Haiti needs water, not occupation

[Downwinder]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/jan/20/haiti-water-us-occupation

[EFerrari]

1. "Gauze, not guns" is how one doctor put it on Amy's show today.

[Judi Lynn]

2. Good quote from a man working with Partners in Health in Haiti:

~snip~

Dr Evan Lyon, of Partners in Health, a medical aid group famous for its heroic efforts in Haiti, referred to "misinformation and rumours … and racism" concerning security issues.

We've been circulating throughout the city until 2:00 and 3:00 in the morning every night, evacuating patients, moving materials. There's no UN guards. There's no US military presence. There's no Haitian police presence. And there's also no violence. There is no insecurity.

The good articles on the earthquake aftermath written by non-corporate journalists all confirm the true situation, putting the focus exactly where it belongs.

Thank you for the article by Mark Weisbrot.

[Peace Patriot]

3. Mark Weisbrot is THE most reliable English-language source on Latin America.

His research, analysis and understanding of Latin American issues are unparalleled.

So, what he says about the Haitian aid situation and US policy carries great weight with me. I've been withholding criticism myself because the situation is so dire. But France, Brazil, Venezuela, and Doctors Without Borders, the UN Food Program and other aid organizations, recently "broke ranks" (among aid givers) to criticize the US intention of "occupying" Haiti, which they are all saying has critically delayed crucial aid.

Weisbrot pulls these criticisms together, places them in the context of previous US policy in Haiti, and briefly discusses both the long- and -short term situation.

Long term, the questions are Haitian sovereignty and democracy--which the US has grossly interfered with in the past--and items like the IMF immediately jumping in, via this disaster, to saddle Haiti with humongous DEBT.

Short term, water! Instead of using Haiti's extremely limited airport space to infuse more and more and more US troops into Haiti--which are not needed right now--the US military should be doing air drops of water and food, and also opening the air space to mostly medical and other aid.