UN Fires on Haitians Protesting against Cholera Epidemic and Corruption by Stanley Lucas

UN labels Haitian protestors “criminals”

Edmond Mulet, the head of the UN Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), issued a press release on November 18 ( http://minustah.org/?p=27786 ) labeling Haitian protestors as “criminals”.  This press release is the latest insult in an increasingly strained relationship between the Haitian people and the UN Mission.

Mr. Mulet showed an extraordinary lack of cultural sensitivity to the Haitian people by issuing his release on that date which marks the day of the Battle of Vertieres (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Vertières ), which marks the battle won on that day against the French occupiers.  This day may not mean anything to Mr. Mulet, but it is very significant to the eight million Haitians who live in a free republic today as a result of our ancestors fight against slavery and oppression.  To issue the release on that day is a special kind of political insult to the Haitian people.

But more importantly, it is astounding that a UN spokesperson would label peaceful protestors as “criminals”.  Peaceful protest is a fundamental principle of democracy. Thousands of Haitians have been taking to the streets for the past week to vent frustration against a myriad of issues, including the corruption of the Haitian government, the lack of results in the earthquake recovery effort, the UN role in the cholera epidemic, and the upcoming electoral coup being orchestrated by President Preval.  The protests have been heated – to be sure – but protestors are unarmed.  By no means does this meet the definition of a criminal act.

The Haitian people have lived in inhumane conditions since January 12.  Private citizens and the international community to help with the disaster and emergency response and to rebuild Haiti donated more than $4 billion.  Ten months later, rubble remains in the street and more than 1.7 million people live in 1,350 makeshift tent cities with no electricity, sanitation or regular access to food or healthcare. 

UN fires on protestors

Why was this offensive press release issued?  The UN needed to get in front of a story and yet another controversial action.  On November 17-18, UN troops fired on unarmed demonstrators in Cap Haitien (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wihc8fSGiXk ).  In an effort to frame the story, Mr. Mulet hastened to issue the press release and go on the offensive.

Haitian citizens have absolutely no recourse but peaceful protest.  On the one hand, they live under a corrupt and inept regime focused only on retaining power by rigging the upcoming elections robbing them of their right to choose new leadership for their ailing country.  And on the other hand, the international community, led by the UN, has failed to make any progress over the past 10 months and has only supported the corrupted electoral process despite overwhelming evidence that the fix is in. 

Firing on demonstrators is not the action of a peacekeeping force; these actions verge on the behavior of foreign occupiers.  At this point, it is difficult to see how Haitians will come to trust the UN and impossible to see how the UN will defend this story once it’s publicized. 

UN defies calls for cholera investigation

The simmering tensions with the UN reached a head when it became know that all evidence points to the Nepalese base of MINUSTAH being the source of the cholera outbreak (for a full summary of the evidence see: http://solutionshaiti.blogspot.com/2010/11/cholera-in-haiti-is-united-nations.html  and see http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/11/19/v-fullstory/1934414/un-worries-its-troops-caused-cholera.html . Protests have centered on this issue and broken out throughout the country.  The UN has steadfastly denied the charges and remained firm that identifying the source of the outbreak is merely a distraction.  And, for good measure, they impugned the Haitian culture as being rife with rumor mongering dismissing these claims as nothing but the latest rumors to sweep through the country.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  The UN is merely concerned with preserving its funding and reputation.

Haitians in the Mirebalais region obtained photographic evidence showing UN contractors dumping sewage from the Nepalese base of MINUSTAH into a tributary of the Artibonite River, a main source of drinking water for many of the tent camps. 

Furthermore, there is video evidence of Nepalese soldiers covering up the trenches connecting their toilets to the tributary (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gk-2HyQHUZ0&feature=player_embedded ).  The same thing can happen in Fort Liberte in the North East Department where the sewage of the UN base was dumped in the Bassin Poisson of Fort Liberte Lac (see pictures below). The soldiers of that base are from Chile and Nepal. These Nepalese soldiers in the North might be also carrying the cholera bacteria.

