21653: (Hermantin)Palm Beach Post- Keep Haiti as a priority (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

Keep Haiti as a priority

Palm Beach Post Editorial
Wednesday, April 28, 2004



Jetting back from Haiti late Friday afternoon, a bipartisan congressional
delegation paused on the Palm Beach International Airport tarmac for a
situation report that Floridians should be glad to receive. Equally
significant, presuming the United States finally is sincere about helping
Haiti, was the message the delegation had carried to Haiti's interim
government: "Members of the Democratic and Republican caucuses," said U.S.
Rep. Mark Foley, R-West Palm Beach, "are determined to bring our voices to
Washington to say that our country is committed for the long haul."

What they had heard from Haitian President Boniface Alexandre, Prime
Minister Gerard Latortue and U.S. diplomats is that Haitians "first want
free and fair elections," said Rep. Foley. Standing with Rep. Kendrick Meek,
D-Miami, among others, their USA-emblazoned jet in the background, Rep.
Foley said those elections can't happen "without the military presence of
the U.S. And we're willing to carry that message back to Washington."

Haiti could have plunged more deeply into bloodshed in late February as
opponents were forcing ex-President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to flee the
country, and it still could. So a repeatedly expressed concern of the
Haitian officials -- who told the delegation that the presence of 2,000 U.S.
troops helped to restore order and pretty much has quelled problems for now
-- was security. Delegation members said the Haitian officials were not
disappointed with the slow pace of international aid; there is much Haitians
must do first in terms of reform.

Haiti's president and prime minister were called "reluctant warriors" who
have no intention of seeking any future job or office. Their concerns
include restoring trade and their justice system and involving Mr.
Aristide's Lavalas Party in political talks. They can't even distribute
humanitarian aid, however, without security. So they understandably seek
military support for the foreseeable future, along with an international
effort to bring United Nations-supervised local elections by 2005, followed
by a parliamentary and then a presidential election.

Rep. Meek is correct that the U.S. and other countries "must set the stage
and set the environment for Haitians to stay in Haiti." While awaiting the
elections, said Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., chairman of the Congressional
Black Caucus, "the people have to have something to vote for. They want to
see progress." Security is a prerequisite of that progress. In 1999,
however, Rep. Foley joined fellow Republicans in rushing the U.S. military
out of Haiti. The U.S. repeatedly has occupied Haiti without staying long
enough to truly help. The longer the commitment, the less reason Haitians
have to flee their country.

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