The US Militarization of Emergency Aid to Haiti

The Militarization of Emergency Aid to Haiti: Is it a Humanitarian Operation or an Invasion?

US Military Assets to be Sent to Haiti. (according to official announcements)

The amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5) and amphibious dock landing ships USS Fort McHenry ('___' 43) and USS Carter Hall ('___' 50).

A 2,000-member Marine Amphibious Unit from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit and soldiers from the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne division. 900 soldiers are slated to arrive in Haiti by January 15th.

Aircraft carrier, USS Carl Vinson and its complement of supporting ships. (arrived in Port au Prince on January 15, 2010): USS Carl Vinson CVN 70

The hospital ship USNS Comfort

Several U.S. Coast Guard vessels and helicopters

USS Carl Vinson

The three amphibious ships will join aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy and guided-missile frigate USS Underwood.



SOURCE
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US Air Force Controls the Airport

"The FAA's team is working with DOD combat controllers to improve the flow of air traffic moving in and out of the airport. The US Air Force reopened the airport on 14 January, and on 15 January its contingency response group was granted senior airfield authority ... Senior airfield authority enables the Air Force to prioritise, schedule and control the airspace at the airport, ..."

SOURCE

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United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH)

Current strength (30 November 2009)

9,065 total uniformed personnel

7,031 troops
2,034 police 488 international civilian personnel
1,212 local civilian staff
214 United Nations Volunteers
7,031 troops
2,034 police 488 international civilian personnel
1,212 local civilian staff
214 United Nations Volunteers

Source: MINUSTAH Facts and Figures - United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti

Estimated combined SOUTHCOM and MINUSTAH forces; 19,095*

*Excluding commitments by France (unconfirmed) and Canada (confirmed 800 troops). The US, France and Canada were "partners" in the February 29, 2004 Coup d'État.

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Haiti's former secretary of state for national defence and human rights activists has warned against the militarisation of quake relief efforts as Washington confirmed that it had 12,000 US troops deployed in or around Haiti.

But ex-Haitian secretary of state for national defence Patrick Elie questioned whether the US military was the best organisation to lead relief efforts.

Mr Elie said: "There is no war here. We don't need soldiers as such."

Amid reports that US troops in charge of the country's airport had turned away two Mexican aircraft loaded with vital lifesaving equipment and forced a Doctors Without Borders cargo plane to reroute, the former top official said: "The choice of what lands and what doesn't land at the airport should be determined by the Haitians.

"Otherwise, it's a takeover, and what might happen is that the needs of Haitians are not taken into account."

SOURCE:Ex-minister warns of US 'takeover' of Haiti

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Other Important recent related news:

Haiti under US Occupation Threat

Row over US 'occupation' of Haiti

U.S. aid comes with strings attached

American military reoccupation of Haiti said Chavez

Morales deplores US 'occupation' of Haiti

Americans 'occupy' Haiti

Haiti needs water, not occupation

France criticizes US 'occupation' of Haiti

Haiti: U.S. military denies Doctors Without Borders

End.

[edit on 22-1-2010 by December_Rain]

[edit on 22-1-2010 by December_Rain]

[edit on 22-1-2010 by December_Rain]

Related thread: A Haiti Disaster Relief Scenario Was Envisaged by the US Military One Day Before the Earthquake

reply to post by December_Rain


Just curious... let's pretend you are the president of the US.

A massive earthquake has struck Haiti and the people are in dire need of all forms of help.

You have the military assets in theater to send as both emissaries and rescuers. You have navy ships stocked with supplies and helicopters.

The single runway airport is limited in the traffic it can handle and the port is damaged to the point that it is only 10 percent useful.

What do you do?

Well, you know if you send the help that is both available and abundant, someone will accuse you of invading.

As president of the most powerful nation in the hemisphere, you must do something.

Your plan, sir. Please.

Originally posted by redoubt
reply to post by December_Rain

 

Just curious... let's pretend you are the president of the US.

A massive earthquake has struck Haiti and the people are in dire need of all forms of help.

You have the military assets in theater to send as both emissaries and rescuers. You have navy ships stocked with supplies and helicopters.

Instead of sending cruise missile ships, 10,000 soldiers on warships which would wary other nations and Haitians itself wouldn't it be better to send 1000 doctors/ medical personnel with UN peace troops? With 10,000 troops they would have send everyday usage items for that many troops. Couldn't that space on ships be used to send more relief material?

