17641: (Hermantin)Miami-Herald- To the editor-U.S. government supports Haiti financiall (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

Posted on Mon, Jan. 05, 2004

PETER DeSHAZO,
U.S. government supports Haiti financially

We take exception to Ira Kurzban's characterization of U.S. policy toward
Haiti in his Dec. 22 column, Great powers attempt to undermine Aristide, and
we reject his allegation that the United States maintains an ''embargo''
against Haiti. There is no embargo. The U.S. government is Haiti's largest
donor. Since the restoration of elected government in October 1994, we have
given Haiti more than $850 million, and last year provided $72 million in
assistance to it.

U.S. aid focuses on improving the health, nutrition and education of the
neediest, especially mothers and children. Haiti is one of 14 countries that
will benefit from President Bush's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, a
five-year, $15 billion initiative. We channel most of this aid through
private groups to help ensure that it reaches the people.

We are Haiti's No. 1 investor and trading partner. Thanks to the Caribbean
Basin Trade Partnership Act, most of Haiti's exports enter here duty-free.
We remain committed to a multilateral, negotiated solution to Haiti's
crisis. Organization of American States Resolution 822, adopted by unanimous
consent on Sept. 4, 2002, offers a solution to the current crisis. While
Haiti was able, through Resolution 822, to resume normal relations with
international financial institutions, it hasn't shown the same political
will to restore a climate of security, so that free and fair elections can
take place.

Human-rights abuses continue unchecked. Political violence, uncurbed by the
government, has claimed innocent victims, most recently among students and
faculty of the State University in Port-au-Prince.

The United States supports the OAS Special Mission to Strengthen Democracy
in Haiti. It has encouraged resolution of the current crisis while
developing programs to promote human rights, justice, a professional police
force and free and fair elections. We, along with the rest of the
hemispheric community, continue to urge the government of Haiti to fulfill
its commitments under Resolution 822.

The U.S. continues to work, bilaterally and multilaterally, toward the goal
of a democratic, prosperous and stable Haiti so that Haitian people finally
can fulfill the promise of freedom won 200 years ago. We congratulate the
people of Haiti on the historic achievement of independence, won Jan. 1,
1804.

Deputy Assistant Secretary, Western Hemisphere Affairs,

Washington, D.C.

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