21444: (Chamberlain) Annan seeks UN mission in Haiti of more than 8,000 (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Greg Chamberlain <GregChamberlain@compuserve.com>

     By Grant McCool

     UNITED NATIONS, April 20 (Reuters) - Stabilizing Haiti will require a
U.N. peacekeeping mission of more than 8,000 troops and civilian police
over the next two years, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said on Tuesday.
     The head of the world body made the recommendations in a report to the
Security Council, which must approve any U.N. plan to get the impoverished
Caribbean nation back on its feet following February's armed rebellion and
exile of elected President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
     More than 200 people were killed in the revolt.
     Even with up to 6,700 troops and 1,622 civilian police, the task would
be difficult, Annan acknowledged.
     "We can only be truly successful if the Haitians are successful," said
his report on the proposed operation, to be called the United Nations
Stabilization Mission in Haiti.
     The U.N. mission is to take over in early June from a U.S.-led
multinational force sent in for three months to restore order after
Aristide left on Feb. 29.
     A senior U.S. diplomat said Washington believed Annan's
recommendations would help.
     "We think it's an important challenge for the world to continue to
help Haiti and renew its commitment to the Haitian people," Roger Noriega,
U.S. assistant secretary of state for the Western Hemisphere, said. "We
believe that the U.N. is responding in a responsible and helpful way."
     The success or failure of Haiti would ultimately be the responsibility
of the country's leaders, Annan said, appealing to the Haitian authorities
"to respond to the offer of assistance by the international community with
a commitment to accountability, including to its citizenry."
     Annan's report outlined a constitutional and political process in
Haiti leading to elections in 2005.
     He said he wanted the U.N. mission to have an initial mandate of two
years, to give the country time to feel the effects of the 2005 elections.
     But the international aid program must be a sustained one, he
cautioned. Annan has faulted previous aid operations for fading away too
quickly and has warned that efforts to help rebuild Haiti's police,
judiciary and other major institutions would take "10 years or more."
     Annan said the new U.N. mission would be asked to help restore the
rule of law and public security, disarm all armed groups and strengthen the
judiciary and prison system.
     It would also be charged with supporting a transitional government and
efforts at national reconciliation, coordinating humanitarian aid,
restoring basic public services and promoting and monitoring human rights.