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Crisis in the Caribbean

© Carey Goodman

Haiti is the Western hemisphere's poorest country. A former French colony, Haiti broke from that domination in 1804, the same year the US finalized the Louisiana Purchase. Haiti greeted its independence with hopes of establishing a democracy based on the US Constitution. But with a slave-oriented economy and no real way to develop it without more foreign support, Haitian democracy quickly vanished. Military and hereditary dictatorships prevailed. On a few occasions during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries US military forces were sent to Haiti to encourage a civil society. These deployments were conducted with neither explicit rules of engagement nor clear exit strategies. Recent events in Haiti are no exception to this trend.

In 1986 the Duvalier regime lost control of Haiti. "Papadoc" (Jean-Claude Duvalier Sr.) passed the accoutrements of authority to "Babydoc" (Jean-Claude Jr.) and fled to exile in southern France. "Babydoc" soon joined him there to enjoy a lavish lifestyle and spend the ill-got family fortune in a financially ridiculous manner. With the Duvaliers gone from power, a provisional coalition government ruled Haiti until elections were held in November 1987. These elections were anything but free and fair, and observers suggested abandoning the results. The government complied and held another round of elections that led to bloody mayhem and questionably valid results. A national government of sorts was created and served until 1990 when Jean Bertrand Aristide was elected President. A Catholic priest who practiced "liberation theology", Mr. Aristide took office with a landslide 67% of the votes and survived in power seven months. On 30 September 1991 a military junta ousted Mr. Aristide. He fled to the US and spent three years in exile there.

Haitians took to the seas on plank rafts to try to gain political asylum in the US, but the US regarded these Haitians as economic rather than political refugees and sent them back to Haiti. Armed intervention to force the junta from power was not considered; no national security interest was at stake in Haiti. The US hoped the junta would resign; the courtesy of formal diplomatic recognition and negotiations were denied them.

The US repeatedly insisted the junta step aside and restore Mr. Aristide to power. In October 1994 former US President Carter went to Haiti to negotiate a "resignation with honor" for the junta. Again confusion of principles ensued whereby enemies became friends, and presumed friends wondered where they stood with the US. After the Carter mission, US troops were sent to Haiti to secure Mr. Aristide's return as President. The rules of engagement were vague and included "no-shoot" provisions. Reports from US soldiers involved in the operation indicate that they were sent into potentially hostile situations with only fifteen rounds of ammunition. Standard issue is at least 210 rounds. The troops could not have shot back if the rules of engagement had allowed them to because they had no bullets.

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