The US CDC determined that the strain of cholera in Haiti is of South Asian origin. See: http://www.cdc.gov/media/pressrel/2010/r101101.html We know that six months prior to the cholera outbreak in Haiti, Kathmandu experienced a cholera outbreak.  There are no other troops from the South Asia region currently stationed in Haiti and unlikely that there are any South Asian aid workers currently in Haiti.  And, Nepalese troops arrived in Haiti shortly before the cholera outbreak. 

Suspicious information about medical test results were leaked by MINUSTAH as unofficial evidence that tests had been conducted on the soldiers.  The tests were supposedly conducted by CEDIMAT, a medical organization from the Dominican Republic, which has worked for MINUSTAH since 2004.  Until now it’s not clear whether or not the Nepalese soldiers have been tested.  The Dominican doctor, Maximo Rodriguez, an obesity specialist, was supposed to be in charge of administering the tests and admittedly has no expertise with infectious diseases.  Further, according to several epidemiologists interviewed by the Associated Press, his laboratory is incapable of conducting such tests.  The leaked testing report gives the name of the soldier, identifies his employer as MINUSTAH, and notes that he is a 40-year-old male.

And finally, a Swedish diplomat went on the record about the Nepalese soldiers being the source of the outbreak in Haiti: (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/6945229.cms?prtpage=1).

In the face of this evidence, the UN denies that there is conclusive proof that their Nepalese troops are the source of the outbreak.  With tensions already simmering against the UN after a series of controversies, this gross mismanagement of the issue brought the tensions to head and resulted in a series of angry protests throughout the country. 

Their mismanagement of this issue in the first place by failing to put in place proper controls has resulted in the introduction of cholera into an already desperate situation, but their refusal to acknowledge and deal with the source of the outbreak is egregious.  Why is it important to establish where the cholera originated?  Medically it helps provide more effective treatment and could prevent more deaths.  But the cost of dealing with this disease is significant and it is unclear now who is responsible for incurring those costs.  It is estimated that it will cost $5-10 billion to treat and contain the outbreak over the next several years.  Where will that money come from?  Will that come from the $10 billion that the international community pledged to help rebuild the country?  Or will the Haitian people have to pay for this?  This is a significant issue that the UN is hoping to defer.  Haitians should not be saddled with these costs, particularly if it comes at the expense of rebuilding the country.  In the US when BP was responsible for the worst oil spill in history, the US government held them accountable.  BP acknowledged their responsibility and set up a US$20 billion fund to help the victims the disaster. Why shouldn’t the Haitian government be able to hold the UN accountable?

HIRC awards no-bid contracts

Meanwhile, rebuilding is at an almost total standstill.  Rubble remains in the streets and there has been no effort to find more permanent housing solutions for the 1.7 million homeless people.  At a recent press conference, Bill Clinton, the UN Special Envoy to Haiti and co-chair of the newly formed Haitian Interim Recovery Commission (HIRC) pleaded for patience while they work through an action plan and a strategy for the long-term development of Haiti (link). 

So far, only 23% of the money has been committed.  Of that $200 million has been awarded to foreign contractors in no-bid contracts.  What does awarding foreign companies lucrative contracts do for Haiti in the long term?  Does it build capacity in-country?  Does it enrich the local economy?  Several commentators are starting to assert that the rebuilding is merely charity for profit (http://www.prevalhaiti.com/messages.php/25145).  After the round the clock Haiti coverage in the wake of the disaster in January, there has been only the most minor media attention to the glacial pace of rebuilding.

UN track record in Haiti

For overall context, it is worthwhile to review the UN’s track record in Haiti.  Since 2004, the UN has spent $4 billion maintaining a mission in Haiti -- most of the funding coming from the US taxpayers.  There is almost nothing to show for this expenditure.  No schools, hospitals or roads were built.  After six years, the country remains as unstable as it was the day they set up shop.  Instead, there has been a string of controversies.

MINUSTAH suffered heavy losses during the earthquake.  A significant percentage of their employees were killed and their headquarters collapsed.  This was shocking.  Since October 2002, the UN knew that Haiti sat on two fault lines and faced the imminent possibility that an earthquake would hit the country, but failed to make any preparations for such an event (http://www.bme.gouv.ht/alea%20sismique/Alea_sismique%20HAITI.pdf).

