The Militarization of Aid to Haiti

Fidel Castro Ruz: We Send Doctors Not Soldiers.

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In the midst of the Haitian tragedy, without anybody knowing how and why, thousands of US marines, 82nd Airborne Division troops and other military forces have occupied Haiti. Worse still is the fact that neither the United Nations Organization nor the US government have offered an explanation to the world's public opinion about this relocation of troops.

Several governments have complained that their aircraft have not been allowed to land in order to deliver the human and technical resources that have been sent to Haiti.

Some countries, for their part, have announced they would be sending an additional number of troops and military equipment. In my view, such events will complicate and create chaos in international cooperation, which is already in itself complex. It is necessary to seriously discuss this issue. The UN should be entrusted with the leading role it deserves in these so delicate matters.

Our country is accomplishing a strictly humanitarian mission. To the extent of its possibilities, it will contribute the human and material resources at its disposal. The will of our people, who takes pride in its medical doctors and cooperation workers who provide vital services, is huge, and will rise to the occasion.

Any significant cooperation that is offered to our country will not be rejected, but its acceptance will fully depend on the importance and transcendence of the assistance that is requested from the human resources of our homeland.

It is only fair to state that, up until this moment, our modest aircrafts and the important human resources that Cuba has made available to the Haitian people have arrived at their destination without any difficulty whatsoever.

We send doctors, not soldiers!

I forgot to add that practically none of the people in the national penitentiary had been charged, tried, given any sort of hearing, or convicted of any particular offense --- other than perhaps being Aristide/Lavalas supporters.

Another aspect of the traps being laid is Harper's statement that our donations will be matched dollar for dollar.  Right, for CIDA, with its miserable history in Haiti, to hand out.  For the list of blunders or devious CIDA doles, see Richard Sanders:  Putting the Aid in Aiding and Abetting: CIDA's agents of Regime Change in Haiti's 2004 Coup.  Online at coat.ncf.ca/our_magazine/links/62/62.htm

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/02/10-11

This article was a good summary highlighting the ongoing military occupation.

Amy Goodman's article was a good summary of the debt issues. 

others noted the offshore oil, and minerals, as well as cheap labour.

The protests by Haitians calling for Aristide's return went unreported in mainstream news.  very bad.

my gut still can't get past some labels in some articles. it's not that i'm not trying.

anyway, for this region the message is:

Reinstate their elected president, remove our military and the rapacious corporations they protect, provide reparations for historic assaults which will allow Haitians to do their own rebuilding.

Canada pushes for Haitian elections

'Canada is pushing Haitian President René Préval to hold elections as soon as possible.

'Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon says he wants a clear indication from Préval that he is willing to hold presidential elections by the end of the year.

' "We're looking for a commitment from the government," Cannon said Friday after addressing a conference in Montreal on Haiti's reconstruction ... '

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2010/05/21/mtl-cannon-haiti-elections.html#ixzz0obCw6XVX

[url=http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/reuters/101024/world/international_us_haiti_c... cholera toll tops 250, but seen stabilizing[/url]

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PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) - A cholera epidemic in Haiti has killed more than 250 people, the government said on Sunday, but it added the outbreak which has sickened more than 3,000 may be stabilizing with fewer deaths and new cases reported over the last 24 hours.

[url=http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=21650]Cholera Epidemic: Toxic Drinking Water Killing Haitians[/url] 
Real Aid is Blocked

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A cholera epidemic has just killed 284 Haitians and at least 3,612 more are infected and may die. This cholera is caused by drinking dirty toxic water."

More evidence that the "freest trading nation in the Caribbean" needs socialism not bullshit neoliberal colonialism.

Failure of social democracy? Haiti is a modern day colony and proof that there is, in fact, no democracy at all. The war on democracy continues.

[url=http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=21966]Protesters Shot Dead as Haiti Cholera Toll Tops 1,000[/url]

The "freest trading nation" in the Caribbean under Washington's spell.

Him before it was protesters violently protesting UN troops, now the news reports say they were only protesting the Nepalese UN troops which a leaked report now says was the source of the epidemic.

The populace differentiated between UN troops and Nepalese UN troops?? Spin anyone?

klarence is gone.

So why not just assign disaster relief to the military full-time instead of civilian agencies and with more civilian infrastructure in basket case US colonies like Haiti? Why do the military have to be involved? Is there anything wrong with that picture in general?

Fidel wrote:

So why not just assign disaster relief to the military full-time instead of civilian agencies and with more civilian infrastructure in basket case US colonies like Haiti?

The organization leadership and administration I am talking about is a by product of the military.  It's good in a pinch but also has drawbacks, including what you mentioned where the US is getting their hands intop Haiti's elections.   It's a trade off.  Rapid releif, protection and saved lives vs. the US (or whomever) getting their hands into the pie.

A starving hatian who is bleeding out and needs surgerydoesn't care about the US screwing around with the elections in a year, they want to stop bleeding.  A year later maybe when their power is restored and they have water they are not so hot on the idea of US politicans pissing around with their country.

Ergo it's important that in situations like this the military hands over control and wipes their hands as soon as possible.

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Why do the military have to be involved? Is there anything wrong with that picture in general?

Well, one issue I know you ladies and gentlemen hate is the topic of rioters and looters. I know people here tried to argue that there really wasn't any going on..

I'll tell you anyone who doesn't think looting rioting and violence is one of the first things that happens has never been in a natural disaster like this before.

Even during the ice storm in rual ottawa we had looters. People breaking into homes of evacuated (sometimes not) people looking for money jewerly electronics. People were stealing generators and all kinds of things.  In Ottawa Canada.   Argue the point of you will but it's my opinion that one of the first people that are targeted during situations like this are the relief and aid workers who land on the scene with food, water, building supplies and medical supplies (which are worth their weight in gold on the black market).

Once order is restored and the threat of rioters criminals warlords is reduced drastically and a system is in place to move large amounts of food water and supplies (like the military is trained to do) they need to get out as soon as possible.