinos are as follows:
1. Benitez, Maria Liza
2. Bugayong, Paul
3. Buhayo Freddie R.
4. Buhayou Nelson S.
5. Buhayo, Ramon S.
6. Carvajal, Lucera
7. Cruz, Jovito
8. Duran, Adrian
9. Duran, Camilo
10. Ferdinand, Norluiz
11. Gevana, Danny
12. Labayen, Mary Grace
13. Laqueyun, Asley
14. Lazatin, Marlene
15. Lazatin, Michael
16. Marte, Emily
17. Mendez, Benito
18. Papasin, Rickson
19. Pastor, Ditas
20. Perez, Emmanuel
21. Pierre, Maria Teresa
22. Pretilla, Roberto
23. Rodriguez, Marivic
24. Torrizo, Rosalia
25. Torrizo, Victor
26. Villagracia, Art Raymond
27. Villagracia, Bernadette
28. Villagracia, Rey
Source:abs-cbnnews.com/
As this developed, Philippine Ambassador to Cuba, Macarthur Corsino and Vice Consul Jason Anasarias arrived in Haiti and are now coordinating with authorities to assist affected members of the Filipino community.
According to Corsino, many Filipinos would like to be repatriated to Manila. The ambassador was tasked to present a plan of action for the repatriation of Filipinos willing to return to Manila, as well as oversee the relief operations there.
Upon their arrival in Haiti, Corsino and Anasarias immediately established a task force which would assess the condition of Filipinos, ensure that food, water, shelter and medical supplies are available to them.
The Filipinos are grouped together in 4 “evacuation centers” — in Laplian, Delmas 31, Delmas 41/56, and Petionville. They have food and water supply, said the DFA.
The task force is set to visit other Filipino community groups in Haiti in the coming days to ascertain their condition.
Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Esteban Conejos is reportedly in talks with Labor and Employment Secretary Marianito Roque on the possibility of securing a chartered plane to fly the Filipinos home.
The DFA earlier said that 165 out of approximately 290 Filipino community members in Haiti were found to be safe and in good condition. The number does not include the 172 members of the Philippine Peacekeeping Contingent.
4 still trapped
As of latest, there are 2 Filipino peacekeepers trapped in the collapsed headquarters of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) and 2 Filipinas inside the Caribbean Supermarket.
Aside from the 4, the Philippine Peacekeeping Contingent and Filipino community leaders are not aware of other Filipinos still trapped or otherwise injured, the DFA added.
On Tuesday, the body of Filipino Navy Petty Officer Pearlie Panangui was recovered from the collapsed Christopher Hotel, bringing the total number of confirmed Filipino fatalities to 2.
Earlier, the DFA said that the body of Jerome Yap, a UN staff member, was recovered Monday.
Filipino community leader Tony Duran provided the task force the list of the 28 Filipinos.
The 28 Filipinos are as follows:
1. Benitez, Maria Liza
2. Bugayong, Paul
3. Buhayo Freddie R.
4. Buhayou Nelson S.
5. Buhayo, Ramon S.
6. Carvajal, Lucera
7. Cruz, Jovito
8. Duran, Adrian
9. Duran, Camilo
10. Ferdinand, Norluiz
11. Gevana, Danny
12. Labayen, Mary Grace
13. Laqueyun, Asley
14. Lazatin, Marlene
15. Lazatin, Michael
16. Marte, Emily
17. Mendez, Benito
18. Papasin, Rickson
19. Pastor, Ditas
20. Perez, Emmanuel
21. Pierre, Maria Teresa
22. Pretilla, Roberto
23. Rodriguez, Marivic
24. Torrizo, Rosalia
25. Torrizo, Victor
26. Villagracia, Art Raymond
27. Villagracia, Bernadette
28. Villagracia, Rey
Source:abs-cbnnews.com/
Sarkozy quells Haiti rift with US
Nicolas Sarkozy has moved to defuse a potentially embarrassing row with the US over claims that France is being sidelined in the aid effort in Haiti.
The French president's office praised the US's "exceptional mobilisation" and its "essential role... on the ground".
He was responding to signs of tension that appeared over the weekend.
France's International Co-operation Minister Alain Joyandet complained that a French plane carrying a field hospital was turned back by US troops.
American forces have been running Port-au-Prince airport, and have not been able to accommodate all relief flights.