The single runway airport is limited in the traffic it can handle and the port is damaged to the point that it is only 10 percent useful.What do you do?

Would making a co-ordinated post including other nations (including specialized relief personnel) which are providing aid sounds better..instead of solely taking over the airport and deciding itself which aid are to be allowed and which not?

Look I am not trying to demean USA for the aid it's providing, but the militarization is unnecessary and raises threat on sovereignty of Haitians for long time, since it's not long ago USA was one of occupying force of Haiti. I also agree, there is threat of violence, riots and security of relief personnel but that is what UN Peace keeping force is for.

reply to post by December_Rain

Instead of sending cruise missile ships, 10,000 soldiers on warships which would wary other nations and Haitians itself wouldn't it be better to send 1000 doctors/ medical personnel with UN peace troops? With 10,000 troops they would have send everyday usage items for that many troops. Couldn't that space on ships be used to send more relief material?

Fair enough but... bear in mind that just because a ship is armed with cruise missiles, does not require that they be used, lol. On board are other things like medical supplies, medical personnel and medical facilities, not to mention a landing pad and a few helicopters.

Also, your notion is okay but... where do you scratch up a thousand doctors, how do you transport them and then supply and feed them? And who pays for the UN 'peace' troops? Where do they come from? How do you get them in country?

I guess in my mind, I can't fault anyone for the chaos or the efforts so far. The US sent what it had as fast as it could into an impossible situation where there is simply no way to make everyone happy.

I suspect that if we had NOT sent those ships and personnel, there would be someone asking why.

Wasn't sure if you were trying to score political hay with this or not. Thanks for the follow up

I am having the strangest sensation of deja vu..

Like I said in the other thread with almost exactly the same title based on exactly the same article, if we really wanted to take over a country so small as Haiti we wouldn't need to wait for a natural disaster to do so. Everything I've seen and read so far leads me to believe that the people of Haiti don't care who it is we sent to help, they're just happy to have help.

But hey I guess that doesn't matter, we should've sent less people and let them all rot instead. At least then there wouldn't be constant accusations of occupation instead of recognizing it for what it is, the US helping people who will die if they don't have food, water, medical care, and aren't pulled from the rubble before it's too late.

reply to post by December_Rain


How is sending in UN "Peace" Troops any different than sending in American troops? The UN doesn't exactly have a ready supply of military units for rapid deployment to any given situation, the same goes for a multitude of doctors.
Derp derp derp
There is already a shortage of doctors, nurses, etc. in western civilization so what makes you think that hundreds of these guys are going to be on hand to respond to any disaster with such a tiny place to move everything through.
The US didn't even "occupy" the tiny little island nation for long to begin with, they came in, suppressed anything that fired at them, set the govt. back in power and then left all in a matter of a year.

I don't want in on the military and/or reasons af whyand/or how we use them.
I feel it immportant to ask, Why did it take so long to get this ball rolling?

Myself I live 900 miles from Florida, I could have rode a bicycle, and ten paddled a boat and got therre faster than we did, for that matter, some celebs beat us there!

This issue or problem at hand is what 100 miles from Florida?
We have problems getting there?
No way, it has to be political, or planning or both, it is not as simple as logistics, that can't be the problem for the massive stall in effort, IMO.

Sorry I'm not able to contribute much else, its just speculation and obsevation on my end, and I keep ending up with more questions, than results/or lack of.

reply to post by redoubt


The SOUTHCOM has already taken over what remains of the country's communications, transport and energy infrastructure. The airport is under de facto US control. Haiti's Carribean neighbours are facing obstacles from USA and are not being allowing by USA to send aid.

In all likelihood, even the activities of MINUSTAH will be put under de facto control of the US military as was the case in 2004. It is becoming more and more like colonisation. US Military is also seeking to oversee the activities of approved humanitarian organizations.

Originally posted by Doc Holiday
This issue or problem at hand is what 100 miles from Florida?
We have problems getting there?
No way, it has to be political, or planning or both, it is not as simple as logistics, that can't be the problem for the massive stall in effort, IMO.

I haven't checked to see exactly where the troops who were sent came from, but regardless of where it was there's a chain of command that orders have to go through so the guys at the bottom don't go anywhere until the upper rungs say so. It's not a massive stall effort, political, or planning problems. It's the chain of command at work. Calling up, organizing, and moving thousands of troops takes time. If any of them had to wait for supplies to take to Haiti as well it could add a bit more time to it as well.