21344: (Hermantin) Sun-Sentinel-U.S. building projects to fire up Haitian economy, offi (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

U.S. building projects to fire up Haitian economy, official says

By William E. Gibson
Washington Bureau Chief
Posted April 15 2004

WASHINGTON · The United States plans to jump-start the Haitian economy
largely by funding a three-year jobs program to rebuild schools and other
buildings in the riot-torn country, a top State Department official said on
Wednesday.

The Bush administration also generally supports boosting humanitarian aid to
Haiti as well as efforts in Congress to provide trade preferences for
Haitian goods, said Roger Noriega, assistant secretary of state for Western
Hemisphere affairs.


Noriega said U.S. armed forces would continue to help maintain order in
Haiti for at least 9 months. He declined to speculate on how many troops
will be needed while awaiting an assessment by U.N. officials.

The U.S. policy in Haiti following the departure of deposed President
Jean-Bertrand Aristide is quite different from the American-dominated
approach to the occupation of Iraq. U.S. officials are following the lead of
Congress on some aspects of Haiti's redevelopment and allowing the United
Nations to take a leading role on a future multinational force to quell
violence in Haiti.

"The key priority will be security," Noriega told a gathering of Haiti
watchers organized by the American Enterprise Institute.

Once the rule of law is established and corruption curbed, he said, the
United States would consider a trade agreement similar to one already
provided to Haiti's neighbor, the Dominican Republic.

Meanwhile, the United States will provide technical assistance and
humanitarian aid, he said, while urging Haiti's new government to privatize
segments of the economy, starting with its port.

"The United States will begin an urgent three-year job creation program,
which will provide tens of thousands of jobs, including rebuilding the
municipal infrastructure," he said. "The project will rehabilitate schools
and public buildings that were destroyed by rioting and burning, and people
will begin to see that Haiti is returning to normal and building for the
future."

William E. Gibson can be reached at wgibson@sun-sentinel.com or 202-824-8256
in Washington.



Copyright © 2004, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

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