14817: Knowles: Re: 14793: Haitians Living Abroad - Knowles question (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Phil Knowles <Phildk@prodigy.net>

I appreciate this review of the "Tenth Department" during and since
Duvalier.  Until the last paragraph which includes this statement:  "Today,
Haiti's eight million people have been suffering under an unjust embargo for
the past two years causing further deterioration of already fragile social
services and infrastructure."

If "embargo" means withholding $500 million in international loans, then a
word other than "embargo" might be better. It is true that the US
government, right or wrong, fears that money turned over to the present
Haitian government tends to buy more fancy (gas-guzzling) SUV's and
disappear into unknown pockets rather than combat the "further deterioration
of already fragile social services and infrastructure."

If it IS an embargo, as in blockading shipments of fuel, food, whatever,
please bring me up to date as I have missed the story.  Who set it up, who
is policing it, etc.

Phil Knowles