In 2007, members of MINUSTAH were implicated in a corruption scandal with Haiti’s Groupe de Bourdon business cartel.  The Groupe de Bourdon bribed MINUSTAH officials to secure the lucrative $10 million MINUSTAH oil import contract (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/17/AR2007121701914.html).

In 2008, UN soldiers from Sri Lanka soldiers were found to be exploiting Haitian women and paying for sex.  They were rushed out of the country to avoid having to face charges in Haiti (http://www.desivideonetwork.com/view/rwp7kfp39/bbc-news-srilanka-army-sexually-abuse-100s-haiti-tamil-women/).  Venezuelans soldiers did the exact same thing in 2010. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNt1gChaELA&feature=player_embedded).  Haitian women never received justice.

Then there was the recent cover up of the murder of 16-year-old Gerard Gilles in Cap Haitien, whose death was made to look like a suicide by MINUSTAH soldiers (http://reseaucitadelle.blogspot.com/2010/09/justice-pour-gerald-jean-gilles-tue-par.html).  The MINUSTAH mission wrote to the Minister of Justice to seek diplomatic immunity from being called into the court system to answer questions about this crime.  Haitian Judge Heidi Hanabi refused to honor their request and called in the UN personnel responsible (http://solutionshaiti.blogspot.com/2010/09/weekly-haiti-electoral-update-5-by.html).  This week, MINUSTAH soldiers shot teargas at the judge’s house as retribution according to many citizens presumably in an effort to intimidate him. (http://reseaucitadelle.blogspot.com/2010/11/cap-haitien-le-juge-heidi-fortune.html)

In 2009, it was widely known and reported that President Preval and his INITE coalition rigged the April and June legislative elections. Rodol Pierre, Vice President of the Haitian Electoral Council at that time, provided the MINUSTAH with documents and evidence supporting these claims, which were ignored by Mr. Mulet  (http://lenouvelliste.com/article.php?PubID=&ArticleID=72369).  In fact, there was no mention of any electoral manipulation by the ruling party, INITE,  in MINUSTAH’s September 2009 report to the Secretary General of the UN (http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N09/494/51/PDF/N0949451.pdf?OpenElement ) . 

Since the beginning of the 2010 electoral process, MINUSTAH has remained silent about the evidence of violations of the electoral law, the laws of Haiti, and the handling of the electoral process by President Preval, the Group de Bourdon and Preval’s INITE party.  By remaining silent, the UN has essentially guaranteed the illegality of the upcoming elections. 

And finally, for protesting against these injustices and the abysmal state of the country, Haitians have been fired upon and killed this month (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wihc8fSGiXk).

The UN’s role in Haiti needs serious scrutiny and an in-depth investigation.  Additionally, the head of MINUSTAH, Mr. Mulet should be investigated for presiding over this failed mission.  At this point, Mr. Mulet and his MINUSTAH are actually harming the country, and Haiti would be better off without them.  There are too many dire mistakes and controversies for them to continue to operate in Haiti without serious oversight and restructuring.  If they cannot clean up their act – they should withdraw.

Haitian President Visits DC: What Results Should We Expect? by Stanley Lucas

March 12 will mark two months since the earthquake hit Haiti killing more than 235,000 people.  The solidarity and response from the American people has been overwhelming.  Private contributions have topped $2 billion.  The question that the Haitian victims are asking is how and when will the institutions that got the money deliver aid to the victims?  Will humanitarian aid be used as a tool to achieve a particular political agenda or to influence Haiti’s upcoming presidential elections?

The situation in Haiti is beyond bad.  People are suffering.  Even with the outpouring of support from international governments, Haitian Diaspora, and aid organizations, we are barely getting a handle on the situation.  There are now more than one children who are orphans or have only one surviving parent.  There are 1.5 million people sleeping in the streets under the rain, among them infants of three, four or five months, and almost 65,000 thousand pregnant women.  More than 400,000 Haitians are seriously injured among them 20-30,000 amputees.  Ask the doctors of the USS Comfort, the US military’s hospital ship, with thirty years of experience, and they will tell you that they have never seen anything this catastrophic.  Haiti needs help; Haiti needs leadership; and Haiti needs more direct support from the United States.

