HAITI: U.S. MARINES DEPLOYED TO RESTORE ORDER AS PART OF MULTINATIONAL FORCE AFTER RECENT CIVIL UNREST COPE WITH DIFFICULT SITUATION BEST THEY CAN

Record ID: 584846

  • Title: HAITI: U.S. MARINES DEPLOYED TO RESTORE ORDER AS PART OF MULTINATIONAL FORCE AFTER RECENT CIVIL UNREST COPE WITH DIFFICULT SITUATION BEST THEY CAN
  • Date: 23rd March 2004
  • Summary: (U7)PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI (RECENT) (REUTERS) 1. MILITARY TANKS 0.04 2. SCU: U.S. MARINE READING 0.08 3. MARINES TALKING 0.11 4. CU: MACHINE GUN ON TANK 0.15 5. MARINES RELAXING 0.19 6. CU: HELMET 0.23 7. MARINE SHARPENING KNIFE 0.26 8. WIDE OF TENTS 0.29 9. MARINE EXITING ON HUMMER (2 SHOTS) 0.35 (U7)PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI (MARCH 23, 2004) (REUTERS) 10. SERGEANT EDWARDS, STAFF SERGEANT JAMES GAMBREL TALKING 0.38 11. (SOUNDBITE) (English) JAMES GAMBREL SAYING "This mission is pretty challenging for us. This is a supporting and stabilization mission versus what's traditional for us which is an offensive operation. 0.48 (U7)PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI (RECENT) (REUTERS) 12. VARIOUS OF MARINES ON FOOT PATROL (2 SHOTS) 0.57 13. SV/CU'S: MARINES OUTSIDE U.S. CONSULATE; BULLETS ON GUN (3 SHOTS) 1.07 14. VARIOUS OF MARINES RUNNING ON OPERATION (6 SHOTS) 1.40 (U7)PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI (MARCH 23, 2004) (REUTERS) 15. (SOUNDBITE) (English) GAMBREL SAYING "There's obviously a lot of difference between Iraq and what we're doing here in Haiti. Iraq was an offensive operation. It was extremely fast-paced, What we're doing here in Haiti is, I gotta say, is more supporting and a stabilization operation. We're here to help the Haitian people, stabilize their government so they can return to order and get back to doing what they normally do and have a democratic government." 2.03 (U7)PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI (RECENT) (REUTERS) 16. VARIOUS OF MARINE HEADQUARTERS (5 SHOTS) 2.21 (U7)PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI (MARCH 23, 2004) (REUTERS) 17. (SOUNDBITE) (English) GAMBREL SAYING "This time we're trying to play a very pro-active role with the Haitian population trying to restore order, trying to get things back to normal, trying to clean up the streets for them, and get everything going so they can get back to a normal, happy life like everybody deserves." 2.36 (U7)PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI (RECENT) (REUTERS) 18. WIDE OF MILITARY CONVOY 2.39 19. VARIOUS OF CONVOY (3 SHOTS) 2.54 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 7th April 2004 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI
  • Country: Haiti
  • Reuters ID: LVABCZ0XXHNA4NLDKAC46ILYH9K7
  • Story Text: Foreign troops deployed to Haiti try to cope with a
    difficult situation as best they can.


    As the number of foreign troops stationed in Haiti
    steadily increases, U.S. Marines, at the helm of the
    multinational force, find themselves in a difficult
    situation.

    As of Tuesday (March 23), around 3,000 troops have
    arrived in Haiti since former President Jean-Bertrand
    Aristide was deposed a month ago.

    While officially on a mission to restore order to the
    Western hemisphere's poorest country, the soldiers have
    found themselves on a variety of assignments. Since
    arriving, they escorted travelers, provided security,
    patrolled the capital and, most recently, helped clean
    debris off the streets of Port-au-Prince.

    "This mission is pretty challenging for us," said
    Staff Sergeant James Gambrel who has been in Haiti for
    almost a month. "This is a supporting and stabilization
    mission versus what's traditional for us which is an
    offensive operation.

    Gambrel recalled the situation when the first U.S.

    Marines landed in February. Sharp political discord had
    divided the country's population into mostly urban Aristide
    supporters and a popular wave of rebel supporters across
    the country. Aristide had asked for foreign intervention,
    yet he expected the troops to keep him in office. Armed
    rebel leaders had taken over several cities across the
    country and were poised outside of Port-au-Prince,
    demanding Aristide's resignation.

    Gambrel, who also served in Iraq, felt that the people
    of Port-au-Prince welcomed the Marines warmly, eager to
    find a way out of a tense situation.

    "There's obviously a lot of difference between Iraq
    and what we're doing here in Haiti. Iraq was an offensive
    operation. It was extremely fast-paced," he said. "hat
    we're doing here in Haiti is, I gotta say, is more
    supporting and a stabilization operation. We're here to
    help the Haitian people, stabilize their government so they
    can return to order and get back to doing what they
    normally do and have a democratic government."
    Many of the Marines' projects involve training and
    working with the Haitian police. Under Aristide, the police
    was widely criticized of human rights abuses, particularly
    against anti-Aristide protesters. Recently, as they have
    allowed armed rebels to keep their weapons but have begun
    putting Aristide associates and members of his Lavalas
    party in jail, the police is again coming under criticism
    by human rights organizations.

    Gambrel said the Marines role is independent of the
    two sides, and primarily to help the people of Haiti.

    "This time we're trying to play a very pro-active role
    with the Haitian population trying to restore order," he
    said, "trying to get things back to normal, trying to clean
    up the streets for them, and get everything going so they
    can get back to a normal, happy life like everybody
    deserves.

    Gambrel said the U.S. has no intention of occupying
    the country but will lead the multinational forces until
    the situation for the common people is more stable.


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