19513: (Craig) NYT: Security Council: U.N. Panel Backs Plan to Aid Haiti With Troops (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Dan Craig <hoosier@att.net>


Security Council: U.N. Panel Backs Plan to Aid Haiti With Troops
March 1, 2004
By WARREN HOGE

UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 29 - The United Nations Security
Council, meeting in emergency session, passed a resolution
on Sunday night approving the immediate dispatch of a
multinational force to Haiti and the creation of a United
Nations peacekeeping force to replace it this spring.

The resolution, approved by all 15 Council members, gave
prompt United Nations authorization for the deployment of
troops from countries like the United States, France and
Canada that have announced their intention to send soldiers
right away.

It also called on the secretary general to decide within
the next 30 days on the size, structure and mandate of the
United Nations stabilization force to go to Haiti no later
than three months from now.

Wang Guangya of China, the Security Council's current
president, said he had called the meeting after receiving
letters from Boniface Alexandre, the new Haitian president
sworn in after Jean-Bertrand Aristide's departure on Sunday
morning, and from John D. Negroponte, the United States
envoy, and France's ambassador, Jean-Marc de la Sabli?re.

Mr. Wang said that the Security Council's members agreed on
the urgency of the situation and that the troops going in
immediately merited United Nations "blessing."

President Bush on Sunday ordered a contingent of marines to
Haiti, to join the 50 already in Port-au-Prince guarding
the American Embassy. The Pentagon said the reinforcements
landed in Haiti around 10 p.m. Mr. Negroponte said that
since Haiti had already requested assistance, "I don't
think there's any obstacles to the Marines going in, but it
would be helpful to have a resolution."

The language of the draft resolution was drawn up in an
afternoon meeting of an informal group called Friends of
Haiti, which includes France, the two South American
nations now on the Security Council, Brazil and Chile, and
various Caribbean countries.

The resolution recognizes the constitutional succession of
Mr. Alexandre, Haiti's chief justice, to the presidency,
and urges countries to honor his request "to assist in
restoring peace and security in Haiti and to further the
constitutional political process now under way."

Among the duties of the interim force would be securing and
stabilizing the country, getting relief aid and
international workers to Haiti and helping the local police
forces maintain public safety and order and to protect
human rights.

Noting the decades of turmoil in Haiti, Secretary General
Kofi Annan told reporters at the United Nations building,
"This time I hope that the international community is not
going to put a Band-Aid on, and that we are not only going
to help stabilize the current situation but assist the
Haitians over the long haul and really help them pick up
the pieces and build a stable country."

In Paris, the Defense Ministry said Sunday that France
would be sending about 300 troops to Haiti overnight,
followed by 100 police officers, to ensure the security of
the French Embassy and French citizens. A spokesman said
they would be sent from France's overseas departments in
the Caribbean, Martinique, Guadeloupe and French Guiana.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/01/international/americas/01NATI.html?ex=1079137944&ei=1&en=9715a9ac7b04fd94
Copyright 2004 The New York Times Company