With this backdrop, President Preval visits Washington, DC this week.  In diplomacy nothing is spontaneous, but to date it is uncertain what the deliverables for the visit will be.  We know he will conduct a series of meetings culminating with the meeting with President Obama on Wednesday.  While Preval must advocate for Haiti’s priorities, he must also have a good understanding of Washington’s priorities in Haiti.  Along with concerns about rebuilding in Haiti, one of the Obama Administration’s top priorities is the release from Haitian prison of the two missionaries accused of kidnapping last month.  In advance of Preval’s visit, he should have released these two Americans and deported them back to the US barring them from reentering Haiti.  Now, however, their continuing detainment will be an unnecessary distraction and a missed opportunity to improve the atmospherics.

The following are some thoughts on the priorities for this trip and what Preval should attempt to accomplish.  Achieving meaningful results on these issues is critical – and can serve as a gauge for the success of Preval’s visit.

IMMEDIATE PRIORITIES / SPECIFIC REQUESTS

Shelter 

·      Tents.  This is priority number one.  The number of people -- babies, pregnant women, young people, old people -- who are living out in the open and sleeping in the rain and on the streets is unacceptable.  They cannot wait for rebuilding or transition housing.  They need immediate shelter.  Preval should immediately request 800,000 tents from the United States.  This should have been done immediately after the earthquake.  Instead, Preval chose to waste a month and a half pursuing this request with Ecuador and Mexico, neither country can actually deliver tents in these numbers.   The US is the only country with this ability.  This is absolutely unacceptable and must be immediately rectified.     

·      Pre-Fab Housing:  Pre-fabricated housing is also an immediate need.  The trip presents an opportunity to request US$500 million from the Inter American Development Bank (IADB) or seek funds from the Clinton Foundation.  The Government could then partner with Habitat for Humanity to provide the expertise to construct mid and longer term housing.

Food

·      Coordination of Food Aid:  After two months, the delivery of food aid is still chaotic and uncoordinated.  A majority of the citizens in the neighborhoods considered to be unsafe still do not have access to food aid.   This needs to improve and coordination is essential to an effective process.  This visit presents a unique opportunity to address this issue because most of the organizations distributing food are American.  Preval should convene a working meeting with the heads of the major food aid delivery organizations to put together a plan to streamline the delivery of aid while keeping an eye on avoiding longer-term dependence on food aid.

Healthcare

·      Access to Healthcare.  Preval should request that the USS Comfort remain in port for another six months.  With more than 400,000 people still critically wounded, we cannot afford to lose the ship at this point. The treatment of amputees should be a priority.

·      Prevention of Epidemics.  Preval should request the support of the NIH for the evaluation and medical follow-up to guarantee that no epidemics complicate the humane efforts and rebuilding process.

·      Partnership with Haitian Diaspora Medical Associations.  Preval should meet with the Haitian Diaspora associations of doctors and nurses to build partnerships to strengthen capacity in-country for immediate aid and longer term rebuilding of the public health system.

Immigration

·      TPS Extension.  Preval should request from Congress and the Administration a three-year extension of TPS for undocumented Haitians in the United States.  There is no way that Haiti can absorb these people at this point. 

·      Acceleration of Immigration Processes for Victims.  Applications for family members of Haitian-Americans and Haitians with permanent residency submitted prior to the earthquake should be accelerated. 

Fundraising / Opening Additional Streams of Aid

·      Overall Tracking.  The Obama Administration has embarked on a groundbreaking project to provide transparency to how the economic stimulus money has been spent through a comprehensive website, www.recovery.gov.  This is a tremendous project and is relevant to Haiti now.  There has been a tremendous amount of aid pouring in to Haiti through many channels.  Without central coordination and tracking, it is difficult to get a handle on how effective the aid is being deployed and what areas are in the most need.  It would be an incredibly worthwhile endeavor to ask the Obama Administration to help Haiti track the funds donated and deployed in Haiti in a central website, www.haitirecovery.org.  This would instill confidence in the process and allow Haitians to monitor how the money is being spent.

