US forces scale back Haiti earthquake relief role

[Liberal_in_LA]

US forces scale back Haiti earthquake relief role
By JAMES ANDERSON and JONATHAN M. KATZ, Associated Press Writer

Sunday, February 14, 2010

(02-14) 16:30 PST PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) --

The biggest U.S. military surge since Iraq and Afghanistan is scaling back a month after the troops arrived in haste to aid victims of Haiti's catastrophic quake.


Great gray ships have been leaving behind Haiti's battered shores as thousands of American troops packed up their tents. The mission, however, is far from over.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates says the U.S. will be in Haiti for the long haul, although troop strength is down to 13,000 from a Feb. 1 peak of 20,000. Those who remain will accompany Haitians in an arduous struggle toward recovery.

Within a broad and international relief effort, U.S. forces have provided some of the most visible support to a nation whose government and infrastructure were nearly wiped out in less than a minute on Jan. 12.

They have shored up the capital's quake-damaged port to operate at several times its pre-quake tonnage, while acting as a security and logistics mainstay for U.N. food distributions. Military choppers have delivered life-sustaining relief to isolated villages.


Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/02/14/international/i155042S34.DTL&tsp=1#ixzz0fYnnIrxX

[Merchant Marine]

1. But wait, I thought we were invading Haiti!

[WolverineDG]

2. Yeah, I thought we were taking over & stuff

:shrug:

dg