On US Troops to Haiti

Bill Fletcher, Jr.,TransAfrica Forum

Recent discussions about the pros and cons of a potential deployment of US
troops to Haiti, particularly given the support for such a movement by
so-called Interim (puppet) Prime Minister Latortue, ignore an important point:
had the opposition to democratically elected President Jean Bertrand Aristide
not been in such a hurry to embrace undemocratic means to unseat him, Haiti
would not be looking at the disaster that it is now becoming.

Not only does the Latortue clique and the military thugs who directly overthrew
Aristide bear blame in the current situation, but so does the Bush
administration, a point that TransAfrica Forum and other friends of Haiti have
been making since the February 29, 2004 coup took place.After all it was the
Bush administration through then Secretary of State Colin Powell, who gave a
wink to the Haitian opposition and did not press them to settle peacefully
their dispute with President Aristide. Contrary to the quick and easy takeover
and transition that the Bush administration and the anti-Aristide opposition
expected, Haiti has remained in turmoil as it becomes obvious that President
Aristide was not the unpopular dictator that his opponents made him out to be.
Thus, moths dancing around a flame have all become seared by its heat.

In this context, the notion of sending US troops to Haiti is ill-conceived even
by those who are otherwise friends of Haiti. The US, being directly culpable
in the ouster of President Aristide, lacks the moral and political credibility
to resolve the situation, not to mention mediate between both sides. There is
no reason to believe that US troops will serve any purpose other than to
further repress pro-democracy supporters of President Aristide.

Should the world do nothing? This would be equally wrong. The United Nations
should strengthen the mandate for peacekeepers in Haiti such that troops act
upon clear and decisive directives to disarm the thugs who roam the country and
bring a halt to the political killings and torturing that has become common
place since February 29, 2004.

It is also the case that the current UN forces have been tainted by their
inaction in the face of the turmoil and should be replaced by military units
from countries that are seen as unbiased. It is not for us to recommend which
countries, but we would say that the level of disappointment in the Brazilian
military units certainly makes it necessary that their forces remove themselves
from Haiti with all deliberate speed. It is difficult to conceive that in the
short-term they would be able to regain the respect that they once received
from the Haitian people.

The on-going crisis should remind us that the situation in Haiti will not simply
go away because we do not see it on our television screens. Like molten rock
building up in a volcano, the situation will go from bad to worse until and
unless there is a comprehensive settlement. Such a settlement must include a
cessation of the political killings; the disarming of the armed gangs (most
especially the former Haitian military thugs who were involved in the coup) in
Haiti; the creation of open space for free and fair political dialogue
ultimately leading to an election; emergency economic and humanitarian
assistance; and Temporary Protected Status for Haitian refugees during this
crisis.

There is one other often unspoken element to the needed resolution of the
Haitian crisis. In the face of a catastrophic wrong, there must be immediate
corrective measures: the people of Haiti must decide the leadership of the
country. Irrespective of one’s attitude toward the presidency of Jean-Bertrand
Aristide, he must be allowed to complete his term in office. Regardless of
whether he returns to the presidency, pretending that the Haitian crisis can be
resolved absent the involvement of President Aristide is like trying to stop a
deluge by standing in its path.

[Bill Fletcher, Jr. is President of TransAfrica Forum.]