27 May 2004
U.S. Marines Plan to Leave Haiti by End of June
Marines are part of multinational peacekeeping force in Haiti
By Eric Green
Washington File Staff Writer
Washington -- About 1,900 U.S. Marines who are part of a United Nations multinational interim peacekeeping force in Haiti plan to depart the Caribbean nation by the end of June, says the U.S. Department of Defense.
Brigadier General David Rodriguez, a Pentagon spokesman, said at a May 26 press briefing that the mandate for the interim U.N. force runs out on May 31, but U.S. personnel will continue to serve in Haiti until a "follow-on" U.N. stabilization mission in Haiti takes over the task of restoring peace and stability in the country. That follow-on force is scheduled to begin operations in Haiti June 1.
"We'll have all the [U.S.] Marines home by the end of June, unless something significantly changes," Rodriguez told reporters at the Pentagon.
The stabilization mission, approved by the U.N. Security Council April 30, will consist of about 1,600 civilians and 6,700 troops from various nations. They will replace the 3,600 service personnel from the United States, France, Canada, and Chile.
The United States welcomed the stabilization mission, saying that it marked "another important step forward in the international community's commitment to helping the Haitian people build a better future of democratic stability and economic prosperity." The United States said it would work with its partners in the multinational interim force to ensure a "smooth and effective transition" from the interim force to the new U.N. stabilization mission.
The new mission is scheduled to be deployed for an initial period of six months, with the intention to renew for further periods. The United States said it will continue to work closely with its partners in the international community, including the United Nations and the Organization of American States, to ensure the success of the stabilization force.
The United States also said it is important for the Haitian people, the country's neighbors in the hemisphere, and the larger international community that a "peaceful and constitutional political process more forward, including creating the conditions for elections" in Haiti "as soon as practicable."
The U.S.-led interim peacekeeping force first entered Haiti to restore security in the country following the February 29 resignation and departure of former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
The United States said the multinational interim force "accomplished all of its missions by contributing to a stable and secure environment" in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince and to other major population areas, including the cities of Cap Haitian, Gonaives, Fort Liberte, Les Cayes, and Jacmel.
Meanwhile, David Rodriguez, the Pentagon spokesman, said the U.S.-led force in Haiti is supplying humanitarian aid and disaster relief to Haitians suffering from the effects of severe flooding and mudslides that occurred in the border region with the Dominican Republic.
Rodriguez said the force has airlifted more than 15,880 kilograms (35,000 pounds) of bottled water and 10 pallets of food supplies to the area near the village of Fond Veretes, about 50 kilometers southeast of Port-au-Prince. The force also dispatched U.S. civil affairs specialists and a U.S. Marine security team to the area to assist U.N. and host-nation government officials with relief efforts.
"We continue to monitor the situation as it develops, and will assist wherever we can," Rodriguez said.
For its part, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has contributed $50,000 to its mission in the Dominican Republic to help that nation deal with the heavy rain and persistent flooding that the agency said has already claimed over 145 lives and displaced more than 13,000 people since the natural disaster struck the nation May 24.
Due to the extent of the flood damage, U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic Hans Hertell issued a disaster declaration for that nation on May 26.
USAID said in a May 26 press release that its $50,000 contribution to its mission in the Dominican Republic will assist disaster-relief efforts undertaken by a nongovernmental organization and by the Dominican government, as well.
The USAID mission will provide $40,000 to the humanitarian organization World Vision to purchase and distribute emergency non-food relief supplies. The mission will also provide $10,000 to the government of the Dominican Republic to purchase fuel needed to repair roads and improve humanitarian access to affected areas in the southwest of the country.
(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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