Haiti is located on the western side of the island of Hispaniola approximately 700 miles southeast of Miami between Puerto Rico and Cuba. The Treaty of Ryswick signed by France and Spain in 1697 resulted in the formation of two separate but incongruous states, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The official language of Haiti is French and Creole while in the Dominican Republic it is Spanish. The mostly black population is a result of slave trading when it was a French colony.
In 1897 through 1912 instability in Haiti drew attention to its strategic importance. A small number of Germans maintained a large amount of economic power. German military intervention during a Haitian revolt in 1902 and word that Berlin considered using Haiti as a fueling station for its naval fleet became a concern for the United States. Under the policies of the “Monroe Doctrine” President Woodrow Wilson began planning for the occupation of Haiti.
The occupation of Haiti finally ensued and the United States ruled Haiti through a military government from 1915 through 1934. Under military rule Haiti prospered through development of a road system, schools, improved disease prevention, medical care and communications.
Unfortunately the Haitians grew to resent the occupation of the United States and violent protests resulted in the deaths of many Haitians at the hands of the US military. In 1934 the US left Haiti and the country became a dictatorship.
In 1990 Jean-Bertrand Aristide a Roman Catholic priest was elected president. In September 1991 he was forced out of office by elements of the Haitian military. Several more changes in power and sanctions by the UN were meant to force the return of President Aristide in October of 1993. However the Haitian military thwarted the process. Then the situation deteriorated into chaos as the de facto government allowed torture, assassination, and rape, despite international condemnation.
In 1994 the UN under Resolution 940 authorized member states to use any necessary means to restore peace and Aristide as president. The Unites States formed a multinational force and “Operation Uphold Democracy” began in September. The operation involved an invasion with approximately 4,000 U.S. paratroopers. As the invasion force approached Haiti, the Haitian government agreed to allow the American forces to enter, thus preventing ground hostilities. President Clinton sent a team led by former President Jimmy Carter to negotiate the terms of installing a legitimate government and the return of Aristide as president.
Despite Haitian support for democracy, the flawed election of Aristide in 2000 led to an attempted coup d’état on December 17, 2001. Under the Bush administration support for Aristide declined. In 2002 Aristide asked the Organization of American States to help him maintain security and support for fair elections, his request was denied. In September of 2002 the Organization of American States passed a resolution to select a council to oversee the election process but the elections never happened.
Several armed opposition groups committed atrocities while vying for power and by February 2004 rebel groups seized Haiti’s fourth largest city, Gonaives. On 29 February Aristide left the country while Haiti’s chief justice of the Supreme Court took over leadership. At the same time the UN adopted Resolution 1529 allowing a Multinational Interim Force to enter Haiti. On that same day President Bush sent US Marines into Haiti. By early March soldiers from France, Chili, Canada, and other countries entered Haiti. The Department of Defense named the multinational operation “Operation Secure Tomorrow“. By June 2004 a follow-on force of about 6,700 military personnel relieved U.S. forces.
“Operation New Horizons” exercises started in 2001 were to benefit the Caribbean Islands and at the same time provide training for the U.S. military. In 2005 New Horizons Haiti was an exercise that built schools, drilled wells, provided medical care, and subsidized two orphanages and a hospital. United States military units from Mississippi, Maryland, Puerto Rico, Florida, and others teamed together to lead to the success of the mission. On 5 May 2005, in a ceremony signifying the end of New Horizons Haiti, the U.S. Embassy deputy chief of Mission, and Rear Admiral Vinson Smith, commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command, turned over three new schools to the people of Haiti.
In 2008 Haiti was devastated by three tropical storms over a three-week period leaving hundreds of thousands without food, water and shelter. Through operation “Continuing Promise 2008” the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge delivered tons of food to Haiti and provided sailors on the ground to help with distribution. By the end of the mission over 3 million pounds of supplies were provided to Haiti. U.S. Air force and Navy engineers from the Kearsarge further assisted the Haitian government in determining the extent of damage and needed repairs to bridges and roads.
The recent magnitude 7.0 earthquake that occurred on January 12 has once again necessitated the mobilization of our military in “Operation Unified Response“. Units from Fort Bragg and the XVIII Airborne Corps, 73 Cavalry Regiment, have been deployed as well as units from the 82nd Airborne Division. In addition the Air Mobility Command has deployed numerous aircraft in support of the operation. The 12th Reconnaissance Squadron is using an RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned reconnaissance aircraft to help with the mission by providing ground photographs. The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) along with several other ships are providing support.
This is only a brief synopsis of Haiti. One can find a more in depth history at http://www.globalsecurity.org.
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