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| Caribbean-Latin America | |
| Clinton assures Haitians U.S. help will continue | |
| 2010-01-17 | |
"We will be here today, tomorrow and for the time ahead," Clinton told a news conference at Port-au-Prince airport, saying she wanted to speak directly to the Haitian people after a meeting with Haitian President Rene Preval. "You have been severely tested. But I believe that Haiti can come back even stronger and better in the future." Preval expressed gratitude for the huge relief effort that has unfolded after Tuesday's earthquake, which killed tens of thousands of people and devastated Haiti's ramshackle capital. "Mrs. Clinton's visit really warms our heart today," Preval said through an interpreter, adding that it would help to establish the priorities and coordination necessary to keep the relief work running. Clinton underscored that the U.S. aid drive -- involving thousands of soldiers, sailors and Marines along with civilian aid workers -- was at the invitation of Haiti's government and said she and Preval would issue a joint communique on Sunday outlining the way forward. As the sound of aircraft bearing relief supplies momentarily drowned out the microphone, Clinton was upbeat. "That's a good sound," Clinton said. "That means good things are coming and helping the people of Haiti," she said. Clinton's quick one-day trip was designed to avoid complicating the relief effort, with hundreds of thousands of Haitians still desperately waiting for assistance as scavengers and looters take advantage of the widespread absence of authority and order. Clinton first flew to the Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen in Puerto Rico, where she transferred to a Coast Guard C-130 transport plane carrying emergency food and water rations along with toothbrushes, doughnuts, underwear and other supplies for U.S. embassy personnel. She left aboard another huge relief plane with 50 U.S. evacuees aboard headed for Kingston, Jamaica. Twenty-two of the Americans were due to continue on with Clinton to the Washington area. Clinton said the relief drive was aimed at immediate needs such as water, food and medical help along with rescue work for people still trapped in the rubble. She said she and Preval also discussed the future, which U.S. officials say could involve a major international effort to improve conditions in Haiti, which remains the poorest country in the Western hemisphere. Before her arrival, Clinton told reporters traveling with her that the Haitian government, itself battling to recover from the quake, had given the U.S. government leeway to meet emergency needs. But she said that could be further expedited if the Haitian parliament passed a decree granting Preval's government more emergency powers -- some of which could be delegated to the United States -- such as imposing a curfew. She said the United States would continue to work with both the Haitian government and the United Nations, which has about 7,000 peacekeepers on the island and primary responsibility for security. "We are working to back them up, but not to supplant them," she said. | |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #3 Progbably took the jump seat. But on a scheduled flight, that's ok. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2010-01-17 13:19 |
| #2 Based on this and on what i saw on TeeVee last night i owe Hilary an apology; she didn't muck it up like i expected. |
| Posted by: USN, Ret. 2010-01-17 13:03 |
| #1 Hat tip to the Hilderbeast for flying in and out via scheduled MILAIR relief flights. I can assure you Pelosi and her staff would have never sat in a troop seats. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2010-01-17 09:01 |