Haiti's president plans new army

[troung]

APNewsBreak: Haiti's president plans new army
APAP – 4 hrs ago
APNewsBreak: Haiti's president plans new army - Yahoo! News
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PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — A document obtained by The Associated Press reveals that Haiti's new president is seeking to restore his country's disbanded army.

The document is a proposal by President Michel Martelly's government to hire and train 3,500 soldiers over the next three years.

The troops would eventually replace 12,000 U.N. peacekeepers in Haiti. The document says a new army would provide opportunities for young Haitians.

Martelly said during his campaign that he favored creating a new armed force to replace the military that was disbanded in 1995 after years of abuses and coups. Parliament would have to approve the plan.

The AP obtained a copy Tuesday.

[RollingWave]

I don't think anyone is in a hurry to invade Haiti these days...

[dave lukins]

No, but they like to practice on themselves

[Mihais]

No, but they like to practice on themselves

Considering their prowess with clubs and machetes they don't really need thousands of guys with guns.What they have is more than enough.

[dave lukins]

Considering their prowess with clubs and machetes they don't really need thousands of guys with guns.What they have is more than enough.

There are some countries you never ever wish to go and Haiti is one of mine.

[Skywatcher]

Considering their prowess with clubs and machetes they don't really need thousands of guys with guns.What they have is more than enough.

But it's much more fun to celebrate by firing guns into the air rather than throwing your machete or club up.

[1979]

But it's much more fun to celebrate by firing guns into the air rather than throwing your machete or club up.

the fun part begins when the club or machete starts to come down.

[Jim Ray]

That seems stupid. no one wants to invade them and that would only give a new military and political mastermind, who can talk and appeal to people, to stage a new coup. Really all thats doing is staging a revolution

[troung]

Haiti pro-army group frustrated with president
APAP – 1 hr 28 mins ago
Haiti pro-army group frustrated with president - Yahoo! News

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — A group of aspiring soldiers and former troops criticized President Michel Martelly on Wednesday, saying he is breaking his campaign promise to restore Haiti's army.

At a news conference in the Delmas section of the capital, the leaders of a group calling itself the Organization of Demobilized Soldiers for the Reconstruction of Haiti accused Martelly of not sticking to his word.

"As president you must have one word — either yes or no," ex-soldier David Esperance said as two dozen men in camouflage pants stood behind him. "You can't change your word all the time as president."

The charge came five days after the Martelly administration said the president would announce details about a new "public security force" on Nov. 18 instead of a plan to revive the national army.

The army was disbanded in 1995 by then-President Jean-Bertrand Aristide because of its long history of abuse and coups.

Martelly said as a candidate that he wanted to restore the armed force. In September, The Associated Press obtained a government plan to bring back the military with 3,500 soldiers at the cost if $95 million.

The new military would be responsible for border patrol, disaster response and nationwide surveillance, according to the plan. It would later replace a United Nations peacekeeping mission that has been in Haiti since 2004.

It's unclear who would foot the bill.

The U.S. State Department has said that it would help strengthen the national police force, which has 8,500 officers in a country of 10 million, instead of helping rebuild the army.

Members of the pro-army group and similar organizations in the countryside have been training in recent months with the hopes of securing a job in the planned force.

Martelly spokesman Lucien Jura couldn't be reached for comment Wednesday.

[troung]

Nobel Laureate: Haiti pres's army plan an "error"
APBy TRENTON DANIEL | AP – 13 hrs ago
Nobel Laureate: Haiti pres's army plan an "error" - Yahoo! News
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Nobel laureate Oscar Arias has advised Haitian President Michel Martelly that it would be an "error" to restore the disbanded army, according to a letter delivered to presidential offices on Monday.

In the two-page letter dated Nov. 28, the two-time president of Costa Rica tells Martelly that armed forces in the region have records of thwarting progress and quashing democratic values, and that the $25 million Martelly has proposed for the new military should be invested in education, health and strengthening other institutions.

"I seek not to show disrespect for the sovereignty of a sister nation, but simply to share advice I see written on the wall of human history," Arias wrote in the letter shared with The Associated Press. "In Latin America, most armies are enemies of development, enemies of peace and enemies of freedom."

The Haitian army was disbanded in 1995 because of its history of abuse, a move that was applauded by Arias' own foundation.

First-time politican Martelly said he wants to fulfill a campaign pledge of reviving the army in an effort to restore national pride. He also envisions a force that will patrol Haiti's porous border with the neighboring Dominican Republic, protect the environment and respond to natural disasters.

But the United States and Canada have said that the money for the military would be better spent on strengthening the police force, which has 8,000 officers in a country of 10 million. Canada added that it wouldn't help pay for the new military and that Haiti has more pressing needs as it struggles to recover from the 7.0 magnitude earthquake almost two years ago.

Martelly later conceded that Haiti had other priorities, namely improvements to the country's health care and education sectors, but that he stills sees a need for the armed force.

Martelly last month announced that he would form a commission to define the agenda of the military but that has yet to materialize.

