Posted on 01/17/2010 3:30:35 AM PST by Scanian
WASHINGTON — The top U.S. military officer is leaving open the possibility of a growing security role for U.S. forces if desperation turns to violence in Haiti, a risky undertaking in a country that was chaotic even before this week’s devastating earthquake.
U.S. forces sent to Haiti to help relief efforts are operating under what two military officials said Friday is an adaptation of standard military rules of engagement that allows for self-defense even though the Pentagon does not expect a need for it. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to characterize the confidential rules.
The Pentagon is planning for both a short-term relief mission and the possibility of a longer-term role supporting 9,000 United Nations security forces but not supplanting them, officials said. The United States has the flexibility to assume a much larger security role, but the Obama administration so far is downplaying the chance of one.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
the possibility of a longer-term role supporting 9,000 United Nations security forces but not supplanting them, officials said.
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Now that’s a pile of chit..NO!
This mess is going to turn into bad news and no exit strategy.
Exactly! Been there done that, BUT, it hasn’t been done the Messianic Way of Dear Leader. This was just another trial balloon that blew up before it go off the gas bottle nipple.
Send in the French. At least they will have some way of knowing what in the hell those people are saying!
Why?
Because the relief effort will take at least that long, & the majority of those providing that relief are Americans, who deserve the protection & assistance of our military in a very DANGEROUS place.
The relief workers - doctors, nurses, EMTs, Firefighters, searchers, ..... - are the “Finest Kind”, people willing to sacrifice to help others, in the most horrendous of situations. Literally risking their lives to help. I imagine our military is proud to assist this effort, & I am damn proud of them for doing it.
I would NEVER cede this HUGE responsibility to the corrupt & inept UN. If your son, daughter, doctor, friend, or pastor was a relief worker in Haiti, who would you want watching their back?
So, nobama, what is your exit strategy? Maybe this is your way of getting to the magic number of 57 states.
The people of Haiti have to very very careful. The US government is there to help.
The last time our military ran Haiti we were there in force for 19 years, from 1915 to 1934.
The Christian school where my son has done mission work in Haiti has it’s own armed security force.
First time my son was there, he and his fellow missionaries want to go out in the neighborhood right behind the school compound to try to get people to come to a worship service, but the group they were staying with told them that if they went out, the group could not be responsible for their safety.
In fact, my son was suppose to go on his first trip there in 2007, but there were so many kidnappings going on at that time, that the pastor of the church in Haiti told his group not to come, it was just too dangerous.
Now, add to the mix a horrible natural disaster. Yes, if my son goes back, I would want our military protecting him!
(I have to say, of all the things I was worried about while my son was there, an earthquake NEVER entered my mind.)
As you can see from my post, I prefer American forces remain in Haiti until the relief effort is largely finished, for the protection of the aid workers & restoration of some semblance of order.
I don't believe that will happen until basic services (water, sewer, & elec.) are largely restored in PaP & other population centers. To do that, the streets & damaged buildings have to be cleared, which will be slow work because of the possibility of victims still alive in the rubble, & because of dead body removal. As with the WTC, that alone could take months.
I must say, though, that our military has years of experience securing & rebuilding Iraq & Afghanistan that will serve them well in Haiti. And Haitian thugs will likely be scared of our battle hardened troops.
Look. Sh&t happens! Often! To you, your friends, neighbors, relatives, & strangers; at very inconvenient times. Sometimes, you have to do what it takes, for as long as it takes. Now is the time for saving lives. Exit strategies can be considered later.
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“The last time our military ran Haiti we were there in force for 19 years, from 1915 to 1934.”
That is the plan - again -
Redistribution in 3D - forever -
I hope that folks around here will not let their disdain for Obama cloud their common sense & compassion.
He'll end up making Haitians eligible for US welfare like Puerto Ricans are.
We give Haiti $290 million a year now. Could it be that part of Haiti’s problem is they’ve come to expect one bailout after another from us ?
I guess the question for our Leader (nobama) is: should the US taxpayers rebuild it to where it was (a slum without much) or to our standard. As to the “our standard” why should the US do that? Shouldn’t the Haitians work hard, stop being corrupt and socialistic and do so themselves? Why does the US taxpayer have some sort of obligation to that country????? Shouldn’t the “elite” of Haiti open their Swiss bank accounts and help their lousy country and its people?
Question:
With the absolute labyrinth of the houses on the ground in Haiti- when all that rubble is removed and any attempt at creating new housing is begun- how many here will bet me that the records of land ownership in Haiti are very convoluted? How many will bet me that alot of those ‘houses’ were really squatters?
Rebuilding on property that no one knows who owns will be a total time consuming nightmare. Some of those ‘homes’ didn’t look larger than 500 sq ft. & they are all connected- wall to wall- to wall.
Are the land ownership records even still viable?
This will turn into a money pit-
Bets, anyone?
Haiti's problem, right NOW, is they are a victim of a NATURAL disaster & desperately need assistance. We are their neighbors. We, & all the other neighbors should give all assistance possible, simply because we are compassionate HUMANS & not dispassionate animals.
I would expect the USA to offer this assistance to NK, Iran, or any other country that suffers a natural disaster. This is part of what makes the USA special. It's a “good thing” - something to be proud of. Smile, & remind yourself that we are a great country.
As for our assistance in the past, it has clearly not done much good. 80% poverty. I suspect much of the money going to Haiti in the past has found the pockets of corrupt UN & Haitian officials & their cronies.
From the looks of many of the flattened buildings, I believe we will hear of shoddy construction & concrete that was mostly sand. I'll bet newer construction suffered worse than older buildings. That newer construction “built” with UN & US dollars.
[Redistribution in 3D - forever -]
This will be Obama’s war - but of a different nature.
He planned to redistribute the wealth anyway....
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