Mr Joyandet - who was in Haiti - said he had issued a formal protest to the US authorities via the French embassy, and that his actions were backed by Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner.
He was quoted as saying: "This is about helping Haiti, not about occupying Haiti."
Hurt pride
But now the Elysee Palace has issued a statement explicitly praising the US for its lead role in the emergency, and denying any breakdown in relations.
France has issues a stamp in solidarity with victims in Haiti
The statement says that Mr Sarkozy has had a telephone conversation with US President Barack Obama, in which they pledged to "unite their efforts to confront the urgent humanitarian situation, and, later, to respond to the vast task of reconstruction".
Underlying the episode is a tangible sense of hurt pride that France is being relegated to a secondary role in a country long regarded as part of its own sphere of influence.
France was colonial master in Haiti up until the famous slave revolt 200 years ago, and French is still an official language there.
The crisis has unleashed a vast outpouring of support and sympathy in France, which is home to some 80,000 Haitian nationals.
Charities have received more than 15m euros (£13m) from private donors - in addition to the 20m euros provided by the government.
France has also sent 240 emergency workers and police to help with the rescue effort, while two navy ships and five aircraft shuttle in supplies.
However, the fact that the United States is so clearly in charge of the operation does rankle with some in France - particularly those with a predisposition to mistrust anything American.
As one blogger put it on the website of Le Figaro newspaper: "The US aid to Haiti constitutes a new case of 'shock doctrine' - ie taking advantage of a natural calamity to subjugate a disorientated populace to the desires and orders of a financial and industrial oligarchy."
However most French people are far less hostile - recognising that Haiti is in America's backyard, and that America alone has the resources to react on the scale required.
Source:news.bbc.co.uk/
Should cruise ships have returned to Haiti?
As humanitarian aid arrives and rescue workers continue their efforts to rebuild Haiti following the devastating earthquake last week, there's been much talk about Royal Caribbean's decision to resume calls on Labadee — the cruise line's private “island” destination about 100 miles from capital city Port-au-Prince (it was not damaged in the quake).
Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas was the first to return, on Friday. And, despite rumors on Cruise Critic's message boards that Royal Caribbean might reverse its decision, swapping Labadee for sea days, a cruise line spokeswoman tells us there are no plans to cancel calls. Both Navigator (which arrived today) and Liberty of the Seas (which calls on the port Friday) have been loaded with 80 pallets worth of supplies. On Friday, Celebrity Solstice will make its regularly scheduled stop — also bringing passengers and aid.
The majority of Cruise Critic readers support Royal Caribbean's decision, according to a homepage poll that ran on both cruisecritic.com and cruisecritic.co.uk. A resounding 67 percent of readers supported Royal Caribbean decision, saying that it was a good idea to continue calling in the region as the ships and passengers were bringing much needed aid and money.
There are some cruise travelers who disagree with the quick return, however, as conversations on controversial subject continue on Cruise Critic's message boards. “I have donated my money, but I would not feel comfortable going there for a vacation at this time,” posts Cruise Critic member jerseygirl79. “Not only would I not feel safe, but I wouldn't feel comfortable enjoying a vacation so close to utter devastation and loss of life.”
Ac110, meanwhile, disagrees: “Don't you see that depriving these people of employment is the last thing we should be doing right now?! Go, enjoy, and tip generously.”
Member Mechcc offers even more advice to those arriving in the port who want to help: “First off, everyone gets off the ship and heads to the market and buys a trinket at an outrageous price. And add a few dollars to the price. Then tip someone on the beach for carrying their bag. It has been reported that food that is not eaten by the passengers is taken home by the Haitians working at Labadee. So passengers — don't eat while on Labadee. Have a big breakfast, head back to the ship for a slice of pizza for lunch, and enjoy your dinner onboard.
“Leave the food that is prepared at Labadee for your enjoyment to be taken by the Haitians. Some of it will find its way to the shelters. You can do without it. Also, leave a few unopened bottles of water with the Haitians. And if you are on a cruise that RCI is donating profits from that stop to charity, well buy an excursion. You don't have to go on it, just buy it. Or donate that money to one of the charities that are helping out.
“Honestly, you can get off the ship, contribute, and have a subdued day. I also would probably leave several pair of brand new pairs of flip-flops on the beach. Not to mention a few new T-shirts and whatever. New and unused.”