·      Tax Incentives.  A request should be made of Congress to pass a measure allowing each Haitian in the US an annual tax deduction for up to $10,000 in remittances to support family members stricken by the earthquake.

·      Debt Relief.  Haiti owes $960 million to the international financial institutions.  They have forgiven only $230 million to date.  Preval should request that they forgive the remaining amount of debt. 

·      Opening Lines of Credit.  The majority of Haitians have lost their houses and therefore lost their primary collateral for securing loans and credit.  Further complicating the situation is the stranglehold on credit by the Haitian business cartel, the Groupe de Bourdon.  In order to rebuild, we will need to open new lines of credit, particularly at the micro level.  USAID and IADB both used to provide such programs in Haiti.  Preval should request the reopening of these programs.  Currently, one organization, Fonkoze, has almost a monopoly on the provision of micro credit, which is not healthy to long-term growth and cannot fully meet the great need.

·      Fundraising:  Preval should seek meetings with the major American philanthropists, such as Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, Ted Turner, George Soros, and Rupert Murdoch, to request their participation in the content of rebuilding.  Warren Buffet has given $30 billion for humanitarian projects throughout the world and the others have active foundations with global agendas.  It is unclear how much outreach the Haitian Government has done with each of these individuals, but coordination and cooperation with the Haitian Government will help ensure their support is not duplicative and is channeled toward the priorities of the Haitian Government.

·      Recovery of Stolen State Funds:  Request the support of the United States to recover the funds stolen by former Presidents Duvalier (US$600 million) and Aristide (US$350 million).   This would be a significant source of revenue for reconstruction and is a long outstanding wrong that needs to be made right.

·      Clarification on the Clinton Fund:  The Haitian Government will need to understand the difference between official American assistance toward rebuilding and the deployment of Clinton’s funds.  There is great confusion on this point and the lines between the two seem to be blurring.  Preval should seek clarification on this point, and request an official total of funds collected on behalf of the Clinton Foundation including what has been allocated to date.  Clinton controls a significant chunk of the aid at this point (more than $600 million) and therefore has substantial influence on the rebuilding plans.  Clinton aid should be coordinated and transparent.

In-Country Capacity

·      Human Resources Initiatives.  Nearly two million Haitians live in the United States, and according to the World Bank, 83% of the qualified Haitian human resources live overseas.  Furthermore, more than 10% of Haiti’s government officials were lost in the earthquake.  Haiti urgently needs to reinforce the capacity of the ministries and the various the institutions of civil society.  Preval should request that USAID and IADB offer three to five year contracts for Haitians to return to Haiti and work in the ministries and organizations on behalf of their organizations.

Women and Children

·      Reinstate State Department Programs.  The USAID previously supported a program to protect women and children from sexual predators and violence.  The Haitian Ministry of Women’s Affairs and the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) managed the program in country.  In the tent villages, there has been an uptick in violence against women and children.  The USAID should reinstate this program.

·      Sexual Predator List:  Preval should request the list of registered sex offenders in the US in order to prevent their entering Haiti or attempting adoptions.   There was a serious problem with sex offenders attempting to take children from South East Asia in the wake of the tsunami.

Education

·      Ministry of Education Funding.  USAID used to provide support to the Haitian Ministry of Education.  That was cut recently but should be reinstated.  More than 85% of the schools were destroyed in the earthquake.  We need temporary schools and longer term rebuilding support.  In Kenya, the World Bank provides $120 million a year for educational support.  Haiti receives not even $500,000 for education.  Preval should revisit this issue with the World Bank as well as with the US Government.

·      University Outreach.  The State University of Haiti was mostly destroyed in the earthquake losing nine of its 11 buildings and nearly 450 professors and students.  Preval should meet with the heads of the universities in Washington, DC and Florida to request support and partnerships to rebuild the University and explore them providing assistance to Haitian students wishing to continue their studies in the US.

·      Haitian Students to the US.  Preval should request additional funding or support for Haitian students to study in the US.

