U.S., French Troops Control Haitian Capital Airport

March 1, 2004 

U.S., French Troops Control Haitian Capital Airport
Islam Online, UK
 
PORT-AU-PRINCE, March 1 (IslamOnline.net & News
Agencies) - U.S. Marines and French troops Monday,
March 1, took over the Haitian capital's international
airport, vowing to restore peace and order as South
Africa hinted it would grant the Caribbean nation's
former President political asylum if he asked for it.

Between 150 and 200 Marines arrived overnight,
followed at dawn by the first of 130 French troops
expected Monday at the airport, to spearhead a
multinational force authorized by the United Nations,
according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).

The Marines promptly set up a control-and-command
center in the airports' diplomatic lounge and unloaded
several military trucks and Humvees off the military
transport planes that flew them into Port-au-Prince.

Shortly after landing at dawn, French officers were
briefed on the violence hotspots of the crisis-wracked
country, while soldiers carried crates of Evian water.

"U.S. forces have been sent to secure key sights in
the capital for the purpose of establishing peace and
security and help promote the constitutional and
political process," Colonel Dave Berger, who commands
the contingent from the 3rd Battalion of 8th Marines,
was quoted by AFP.

"We're here to create conditions for the anticipated
arrival of a U.N. multinational force," he said.

The troops' arrival followed a day of violence and
looting sparked by the resignation and flight of
President Jean Bertrand Aristide following an almost
month-old crisis. U.S. and French authorities had
piled pressure on the increasingly isolated leader to
step down.

The French troops planned to head later in the day
into the city, initially to their nation's Embassy,
while Berger said the Marines would deploy from the
airport "sooner rather than later."

"Our first priority is to make sure the airport
remains operational and safe," said Berger.

About 50 U.S. Marines had been deployed earlier to
protect the U.S. Embassy, and 10 Marines could be seen
on the grounds of the Presidential palace Monday
morning, as rebel leader Guy Philippe entered the
capital with a dozen heavily armed men.

The U.S. troops who landed Sunday night were met by a
small team of Canadian Special Forces, who earlier in
the day had secured the airport to allow the departure
of foreigners seeking to leave the volatile country.

Berger said he had not expected to find a hostile
environment upon arrival in the Haitian capital, where
national police eventually restored order after
Sunday's violence and imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew.

"We did not expect to come off the aircraft and fight
our way to the terminal," said Berger.

But he warned that "people who interfere with our
mission we'll handle in an appropriate way and with
appropriate force."

While calm generally prevailed in the city, there was
still some looting and a number of roads remained
blocked by barricades.

One convoy of Marines and U.S. diplomatic security
agents driving in the city were forced to turn back at
one stage because the road was blocked off.

A number of Haitians-Americans were part of the U.S.
troops who arrived overnight, joining another 50
Marines deployed earlier to protect the U.S. Embassy.

Asked about cooperation with the French - who had
caused anger in Washington by refusing to participate
in the invasion of Iraq - Berger laughed and said "it
will be very good, very good."

"The cooperation between us, the French and the
Canadians will not be an issue at all. We all have a
job to do."

French Ambassador Thierry Burkard, who was on hand to
welcome the French troops at the airport, also said
the troops would work together. "There will be
coordination between the various forces," he said.

Possible Asylum Hint For Aristide

 
Aristide will seemingly be granted asylum in South
Africa

 
In another development, South Africa hinted Monday
that it was ready to offer asylum to Aristide, who
enjoys good relations with President Thabo Mbeki.

Mbeki was the only head of state to attend the 200th
anniversary of Haiti's establishment as the world's
first black republic in January, a visit for which he
came in for stern criticism back home.

And South Africa gave Haiti 10 million rand (1.5
million dollars, 1.2 million euros) toward the cost of
the celebrations of the uprisings against Napoleon's
troops which saw the Caribbean territory gain
independence from France and become the world's first
black republic.

"In principle we would have no problem" with asylum,
Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad told journalists in
Pretoria as Aristide and his wife Mildred arrived in
the Central African Republic after fleeing their
violence-wracked Caribbean nation.

An official in the Central African capital Bangui said
the visit was just a stopover, due to last a few days
before Aristide heads into exile in South Africa.

Pahad said there had been no formal request for
asylum, but that Foreign Minister Nkosazana Nkosazana
Dlamini-Zuma, currently in India, was discussing the
issue with her "counterparts from other countries".

Pahad said that if an asylum request were made, "We
will want to consult with the regional players,
Caricom (the 15-nation Caribbean Community), and the
Organization of American States and with other key
players, France and the USA."

Pallo Jordan, the head of parliament's foreign affairs
committee and a leading member of Mbeki's ruling
African National Congress, also backed the idea of
asylum for Aristide, but tempered his support with
criticism of the former priest.

"If it's going to help things giving even a nasty man
political asylum in a country so that solutions may be
found to problems in his country, you do it," he said.

"You might hold your nose while you do it but you do
it nonetheless ..." he said.

"If the alternatives are, for example, Aristide is
going to go some place, organize an army and try to
invade Haiti again, is that a better option?"

However, opposition parties took the opposing tack,
with Douglas Gibson, chief whip of the main opposition
Democratic Alliance, saying: "If Mr Aristide comes to
South Africa and this is his place of exile, it will
be without ... our encouragement. We don't think it is
in the interest of South Africa." 

 Do you have an opinion about this story?
Share it with other readers in our CAA Discussion Forums

http://www.californiaaviation.org/dc/dcboard.php

*****************************************