More from Cruise Critic
Major cruise line returning to Europe
How you can help in Haiti
Cruise line relief efforts
Beyond Royal Caribbean, cruise line relief efforts vary. A passenger who was onboard Carnival Miracle in the Caribbean when the quake hit told Cruise Critic via e-mail that passengers were not told about the tragedy until the next day. “We wished Carnival would do something ... food, water,” she writes. “Granted passengers were on ‘vacation,’ but that didn't mean they stopped caring about humanity. Another reason to look to Royal Caribbean or Celebrity for our next cruise.”
Carnival Corporation on Monday announced that its cruise brands — including, among others, Carnival Cruise Lines, Princess Cruises, Crystal Cruises, P&O Cruises and Holland America Line — will donate $5 million toward Haiti relief via multiple international organizations.
What do those closer to the disaster think? Cruise Critic Editor-in-Chief Carolyn Spencer Brown shares this firsthand story after engaging in conversation with a Haitian taxi driver in Miami while traveling there this weekend. “He's from Labadee of all places, which is a good distance from Port-au-Prince. I asked him: how do Haitians feel about a cruise ship coming back so soon. He said that Labadee was not affected and that it's still crucial for people there to keep working, to have some sense of normalcy — and that the country needs any supplies it can get (which Royal Caribbean was bringing in).
“I said, ‘So it's not disrespectful, then?’ He looked incredulous, and said, ‘absolutely not.’ ”
Royal Caribbean has committed to providing $1 million in humanitarian relief to Haiti, a portion of which will augment the company's Crew Relief Fund, which can be drawn on by any of the company's more than 200 Haitian crewmembers. Passengers onboard can make a donation to Food for the Poor's Haiti Relief Fund, via a charge to their onboard account; others can visit the organization's Web site to make a donation.
For more information on how to help Haiti, check out our list of worthy charities.
Source:msnbc.msn.com/
China denies 'selective rescue' in Haiti
China angrily has denied accusations that its rescue team in Haiti was only searching for Chinese nationals missing after last week's devastating earthquake.
'Concerning the comments that Chinese rescuers only rescue Chinese, these comments are false and are made out of ulterior motives,' foreign ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu told reporters on Tuesday.
'The Chinese rescue team departed China immediately after the quake. They not only found the bodies of the Chinese peacekeepers, they also found the bodies of UN officers in Haiti and many others.'
The 60-strong Chinese medical team in Haiti has already treated more than 200 locals and China has air-lifted rescue supplies and aid to the devastated country, he said.
'These actions are not selfish and brook no accusations. The accusers should be accused,' Ma said, after media reports about China's contribution to the humanitarian operation in Haiti.
'Our rescue team and Chinese peacekeepers have made a great contribution to the relief efforts. We have won high appraisal from relevant parties, including the secretary general of the United Nations.'
Tens of thousands were killed in the 7.0-magnitude quake that struck Haiti on January 12, with an estimated quarter of a million injured and 1.5 million left homeless.
Ma said China would consider a UN request for nations to help provide an additional 3,500 peacekeepers to help maintain order in Haiti, but made no firm commitment.
The bodies of eight Chinese peacekeepers killed in the quake were on Tuesday repatriated and given a state funeral, including a procession down the Avenue of Heavenly Peace, the capital's main thoroughfare, past Tiananmen Square.
'They sacrificed their lives for the maintenance of peace. Here I would like to express deep condolences,' Ma said.
Source:bigpondnews.com/
Now is not the time for Haitian adoptions, says agency
But the group says adoption "is not the first response to help the children" and that new applications may only become a possibility as the country picks up the pieces from the earthquake.
The first priority is to identify and protect those children in need, trace family members and help reunite children with any family members and provide emergency help to orphanages.
There are hundreds of Haitian children who were in the process of being adopted when the earthquake hit, including dozens who were destined for homes in Canada. Now, the federal government and other countries, such as the U.S. and the Netherlands, are working to expedite the adoption processes for those children. In fact, Dutch authorities sent a chartered plane to Haiti yesterday to collect about 100 children whose applications were stalled by the earthquake.
Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney cautioned that any new adoptions would take time and have to follow all legal channels.
The Adoption Council of Canada said Haitian officials may consider international adoption once they can establish that children have no living relatives in the country.
