Canadian soldiers heading for Haiti
PLA Daily 2004-02-26
OTTAWA, Feb. 26 (Xinhuanet) -- A small Canadian force of nine soldiers headed to Haiti on Wednesday to protect Canadian embassy staff, according to military sources.
The soldiers left Wednesday afternoon and were expected in the capital of Port-au-Prince by evening. They were to join five Canadian military planners already in the war-ravaged country preparing the potential evacuation of over 1,000 Canadians.
The soldiers were sent after Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs "asked for the provision of personnel to assist with security measures for the embassy and its staff."
A larger contingent of Canadian soldiers, but smaller than a 120-member company, has been put on alert and could depart to further secure the safety of embassy staff and other Canadian citizens in a matter of hours, according to the sources.
The Canadian government has said it would be willing to contribute to a police force to help establish stability if a political solution between the warring sides could be found.
The Canadian government has authorized the departure of non-essential staff from the embassy and all dependents of Canadian government personnel. Overall, there are about 30,000 foreigners in Haiti, some 20,000 of them are Americans.
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