20545: Allouard: Re:_20529: __(Chamberlain) __French_say_berets_keep_bullets_away_in_Haiti

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: "[iso-8859-1] allouard@libertysurf.fr" <allouard@libertysurf.fr>

As for what I have seen from foreign soldiers behaviour in Haiti those days:

Marines are the more visible ones, (obvious, they are the larger force)... but they are very young (one would give many of them 16 to 18 years old) and seem to be afraid, at least very tense... They go around, by feet or in their cars/trucks with weapons aimed at you, and I confess this is very unpleasant a feeling to have those big weapons turned against you, no matter how cute, polite or (rarely) smiling the marine is... Not only do you feel
it's unfair as you are not a dangerous foe, but I cannot help thinking: and what in case they fire accidentaly?
Too bad to have so far escaped death threats, zenglendos, tap-tap accidents and inhaling Port-au-Prince dust if it is to be killed by a marine!!!

French SEEM less tense, they go shopping, chat and have a drink with people almost casually... At least for those I saw.

Canadians, I saw only the soldiers in the 2 cars preceding and following their ambassador, making a very agressive and noisy "cortege"... a new one and the last one as "Officiels" and "Service de l'Etat" cars almost disappeared, and, when they are to be seen in the streets, they are VERY discrete and even try to drive well! Pity than those three Canadian cars behave this way, irrespectfull of traffic laws and like reminding us :"this is war!"... Let's hope they won't hit someone...


And just because they are a very important part of the peace process:
Haitian police is more friendly, doing like always a very good job helping the traffic to go smooth and quick, but not trying to impress people, less rude and more polite...


This is what I saw...

As for what I heard, from RELIABLE sources:
many, many "accidents" or "incidents" with too tense or ill-mannered marines...  A mototaxi driver told me two weeks ago having been gun pointed at night near the Primature in Musseau, and told to turn back.. Crazy...
Could someone tell the marines they are not in Irak and that they have really NOTHING to fear from a single moto-taxi driver, even at night in a large cross-road?
At least one person having been shot at, arrested, beaten, blinfolded, interrogated for hours... and all this for no reason at all except the stress Marines felt after one of them being wounded...

It is important Marines and more generaly foreign soldiers who come to help peace and security and justice are aware that in Haiti like elsewhere, being polite is the first step to justice, and that, especially in Haiti, no-matter how much justice or security you bring, it won't count if you are rude. What if you are unfair???

Philippe


Sent: Thursday, March 18, 2004 2:24 PM
Subject: 20529: (Chamberlain) French say berets keep bullets away in Haiti
(fwd)


From: Greg Chamberlain <GregChamberlain@compuserve.com>
>
> By Ibon Villelabeitia
>
> PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, March 17 (Reuters) - French troops patrolling
> the dodgy streets of Haiti have some advice for heavily armed U.S. Marines
> who have come under fire -- greet slum dwellers with a "bonjour" and wear
a
> beret, not a helmet.
> "We have a different military culture. No grenades, no jackets, no
> helmets, only berets. Sometimes a 'bonjour' can make the perception of the
> invader disappear," said Xavier Pons, public affairs officer for the
French
> forces.
> He said they have not been shot at a single time.
> The Americans, however, say it's not a matter of style. U.S. Marines
> patrol dangerous areas after dark while Haiti's former colonial masters
> keep to the daylight, they say.
> "You can say there is a helmet approach and a beret approach, but we
> patrol Belair at night," said spokesman for the international force, U.S.
> Marine Lt. Col. Dave Lapan, referring to the fiercely pro-Aristide slum,
> teeming with armed gangs, where a Marine was shot in the arm on Sunday.
> "If you are wearing a beret and have a pistol and you come under
fire,
> you won't be able to defend yourself and it is more likely that you will
> suffer casualties," he said.


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