Thread: US Aid to Haiti: Is it Humanitarian or Invasion/Occupation

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


by Michel Chossudovsky
Global Research
January 15, 2010


Haiti has a longstanding history of US military intervention and occupation going back to the beginning of the 20th Century. US interventionism has contributed to the destruction of Haiti's national economy and the impoverishment of its population.

The devastating earthquake is presented to World public opinion as the sole cause of the country's predicament.

A country has been destroyed, its infrastructure demolished. Its people precipitated into abysmal poverty and despair.

Haiti's history, its colonial past have been erased.

The US military has come to the rescue of an impoverished Nation. What is its Mandate?

Is it Humanitarian Operation or an Invasion?

The main actors in America's "humanitarian operation" are the Department of Defense, the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). (See USAID Speeches: On-The-Record Briefing on the Situation in Haiti, 01/13/10). USAID has also been entrusted in channelling food aid to Haiti, which is distributed by the World Food Program. (See USAID Press Release: USAID to Provide Emergency Food Aid for Haiti Earthquake Victims, January 13, 2010)

The military component of the US mission, however, tends to overshadow the civilian functions of rescuing a desperate and impoverished population. The overall humanitarian operation is not being led by civilian governmental agencies such as FEMA or USAID, but by the Pentagon.

The dominant decision making role has been entrusted to US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM).

A massive deployment of military hardware personnel is contemplated. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen has confirmed that the US will be sending nine to ten thousand troops to Haiti, including 2000 marines. (American Forces Press Service, January 14, 2010)

Aircraft carrier, USS Carl Vinson and its complement of supporting ships has already arrived in Port au Prince. (January 15, 2010). The 2,000-member Marine Amphibious Unit as well as and soldiers from the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne division "are trained in a wide variety of missions including security and riot-control in addition to humanitarian tasks."

In contrast to rescue and relief teams dispatched by various civilian teams and organizations, the humanitarian mandate of the US military is not clearly defined:

“Marines are definitely warriors first, and that is what the world knows the Marines for,... [but] we’re equally as compassionate when we need to be, and this is a role that we’d like to show -- that compassionate warrior, reaching out with a helping hand for those who need it. We are very excited about this.â€

We're on the skids, and sending aid?! With what? How much? How about helping our own first! I'm tired of helping other countries who spit on us as a thankyou.

Hey I got a great idea! China is doing so weel, so let them go help instead. Or Europe. There are enough smug people there who think they're better than us, so let them extend a helping hand. Why is it always America who has to send help.

Screw the rest of the world. We got enough problems here without complicating matters.

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

That's a legitimate question.

A country has been destroyed, its infrastructure demolished. Its people precipitated into abysmal poverty and despair.

And this was before the earthquake ever hit! Once again, our government is simply using the earthquake as an opportunity to further interests in the Caribbean.

Let's face it: we're damned if we do and damned if we don't! What if we had done nothing? The firestorm of critcisism would be unbelievable.

Haiti has a long history of political unrest and could easily slip into social chaos. Humans can live under these types of horrific conditions for about a week before they explode. They need a military presence until some sembelence of order is restored. I don't think the US has any designs on "occupying" Haiti.

Originally Posted by NoBueno

Once again, our government is simply using the earthquake as an opportunity to further interests in the Caribbean.

As Rahm Emanuel stated, "you never let a serious crisis go to waste."

The United States Occupation of Haiti
(1915-1935)

Wikipedia, the Free Enclyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Sta ... n_of_Haiti

I agree that this instant, massive deployment of U.S. military personnel, ships, and aircraft seems unrelated to the primary mission of providing humanitarian aid to Haiti. The island of Hispanola, comprising the countries of Haiti and the Dominican Republic (where Bill and Hillary Clinton own property), is located in close proximity to Cuba. It is an unsettling thought that the U.S. government might be planning to use this natural disaster as a pretext to establish a permanent miliary presence there in preparation for the death of Fidel Castro. Unfortunately for the small nations of the Caribbean, nations in both North and South America (Venezuela) seem to have an active eye toward expanding their influence there. There is currently another bill in the House of Representatives to try to cajol the citizens of Puerto Rico into voting for U.S. statehood - a move they already have declined several times.