Haiti has long been a popular spot for international adoptions by Canadians. In 2008, about 150 Haitian children were adopted by Canadians, the Adoption Council of Canada said.
Source:theglobeandmail.com/li
Bodies of China peacekeepers lost in the earthquake in Haiti return
China honored its U.N. peacekeepers killed in the Haiti earthquake with a solemn ceremony yesterday marking the return of their bodies to Beijing.
Top police and military officers bowed three times before the eight coffins set out on the runway at Beijing's Capital Airport, in a ceremony broadcast live on nationwide television.
Delivering the eulogy, Zhou Yongkang, a member of the Communist Party's all-powerful Politburo Standing Committee, called them martyrs to the cause of world peace.
"Their actions won praise from the U.N. and glory for the Chinese nation," said Zhou, who like other officials present wore a black coat adorned with a white paper flower as a show of mourning.
About 125 Chinese police were in Haiti as part of a 9,000-strong U.N. peacekeeping mission seeking to maintain stability in the impoverished, politically volatile nation. The eight had been in a meeting with the head of the U.N. peacekeeping mission when the 7.0-magnitude quake struck on Jan. 12 and collapsed the U.N.'s five-story headquarters building.
Family members holding portraits of the dead led an honor guard carrying the flag-draped coffins to white minivans for the trip to Beijing's Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery.
Representatives of the military, police and paramilitary People's Armed Police - including some wearing the uniform and light blue berets of U.N. peacekeepers - saluted as the convoy pulled away. Hundreds more stood at attention as it arrived at the cemetery, where leading communists and other honored citizens are interred, while crowds with banners of admiration and mourning lined the route through downtown, which was closed to traffic for more than 10km (6 miles).
The eight were formally named revolutionary martyrs, an honor that confers additional financial compensation for their families, as well as assistance with employment and education.
The ceremony's high profile underscores the importance Beijing attaches to peacekeeping missions. China is taking an increasingly active role in U.N. affairs accordant with its status as one of five veto-wielding permanent members of the Security Council.
The seven men and one woman, aged 35 to 60, included four members of the peacekeeping contingent and four members of a delegation from the Public Security Ministry's equipment, finance and international cooperation departments.
The oldest member of the delegation, Guo Baoshan, had planned to return to his hometown in the northeastern province of Liaoning for the Lunar New Year holiday in mid-February, said a relative quoted by the official Xinhua News Agency.
Source:etaiwannews.com/
Top police and military officers bowed three times before the eight coffins set out on the runway at Beijing's Capital Airport, in a ceremony broadcast live on nationwide television.
Delivering the eulogy, Zhou Yongkang, a member of the Communist Party's all-powerful Politburo Standing Committee, called them martyrs to the cause of world peace.
"Their actions won praise from the U.N. and glory for the Chinese nation," said Zhou, who like other officials present wore a black coat adorned with a white paper flower as a show of mourning.
About 125 Chinese police were in Haiti as part of a 9,000-strong U.N. peacekeeping mission seeking to maintain stability in the impoverished, politically volatile nation. The eight had been in a meeting with the head of the U.N. peacekeeping mission when the 7.0-magnitude quake struck on Jan. 12 and collapsed the U.N.'s five-story headquarters building.
Family members holding portraits of the dead led an honor guard carrying the flag-draped coffins to white minivans for the trip to Beijing's Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery.
Representatives of the military, police and paramilitary People's Armed Police - including some wearing the uniform and light blue berets of U.N. peacekeepers - saluted as the convoy pulled away. Hundreds more stood at attention as it arrived at the cemetery, where leading communists and other honored citizens are interred, while crowds with banners of admiration and mourning lined the route through downtown, which was closed to traffic for more than 10km (6 miles).
The eight were formally named revolutionary martyrs, an honor that confers additional financial compensation for their families, as well as assistance with employment and education.
The ceremony's high profile underscores the importance Beijing attaches to peacekeeping missions. China is taking an increasingly active role in U.N. affairs accordant with its status as one of five veto-wielding permanent members of the Security Council.
The seven men and one woman, aged 35 to 60, included four members of the peacekeeping contingent and four members of a delegation from the Public Security Ministry's equipment, finance and international cooperation departments.
The oldest member of the delegation, Guo Baoshan, had planned to return to his hometown in the northeastern province of Liaoning for the Lunar New Year holiday in mid-February, said a relative quoted by the official Xinhua News Agency.
