19302; Esser: Will U.S. fail Haiti's humanitarian crisis again? (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: D. E s s e r <torx@joimail.com>

The Houston Chronicle
http://www.chron.com

Feb. 26, 2004, 8:43PM

Will U.S. fail Haiti's humanitarian crisis again?
By SEN. BOB GRAHAM

The nation of Haiti now faces the collapse or violent overthrow of
its democratically elected government, and with no clear governmental
structure to take its place. This situation, combined with a looming
humanitarian catastrophe, demands the attention of the United States.

The current crisis is forcing poor Haitians -- among the most
malnourished people on Earth -- to eat the seeds they saved for
spring planting. With nothing planted, there will be no harvest.
These desperate food shortages will strike at the same time that the
weather improves, and a massive exodus by sea will be feasible and
more likely.

Despite these developments, there has been little or no contact
between federal agencies and state and local authorities to prepare
for the potential influx of refugees. The principal agencies of the
federal government have limited capacity to handle an immigration
crisis. And it does not help that the Bush administration is
approaching the problem in Haiti as a political crisis. Until the
paltry and late-starting diplomatic efforts run their course, the
administration maintains there is no basis for dealing with the
humanitarian crisis.

Our first priority must be this humanitarian crisis, and finding a
way to halt the violence that has fueled it. If we wait for a
political settlement, we will be tolerating more deaths due to
violence, the meager food supply and the lack of adequate health
services. If we continue to wait for a political solution, the
country will come under the control of armed gangs, drug dealers and
thugs.

These conditions represent a clear threat to the national security of
the United States -- and to the security of allies even closer to
Haiti than we are. It is estimated that approximately 30 percent of
the population of the Bahamas is Haitian refugees. Allowing the
crisis in Haiti to continue could destabilize the Bahamas and the
Dominican Republic.

Ultimately there is no alternative to the use of U.S. influence. We
must become engaged at a serious and sustained level or be prepared
to pay the cost of chaos 600 miles off our coast and on the seas that
separate us from Haiti.

The first step should be a police presence of sufficient scale that
it can quell the violence. This can and should be done under the
auspices of the Organization of American States, but the United
States must be a full participant.

To ensure the success of that police presence, the U.S. military
should serve as a visible backup force. It worked off the coast of
Liberia when we sent a Marine amphibious group aboard Navy ships to
stand by while we put ashore a Marine security team to protect our
embassy.

We must enhance our humanitarian presence, starting with emergency
deliveries of additional foodstuffs and medical supplies. And we must
ensure the deliveries of those supplies throughout the countryside.

President Bush should consider the appointment of a high-level
delegation to Haiti -- like the 1994 group of former President Jimmy
Carter, then-Sen. Sam Nunn and Gen. Colin Powell -- to make our
expectations, as well as our commitment, clear.

By its unwillingness to engage in a leadership role in the world --
with the singular exception of Iraq -- this administration is ceding
its sovereignty to other nations. That loss comes at a heavy price in
our ability to deal with other countries and with international
organizations from a position of strength. The administration appears
indifferent at best to our neighbors in this hemisphere, especially
Latin America. This is surprising and distressing, because candidate
George W. Bush stated that, as president, he would pursue far greater
involvement between the United States and our neighbors in this
hemisphere.

But after crises in Argentina, Bolivia and Venezuela, and now this
test in Haiti, the Bush administration has created yet another
credibility gap.

This is the latest example of the need for a U.S. or international
capacity to respond effectively in nation-sustaining -- even
nation-building -- after our military has successfully secured the
territory. The failure to have such a capacity after the 1994
invasion is a primary reason why we are on the edge of the volcano in
Haiti again -- just 10 short years later.

Graham is a Democratic senator from Florida.