US accused of 'occupying' Haiti as troops flood in

[thundley4]

France accused the US of "occupying" Haiti on Monday as thousands of American troops flooded into the country to take charge of aid efforts and security.
The French minister in charge of humanitarian relief called on the UN to "clarify" the American role amid claims the military build up was hampering aid efforts.
Alain Joyandet admitted he had been involved in a scuffle with a US commander in the airport's control tower over the flight plan for a French evacuation flight.

"This is about helping Haiti, not about occupying Haiti," Mr Joyandet said.
Geneva-based charity Medecins Sans Frontieres backed his calls saying hundreds of lives were being put at risk as planes carrying vital medical supplies were being turned away by American air traffic controllers.

But US commanders insisted their forces' focus was on humanitarian work and last night agreed to prioritise aid arrivals to the airport over military flights, after the intervention of the UN.
The diplomatic row came amid heightened frustrations that hundreds of tons of aid was still not getting through. Charities reported violence was also worsening as desperate Haitians took matters into their own hands.  Telegraph.co.uk

[Hawkgirl]

The french are joining fidel castro and hugo chavez with their "occupier" rhetoric.  

[Hawkgirl]

And btw...Haiti would be much better off if they became a commonwealth of the U.S.  What have the haitian people done since getting their independence??? Other than making dirt cookies?
Only thing is...I dont think this country can afford the addition of 9 million more welfare collectors.

[DefiantSix]

Only thing is...I dont think this country can afford the addition of 9 million more welfare collectors.

Why not? They can join the 20+ million illegal aliens that the ØbamaReich is planning on granting amnesty/welfare bennies to later this year.

[JohnnyReb]

The french are joining fidel castro and hugo chavez with their "occupier" rhetoric.  

Actually, they're just jealous their aircraft carrier can't sail to Haiti and get some of the glory.

[The Village Idiot]

Actually, they're just jealous their aircraft carrier can't sail to Haiti and get some of the glory.

Their aircraft carrier took forever to build, twice the price and riddled with major problems. For instance, turning on the washing machines almost shook it apart.

[DefiantSix]

Their aircraft carrier took forever to build, twice the price and riddled with major problems. For instance, turning on the washing machines almost shook it apart.

There's socialist quality assurance for ya...

[The Village Idiot]

There's socialist quality assurance for ya...

from 2000, about the Charles de Gaul, right here on FR.

In addition to the fact the propeller fell off by itself, and the clunker took more than 14 years to build, it also had these lovely problems:

Listed by the dailies Le Monde and France-Soir as other faults were:

-- the need to extend the flight deck because it was too short for a US-built surveillance aircraft;

-- the need to modify the nuclear generators to satisfy safety regulations; and,

-- discovery that the thick, armored glass on the bridge was nearly opaque; and,

-- then even the ship's laundry washing machines caused problems. As originally bolted together - when used simultaneously - the vibrations were so powerful that the entire 40,000-ton ship shivered.

[Oceander]

The French are just cheesed that, even with a millstone as big as Obama around our necks, we can still get it out there faster, and better, than they ever could.

[USA4ME]

France accused the US of "occupying" Haiti on Monday

But...... with Dear Leader in charge, the world is suppose to love us. 

.

[TheSarge]

France accused the US of "occupying" Haiti on Monday

Fine.  Let's pack up all of our stuff and go home.

[IassaFTots]

Fine.  Let's pack up all of our stuff and go home.

I am so all over that idea.  Frankly, I am getting quite pissed about going to help people, and having people be ungrateful.  I mean really, simmer down.  We DON'T HAVE to be there.  Whose fault is it that you don't have adequate supplies?  Not ours.  pffffttttt.   

[Lacarnut]

Fine.  Let's pack up all of our stuff and go home.

If Obama allows the UN or the French to oversee our soldiers, let's get out of that shithole country and let them have it. The Frogs can not keep peace and order in their little chicken shit country. The UN peacekeepers do not know what happened to the tons of food that disappeared from warehouses in Haiti. Probably, sold it on the black market.

I was going to give a donation but this kind of crap changed my mind. We have given billions in aid and more billions to come. So, my tax dollars have already been pissed away and more is on the way to them. I say, send no more money. Send food, medical supplies, shelter and help them rebuild but zero dollars cause some crooked politician or UN crook will steal it.   

[Oceander]

Fine.  Let's pack up all of our stuff and go home.