Source:etaiwannews.com/
UN sending more troops, police to Haiti
The 15-member Security Council, "recognizing the dire circumstances and urgent need for a response," voted to endorse a request for reinforcements from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
The resolution -- drafted by the United States -- says the UN mission in Haiti "will consist of a military component of up to 8,940 troops of all ranks and of a police component of up to 3,711 police."
China's UN Ambassador Zhang Yesui, who is chairing the council this month, said the extra troops and police would deploy for six months.
Source:AFP
The Risk of Sending U.S. Troops to Haiti
President Barack Obama's decision to send 10,000 U.S. troops to provide muscle for the relief effort in chaotic, quake-ravaged Haiti was perhaps inevitable, but does not come without risks for the United States. From all accounts, public despair continues to mount as the distribution effort, hampered by destroyed roads and communications, lags behind the build-up of relief supplies. Hunger, thirst, and the spread of disease could easily bring out the machetes, tipping the scale into rioting and civil disorder. The island certainly has a history of it.
If that happens, with Haitian security forces in disarray, the challenge of restoring order will fall first on the 7,000-strong U.N. peacekeeping force. Consisting largely of Brazilian military, the U.N. Stabilisation Mission in Haiti -- known by its French acronym, MINUSTAH -- has been in Haiti since 2004 and has developed ties with the country and its people.
Even so, that's a thin line to confront widespread unrest, should it occur. The next line is the American military presence, currently taking up protective positions at the airport in Port-au-Prince and the damaged harbor, as well as helping with the relief effort.
Washington's top military man, Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, told reporters the troops' mission is humanitarian. But the line between humanitarian operations and security can be a thin one, and Mullen has also told the president that the soldiers' rules of engagement for the mission are to shoot only in self-defense.
When it comes to U.S. military operations in Haiti, history is not on the side of the United States. In 1915, Woodrow Wilson sent in the marines to Haiti, ostensibly to steady the country, then beset by coup and counter-coup, but actually to protect American business interests. Wilson took control of the Haitian National Bank and transferred $500,000 to the United States for "safekeeping." A virtual occupation, with the U.S. marine commander acting as provincial governor, remained in force until 1934.
While that memory made be distant and faded, many Haitians remember that in 1994, American troops led an intervention force to restore ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to power. From his exile in South Africa, Aristide has publicly volunteered to return to help his devastated country. No one has taken him up on his offer, but it is an unwelcome distraction for Obama's effort in Haiti. Of course, there emphatically are no dots to connect -- to use a trendy phrase -- between the U.S. military presence and Aristide's offer. Hopefully the Haitians will realize that.
Source:worldpoliticsreview.com/
If that happens, with Haitian security forces in disarray, the challenge of restoring order will fall first on the 7,000-strong U.N. peacekeeping force. Consisting largely of Brazilian military, the U.N. Stabilisation Mission in Haiti -- known by its French acronym, MINUSTAH -- has been in Haiti since 2004 and has developed ties with the country and its people.
Even so, that's a thin line to confront widespread unrest, should it occur. The next line is the American military presence, currently taking up protective positions at the airport in Port-au-Prince and the damaged harbor, as well as helping with the relief effort.
Washington's top military man, Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, told reporters the troops' mission is humanitarian. But the line between humanitarian operations and security can be a thin one, and Mullen has also told the president that the soldiers' rules of engagement for the mission are to shoot only in self-defense.
When it comes to U.S. military operations in Haiti, history is not on the side of the United States. In 1915, Woodrow Wilson sent in the marines to Haiti, ostensibly to steady the country, then beset by coup and counter-coup, but actually to protect American business interests. Wilson took control of the Haitian National Bank and transferred $500,000 to the United States for "safekeeping." A virtual occupation, with the U.S. marine commander acting as provincial governor, remained in force until 1934.
While that memory made be distant and faded, many Haitians remember that in 1994, American troops led an intervention force to restore ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to power. From his exile in South Africa, Aristide has publicly volunteered to return to help his devastated country. No one has taken him up on his offer, but it is an unwelcome distraction for Obama's effort in Haiti. Of course, there emphatically are no dots to connect -- to use a trendy phrase -- between the U.S. military presence and Aristide's offer. Hopefully the Haitians will realize that.
Source:worldpoliticsreview.com/
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