Rebuilding

·      Haitian Sovereignty.  Preval must make clear that the Haitian Government will actively develop its own plan for reconstruction rather than signing on to a document that is prepared by the United National and approved by Haiti as it if was their own.  There have been many calls for the UN to take over management of Haiti or an international consortium.  This is unacceptable. President Preval must make clear that while Haiti appreciates and greatly needs the support and expertise of the international community, we are still a sovereign country, and as such, will define our rebuilding plan and priorities.  He should state his intention to make the rebuilding process open and transparent with a overarching coordinating mechanism.  This should mark a departure from politics as usual in Haiti.

·      Rebuilding Fund.  The US Senate voted for the creation of an international building fund for Haiti.  This agreement should be a public-private partnership (PPP) managed by the representatives of the Haitian state, representatives of the Diaspora, legitimate Haitian businesses, and the support of international advisers.   During this visit, Preval should request that the US kick off the fund with a $5 billion donation.

·      Haitian-American Companies.  Preval should make clear that Haitian-American companies applying for rebuilding contracts would receive preference in order to provide incentive to the vast Diaspora community to return to Haiti to rebuild. 

For President Obama, effective coordination of humanitarian aid, rebuilding and political stability remain areas of interest.  Mismanagement of humanitarian aid can has direct implications in the United States.  Most notably, mismanaged aid efforts could lead to about 50,000 people setting out in makeshift boats for the US shores by the end of the summer.  This could have an impact on congressional elections of November 2010 in the United States, particularly in Florida where the boat people will undoubtedly head.

Likewise, political stability will be critical at this time of chaos.  The US will provide 70-80% of the funding for presidential and legislative elections in Haiti.  The internal political consensus is that the elections are not possible for next the 18 months for three reasons.  First, the provisional electoral council’s technology, equipment, building and voter registration has been lost.  People have of course lost their registration cards as well.  A lot of work will need to be redone to rebuild these databases and provide sufficient organizations for a free and fair election.  Second, the people do not trust the Preval Administration with the organization of these elections.  Preval is currently pushing for November elections despite the utter ruin of the country.  Preval lost the confidence of the population to oversee elections because of past electoral manipulation, the leadership vacuum in the wake of the earthquake, and widespread corruption in his Administration.  In fact, during a recent visit by Admiral Michael Mullen, Preval chose to rebuke the American press for allegations of corruption rather than focusing on the ongoing needs of the Haitian people.  He needs to get it together and focus on salvaging what little credibility he has left.  The political consensus is that a constitutional transition with a consensual member from the Supreme Court is the realistic solution as this point.  This is a point that the Obama Administration should reinforce with President Preval; otherwise, if Preval continues to push for November elections, the country will erupt in violence and protest.  It is not feasible.   

Hopefully, this visit will be well prepared and productive.  If not, it is a missed opportunity, but could also negatively impact the upcoming Donors Conference on April 7.  If this visit is unfocused and produces few tangible results, Preval should just retire now and not wait for the end of his term in November.   

A CALL FOR U.S. AID FOR HAITI HURRICANE RELIEF: THE PRESIDENT AND THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES

HELP: Making remittances to Haiti tax deductible by Stanley Lucas, September 25, 2008 ---------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Members of Congress:

We were delighted and moved by the efforts on behalf of Congressional leaders to provide US support to Haiti's hurricane relief efforts. We appreciate that so many Members considered the proposals that were outlined in my September 9 letter, and that so many Members took action. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Special appreciation goes to Representative Engel, who organized a hearing on the situation in Haiti providing a better understanding of the dimension of the challenges that lie ahead for Haiti. Representative Burton's expression of support during those hearings provided much hope for the success of relief efforts. Further, the testimony of the various members of the Congressional Black Caucus, including Representative Kendrick Meeks, was an important expression of support. We also thank Representative Maxine Waters for her letter to the Speaker on behalf of Haiti. We appreciate the support for the $300 million aid package and the TPS supported by 67 Members of Congress.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My colleagues in the Haitian Diaspora community have organized a Coalition that will raise a relief fund and organize donations. One additional area where we could use support from Congress is with ensuring that remittances to Haiti be tax deductible for Haitians living in the United States for five years. To ensure that this provision could not be exploited for business transactions, we would propose to limit the monthly tax deductible remittance amount to $750. By way of background, Haitians send almost $1.2 billion a year to their relatives in Haiti, providing a significant source of funds in Haiti. By making remittances tax deductible, we believe that the amount of funds sent to Haiti would double providing a significant source of funding and a significant boost to the Haitian economy. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you again for your support. I would be pleased to meet with you to discuss this idea further and am available at any time to answer questions. I can be reached at (202) 256-6026 or centurionlucas@gmail.com --------------------------------------------------------

