Haiti update 2-19-2010

[Liberal_in_LA]

Haiti to Appropriate Land for Tent Camps
Premier Says Government Has No Choice in Constructing Temporary Housing for Quake Victims

(AP) Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive said the Haitian government will appropriate privately-held land to build temporary camps for earthquake victims.

Bellerive told The Associated Press in an interview that the government owns some land but not enough, meaning he has no choice but to take over private terrain.

He would not say how much terrain will be taken over.

Haitian law provides for such takeovers as long as they are in the public interest and the owners are fairly compensated, said lawyer Benissoit Jude Detournel, who handles property disputes.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/02/19/world/main6223995.shtml?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CBSNewsGamecore+%28GameCore%3A+CBSnews.com%29

American flight reopens Haiti commercial air links

By Pascal Fletcher

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Feb 19 (Reuters) - American Airlines on Friday flew the first commercial passenger flight into Haiti since the Jan. 12 earthquake, reopening major commercial airline links with the quake-hit Caribbean country.

Flight AA 377 from Miami, a Boeing 737 carrying 136 passengers, touched down at Toussaint L'Ouverture airport in Port-au-Prince and taxied up to the terminal, which was damaged in the quake but has been operating with the help of U.S. military engineers and air force controllers.

The pilots waved a red and blue Haitian flag from the cockpit window to celebrate the arrival of the first major commercial passenger flight to Haiti since it was struck by the magnitude 7 quake last month.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1912670320100219?type=marketsNews

[tabatha]

1. Other stories:

http://www.independent.com/news/2010/feb/18/bringing-hope-haiti/

http://www.independent.com/news/2010/feb/19/local-rescue-dogs-save-haitin-lives/