HAITI: U.S. Has No Plans to Accelerate Withdrawal Process

WASHINGTON, Nov 14 (IPS) - The U.S. administration of President Bill Clinton has no plans to speed up the withdrawal of troop.HC3rom Haiti in line with the wishes of Republican lawmakers, says the Pentagon.

Republicans, who are preparing to take control of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, have been calling for the withdrawal of troops from Haiti.

But Defence Secretary William Perry said Monday, "Our plan, as we've announced before, is to reduce to about 9,000 troops in Haiti by the end of the month." He said "there will be further reductions in December."

He spoke just a day after the current Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole said he would urge President Clinton to withdraw all the troops in less than two weeks. "It doesn't serve any purpose if there's no problem there," the Republican said on television.

"We ought to get the troops out of Haiti by Thanksgiving," he said, referring to the Nov. 24 U.S. holiday. "Let's get out before there is any bloodshed."

The comments reflect widespread Republican misgivings over the 12,403 U.S. troops in Haiti. The original force was 15,000-strong when it was deployed Sep. 18 to restore President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to power and force military leaders to step down. But the Pentagon announced the day before last week's mid-term elections that it planned to cut the force by 6,000 by month's end.

"I think the President should know now that Republicans who control the Congress may have a much different view on areas like Haiti and Bosnia and North Korea," Dole said Sunday.

Haiti activists are worried over the control incoming Republicans will have on foreign policy initiatives.

James Healy, a founding member of the lobbying agency, the Washington Office on Haiti (WOH), says the past week was "a most depressing week, given the political developments on Tuesday."

Healy was this weekend honoured by the Washington Office along with Fr. Antoine Adrien, a well-known Aristide advisor. He said the public statements made by prospective House Speaker Newt Gingrich since the Republican sweep did not augur well -- not only for Haiti -- but for other poor people as well.

"This fellow has warned us that a profound and passionate effort is about to be launched to put the poor back in their place -- that's under the feet of the rich," said Healy.

© Inter Press Service (2014) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service