Haiti: Pros and Cons on Resurrecting the Army

While President Preval wishes to dissolve the Haitian army for good, a recent commission would like to resurrect it. AyitiCherieConnexion weighs in (FR) with an analysis of the Haitian army's historical role as a repressive tool for presidents. AyitiCherie concludes however that since Haiti's neighbor the Dominican Rep. has an army of 44,000, Haiti would be irresponsible to prioritize other needs while neglecting national security. Except, that is, if “[t]he D.R. disarms too!!!”

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  • Regarding the issue of whether to dissolve permanently the Haitian army, I would like to offer a few “givens” that I think are important to this discussion. The US always backed a Haitian army because it served the US’ need for repression and control of the Haitian people. After Aristide banned the army, a huge struggle with ex-soldiers ensued, but the overwhelming majority of the population was relieved. After the coup d’etat in 2004, the US invested even more money in training and equipping the Haitian National Police (HNP) and it paid off. Under the de facto government of Gerard Latortue installed by the US after Aristide’s departure, the HNP became the most dangerous weapon in Haiti’s state security arsenal.

    Another important factor in the army-no army debate is the presence of the UN peacekeeping mission, MINUSTAH, which arrived in Haiti in June 2004. In many respects MINUSTAH has been used quite effectively by the US as a proxy army that has aided the HNP in its bloody raids and has now graduated to committing human rights abuses on its own. Please see my article “Haiti: the Gaza Strip of the Caribbean” at http://haitioye.net/hcvp/?p=37#more-37

    At a recent meeting in Washington, DC, at the US Institute of Peace, former US ambassador to Haiti, Tim Carney, said he favored giving the HNP a few military functions including an “air force” to interdict drug traffickers. If the HNP evolves as Carney suggests, the US does not need to push for an army because the HNP will have all it needs to effectively repress the people. A challenge for President-elect Preval will be to contain the police.

    As for Haiti needing an army because the Dominican Republic (DR) has one, we should keep in mind that the Haitian army was for internal repression only. As long as the US cares what goes on in the Caribbean Basin (read Haiti, Cuba, and Venezuela) the Dominican Republic will have an army. This is not so much for either defense of the DR or for DR intervention in other countries; it is to provide a launching pad for “opposition forces” to train and strategize in order to invade their own countries, just like the Haitian “rebels” did prior to invading Haiti in 2004.

    Whether it is an army, a national police force, or a combination thereof, it is the poor of Haiti who are the best gauge as to whether it is a good idea for the country because they have been the ones at the end of the batons, the bullets and machetes. With the poor, voting overwhelmingly for Preval, they have picked the man they think will best represent their interests. The poor did the same thing in 1990 and 2000 and were robbed. Let’s hope their choice will prevail this time.

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