7674: Haitian Times Editorial on the Return of the UN to Haiti (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Max Blanchet <maxblanchet@worldnet.att.net>

UN Mission Should not Return to Haiti

When Jean-Bertrand Aristide meets later this week with his counterparts
in Quebec for the summit of Hemispheric leaders, he will certainly find
a group of leaders who are impatient and deeply disappointed with the
turns of Haitian politics. Aristide is schedule to speak about cultural
diversity, and that's a good thing. Anything else would not go well
with this audience.

As the Haitian president prepares to leave the country with his top
ministers, his government has requested that the United Nations mission
that left Haiti on Feb. 6, one day before his inauguration, returns to help
restore order in Haiti. The international community should do no such
thing. Aristide has been leading the call, through his silence, at times,
for
outsiders not to meddle in Haiti's business. This sort of false patriotism
resonates with many.

But we can't have it both ways. The UN mission, despite its difficulties,
should have stayed a bit longer and helped the new government. Instead,
officials thought that they needed no one. Frankly, the insecurity problems
plaguing the country are ones that Aristide can curb, if only he wants to
expand the political capital it will take to do so. In the last several
weeks,
thugs have taken to the streets, burning tires and disrupting normal life.
But as quickly as they've appeared, they've also retreated, looking as if
they are taking orders from someone. No one has ever been arrested
for civil unrest. There are those who believe that Aristide is orchestrating
these acts of violence.

These are good points for American leaders to ask Aristide and demand
that he restore order in the country. This so-called crisis has gripped the
country for too long and it must end immediately. Now that Aristide is
asking for international aid, the rest of the world should make sure that
they
are not played for a fool one more time. Leaders should be stern.

We know that Haiti needs help and somehow we must find a way to
provide it. But time and time again, the attitude of Haitian leaders is
deplorable. For now keep the UN out and demand some tough changes.
These changes must be followed by specific benchmarks and
monitored constantly.

This is the only way we can affect real changes in Haiti:

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