Regards, ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stanley Lucas -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hurricane Aid Update September 18, 2008 ---------------------------------------

I wanted to take a quick moment to provide an update on the status of the letter that was sent to Congress requesting they support an hurricane relief aid package for Haiti in the amount of $300 million (see letter below posted on this blog). The letter was sent to 80 Members of Congress. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On September 11 a letter was sent to the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Hon. Nancy Pelosi signed by 67 Congressman requesting that Congress provide the aid package. This is certainly good news and substantial progress in a short time. A copy of the letter is posted on my mailing list: http://haitipolitics.googlegroups.com/web/Haiti_Disaster_relief_sign-on_9-11-08%5B1%5D.pdf?gda=u7s3mmIAAABIWwlIrzklQxxRTwUywY0wxXj_PaoNn6FvURkaxnQcMtfvvTLtrqA6wak0H0hwPpoQY49of_q6VviihkaCtkvngJ_9uaSXPmtF2Mf0XDlGoFXi7dpriIAjJhAipsb2do-CHqjxxwsG8_oKG53kozMh&hl=fr&hl=fr&gsc=B8l2whYAAAD-TqEH65poAUN8oviKOxhw5QzTRg0a_4LqA7LDDLzsAA . --------------------

Best regards, Stanley LUCAS------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A CALL FOR U.S. AID FOR HAITI HURRICANE RELIEF:
LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES ----------------------

THE HAITIAN COALITION USA------------------------------------------------------

The Honorable George W. Bush
President of the United States of America
White House
1600 Pensylvania Avenue
Whashington D.C. ----------------September 9, 2008------------------------------

Dear Mr President:---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Haiti has been hit by three devastating hurricanes – Gustav, Hanna and Ike – over the past three weeks. Hurricane Josephine is a continuing source of concern. These hurricanes have brought incalculable devastation to a country that is already the poorest in the Western Hemisphere. Recovery efforts will need your help. After conversations with many organizations on the ground in Haiti, we respectfully request that the Bush Administration consider a special emergency recovery aid package for Haiti in the amount of $300 million. This package is not only key to helping the Haitian citizenry recover from the massive devastation, but will also protect the fragile stability of the country. -------------------------------------------------

Preliminary damage assessments indicate that:-------------------------------------------

- more than 600 people have been killed and 7,500 injured -----------------------------
- nearly 400,000 people have lost everything – their homes and their belonging;------
- an additional 250,000 have severe damage to their homes; ----------------------------
- agricultural fields in the following regions have been destroyed by floods: in various cities in each of the following regions, Artibonite, South, Southeast, North, Northeast, Northwest, Plateau Central, and Nippes;--------------------------------------
- and 35% of the already weak infrastructure in these departments have been destroyed, including two key bridges: Montrouis, and the bridge linking the Central Plateau to the Artibonite.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the short term, Haiti needs emergency humanitarian assistance, including food, medical supplies, water, cots, tents, clothing, and financial assistance. In the past, the United States has deployed hospital ships, delivered food via helicopter, and built provisional bridges. Given the enormous hit to agricultural production, Haiti could use emergency shipments of seeds, agricultural tools, fertilizers, as well as farmer credit assistance. The Haitian Red Cross could also use additional funding. Specifically, Haiti could benefit from: ------------------------------------------------------

Special recovery aid package: Announce a special aid package to help the Western Hemisphere's poorest country recover from this most difficult hurricane season. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI): Encourage Congress to renew the Caribbean Basin Initiative, prior to the September recess, in order to provide a path to more opportunities for a country that needs help desperately. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