In his letter, Arias turns to history to show why he believes Haiti doesn't need an army. He notes how Costa Rica was once bordered by two countries with dictatorships but its absence of an army, he wrote, allowed the nation to be viewed as an ally.

And since 1995, when Costa Rica's neighbor, Panama, disbanded its army, the two nations have shared "the most peaceful border in the world," wrote Arias, who won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1987 for his peacemaking efforts in Central America.

"It is not by chance that these two countries also have the most successful economies in Central America, because the money we once spent on our armies is (now) invested in the education of our children and the health of our citizens," Arias wrote.

He added: "To reinstall the army would be an error, and that is why I cannot keep silent."

Martelly spokesman Lucien Jura couldn't be reached for comment Monday night.

[Double Edge]

General Van Uhm would be pleased :)

Oscar Aria's letter to Haiti

Mr. Michel Martelly
President, Republic of Haiti.

Dear Mr. President,

Although I have not the pleasure of knowing you personally, I have taken the liberty to write at of your country, where political events are being followed with great interest. My words emerge from the affection I feel for the Haitian people. I do not intend to disrespect the sovereignty of a sister nation, I just want to give advice that I see written on the wall in the history of mankind: in Latin America, most armies have been enemies of development and enemies of peace and enemies of freedom.

In much of the world, and especially in our region, the military has been the source of the most thankless collective memory. It was the military boot that trampled the human rights of our brothers. It was the general voice of the bloodiest arrest warrants delivered for students and artists. It was the hand of the soldier who shot in the back of innocent people. In the best case scenario, the Latin American armies have been prohibitively expensive for our economies. And at worst, have meant a permanent source of instability for our democracies.

The project Politique de Securite Nationale Defense raises fuzzy objectives such as the alleged need to restore dignity and sovereignty with the reinstallation of the Haitian army. Haiti does not need to recreate the army. Its internal security may be in charge of a police professional and well trained force, with the necessary resources to ensure effective law enforcement and national security gains nothing from a military aircraft that will never be more powerful than their neighbors.

As you well know, Haiti, along with Guatemala and Nicaragua, occupy the bottom three places in the region in the human development index prepared by the United Nations Development Programme. Perhaps no coincidence that these three countries share among other things have or have had strong armies and reduced social investment in education and health. The $95 million project that is sought in the Politique de Securite Nationale Defense should be invested in education for your people, health care for their children, to strengthen democratic institutions to ensure minimum political stability in order to restore confidence Haitians and the international cooperation, whose help is essential and will remain so for a while longer.

Like Costa Rica, Haiti, is also a small country. Its tropical climate it is exposed to storms and hurricanes, and other natural disasters.

However, my country is ranked 69 in the world in human development index, and a child born today in Costa Rica is expected to live 79.1 years. Haiti is ranked 145, but the life expectancy of 17.4 years for a Haitian child is less than the Costa Rican child. Similarly we could talk about the years of schooling, or efforts to reduce the digital divide or of the "Venture", which provides a stipend to mothers who need to have their sons and daughters leave school. The difference between the population of a country and another is in education, years of schooling, teaching, diversified and full access to information technology and communication. The population of polite society has many more opportunities and sources can aspire to better jobs.

Mr. President Martelly, there was a time when my people bordered to the north and south with the dictatorship. There was a time when the whistle of shrapnel sounded very close to our borders. Instead of taking up arms, Costa Rica went to fight for peace in Central America. We did not need the army. On the contrary, be demilitarized allowed us to be perceived as allies of all parties to the conflict.

In 1994, after intense debate among the various political forces in Panama, which actively participate Arias Foundation for Peace and Human Progress, and I finally passed in Congress, through a constitutional reform, the abolition of the military forces . Since then, Costa Rica and Panama share a border more peaceful world. And not coincidentally, are also the two most successful economies of Central America, because the money that our Almighty destinábamos now devoted to the education of our children and the health of our citizens.

In 1995 Haiti decided to demobilize its armed forces and put an end to an eternal string of coups. This was a decision that the whole world applauded. The Arias Foundation and I, again, we contribute to this wise decision. For Haiti, to enter into that select group of Latin American countries without armed forces, along with Costa Rica and Panama, opened a window of hope that must be kept open.

Mr. President, my relationship with Haiti dates back almost twenty years ago. Since then come asking the developed world not to abandon Haiti, which condones its foreign debt, which a helping hand, cooperation is abundant and timely and that indifference is not an option. But Haiti also has its own responsibilities, and one of them is to adopt the right policy decisions. Try reinstalling the army would be a mistake and that is why I can not remain silent.

Haiti can recover your dignity when all children and young people can see the future with hope and the winds blow Caribbean equally fortunate for everyone. That's what the people deserve, Mr. President, and tell me to do.

Fraternally,
Oscar Arias Sanchez
President of Costa Rica 1986-1990/2006-2010
Nobel Peace Prize 1987

[gunnut]

Why have a Haitian army? Who wants to invade that shit hole?

I guess if the army's purpose is to prevent/defend the country from being invaded, then the Haitian army would accomplish that task by keeping the country a shit hole.