Good idea.  Let's do it.

[JohnnyReb]

I am so all over that idea.  Frankly, I am getting quite pissed about going to help people, and having people be ungrateful.  I mean really, simmer down.  We DON'T HAVE to be there.  Whose fault is it that you don't have adequate supplies?  Not ours.  pffffttttt.   

Watched some alphabet news last night....first time in a couple of years. I got a bit of a tear in my one time. Showed some US troops passing out bottles of water. Several little black girls, 4/5 years of age maybe, as they each got their of bottle water from a US soldier they each one said, "Thank you sir." I told the wife that if that had been in the U.S. they would have been lucky if they got one "Thank You."

[NHSparky]

Fine.  Let's pack up all of our stuff and go home.

That was pretty much my first thought.

[DumbAss Tanker]

That was pretty much my first thought.

It's the French complaining, not the Haitians, that would be a somewhat misdirected response.  It would be far more amusing to counter their bitching with a claim that France wants to retake it as a colonial possession and re-introduce slavery, then watch the hilarity ensue.

The US military does have a bit of a tendency to put its own priorities first and suck all the oxygen out of the room when they get involved, there may be a bit of fire to the original complaint behind all the smoke it generated.  Still, it's not like anyone else was able or willing to step in and take over the ATC function on an airfield that normally handled only 30 flights a day.  There really seems to be a wealth of supplies on the ground now, the problem isn't so much getting more supplies onto the ground so much as it is getting them distributed from the supply dumps to the point-of-need, I would also expect that with all the different UN, NGO and diplomatic players involved (Including our own beloved State, DOD, and various other official US actors) that there is a large bureaucratic problem with just who can draw on the supplies that are there, which is almost certainly another distribution bottleneck. 

[ironhorsedriver]

Watched some alphabet news last night....first time in a couple of years. I got a bit of a tear in my one time. Showed some US troops passing out bottles of water. Several little black girls, 4/5 years of age maybe, as they each got their of bottle water from a US soldier they each one said, "Thank you sir." I told the wife that if that had been in the U.S. they would have been lucky if they got one "Thank You."

Yea, It would be like Katrina. They would be demanding beer and wine. And shooting at the choppers bringing it in.

[Wineslob]

One day we need to tell France, **** you and your Bordeaux too.  

[Oceander]

One day we need to tell France, **** you and your Bordeaux too.   

Indeed.  Fact of the matter is, unless you can afford to buy the stuff that's been sitting in the cellars for years, there are better places than France to look for good, inexpensive (as opposed to cheap) wines.

[bkg]

If I were in charge, I'd pull everyone and turn it all over to the UN. No questions asked and no reservations whatsoever. Period. End of discussion.

And no fawking way in hell I'd sacrifice national security for "feelings" by opening the boarders.

I make no apoligies for any of this.

[IassaFTots]

If I were in charge, I'd pull everyone and turn it all over to the UN. No questions asked and no reservations whatsoever. Period. End of discussion.

And no fawking way in hell I'd sacrifice national security for "feelings" by opening the boarders.

I make no apoligies for any of this.

No apology necessary.   

[ReardenSteel]

It's the French complaining, not the Haitians, that would be a somewhat misdirected response.  It would be far more amusing to counter their bitching with a claim that France wants to retake it as a colonial possession and re-introduce slavery, then watch the hilarity ensue.

The US military does have a bit of a tendency to put its own priorities first and suck all the oxygen out of the room when they get involved, there may be a bit of fire to the original complaint behind all the smoke it generated.  Still, it's not like anyone else was able or willing to step in and take over the ATC function on an airfield that normally handled only 30 flights a day.  There really seems to be a wealth of supplies on the ground now, the problem isn't so much getting more supplies onto the ground so much as it is getting them distributed from the supply dumps to the point-of-need, I would also expect that with all the different UN, NGO and diplomatic players involved (Including our own beloved State, DOD, and various other official US actors) that there is a large bureaucratic problem with just who can draw on the supplies that are there, which is almost certainly another distribution bottleneck. 

Well said.

This is about Haiti not France. Anyway the best, and most irritating (to the French) response possible is a collective eyeroll and getting on with the business of aiding Haiti while putting the entire French government on "ignore" for a few months.

[The Village Idiot]

btw- they are air dropping food now.

[SilverOrchid]

Who the hell cares on what the French think?