International financial institutions: TheAdministration could also provide valuable support by encouraging the international financial institutions – the World Bank, IADB and IMF – to provide loan and debt relief to Haiti.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I know that the United States has many urgencies around the world and resources need to be prioritized. Haiti could benefit tremendously from ongoing U.S. support, especially at this critical time. If you have any questions or would like to discuss any of the information in greater depth, I am always available and can be reached at (202) 256-6026.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sincerely,-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stanley Lucas
President
The Haitian Coalition USA
www.solutionshaiti.blogspot.com

A CALL FOR U.S. AID FOR HAITI HURRICANE RELIEF:

LETTER TO THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS ----------------------------------

Dear Members of Congress :-----------------September 9, 2008---------------------

Haiti has been hit by three devastating hurricanes – Gustav, Hanna and Ike – over the past three weeks. Hurricane Josephine is a continuing source of concern. These hurricanes have brought incalculable devastation to a country that is already the poorest in the Western Hemisphere. Recovery efforts will need your help. After conversations with many organizations on the ground in Haiti, we respectfully request that Congress consider a special emergency recovery aid package for Haiti in the amount of $300 million. This package is not only key to helping the Haitian citizenry recover from the massive devastation, but will also protect the fragile stability of the country. ----------------------------------------------------------------------

Preliminary damage assessments indicate that: -------------------------------------------
- more than 600 people have been killed and 7,500 injured------------------------------
- nearly 400,000 people have lost everything – their homes and their belonging;------
- an additional 250,000 have severe damage to their homes; ----------------------------
- agricultural fields in the following regions have been destroyed by floods: in various cities in each of the following regions, Artibonite, South, Southeast, North, Northeast, Northwest, Plateau Central, and Nippes;--------------------------------------
- and 35% of the already weak infrastructure in these departments have been destroyed, including two key bridges: Montrouis, and the bridge linking the Central Plateau to the Artibonite.--------------------------------------------------------------------
In the short term, Haiti needs emergency humanitarian assistance, including food, medical supplies, water, cots, tents, clothing, and financial assistance. In the past, the United States has deployed hospital ships, delivered food via helicopter, and built provisional bridges. Given the enormous hit to agricultural production, Haiti could use emergency shipments of seeds, agricultural tools, fertilizers, as well as farmer credit assistance. The Haitian Red Cross could also use additional funding.
In addition to the tangible recovery support, Congress also can help by shining a spotlight on a country that is often forgotten through several initiatives, including:

Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI): Congress will renew the Caribbean Basin Initiative, prior to the September recess, in order to provide a path to more opportunities for a country that needs help desperately; ---------------------------------
Congressional Delegation: Members could organize a trip to Haiti to witness firsthand the situation on the ground and draw attention to the situation in Haiti.-----
Hearings: Congress could organize a hearing on the impact of the hurricanes on the Caribbean, and Haiti. These hearings could take up some of the longer term issues that could lead to a sustained policy to promote hurricane readiness and build capacity to address the aftermath of the hurricanes. Specific topics that could be examined in such hearings could include: launching training programs for Haiti’s Civil Protection Bureau (tasked with disaster relief); providing micro credit programs aimed at women to help rebuild neighborhoods and homes; exploring USAID-sponsored school rebuilding initiatives for areas that were hardest hit; and a jobs creation program linked with infrastructure building.-------------------------------------
International financial institutions: Congress could also provide valuable support by encouraging the international financial institutions – the World Bank, IADB and IMF – to provide loan and debt relief to Haiti.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I know that the United States has many urgencies around the world and resources need to be prioritized. Haiti could benefit tremendously from ongoing U.S. support, especially at this critical time. If you have any questions or would like to discuss any of the information in greater depth, I am always available and can be reached at (202) 256-6026.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sincerely,-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stanley Lucas
The Haitian Coalition USA
www.solutionshaiti.blogspot.com

Stanley Lucas and the Council of Hemispheric Affairs (COHA)

The Council of Hemispheric Affairs, (COHA) -- or the Larry Birns Group -- has been peddling disinformation for years. This "report" on Senator McCain and IRI is more of the same. The organization can best be described as a fact-free zone. The only thing one can be certain of is its affection for left-wing autocrats and aspiring dictators.