Rumsfeld Discusses Haiti Deployment

American Forces Press Service ^ | March 1, 2004 | By Jim Garamone

[Calpernia]

Between 1,500 and 2,000 Marines will deploy to Haiti as part of peacekeeping operations in that nation, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said during a Pentagon news conference today.

"A couple hundred" Marines are already in and around Haiti's capital of Port- au-Prince, he noted. They are the leading elements of a multinational interim force sanctioned by the United Nations.

Rumsfeld said he is not aware of any "abduction" used by U.S. forces to get President Jean-Bertrand Aristide out of Haiti after his Feb. 29 resignation.

The Marines will secure key sites in the capital and will stabilize the security environment there to allow political progress to begin, Rumsfeld said. The interim force has a "shelf life" of three months, and then a U.N. multinational force will take over security operations in Haiti.

The Marines arrived the night of Feb. 29 and more will deploy in the next few days. "The United States will take on the initial leadership of the Multinational Interim Force in Haiti," Rumsfeld said. Leadership of the interim force may pass to another nation, and leadership of the follow-on force will be determined later, he pointed out. France, Canada and some Caribbean and Latin American countries also are participating in the effort.

Rumsfeld said the situation in Haiti is living proof that the world needs more peacekeeping forces. He said the United States will work to build these capabilities in the Western Hemisphere and around the world. "We're committed to working with friends and allies around the world and through alliances such as NATO, to improve these capabilities," he added.

[Calpernia]

Pro Military, Pro Coalition, Pro de-Baathification News!

"A couple hundred" Marines are already in and around Haiti's capital of Port- au-Prince, he noted. They are the leading elements of a multinational interim force sanctioned by the United Nations.

Rumsfeld said he is not aware of any "abduction" used by U.S. forces to get President Jean-Bertrand Aristide out of Haiti after his Feb. 29 resignation.

Private Mail to be added to or removed from the GNFI (or Pro-Coalition) ping list.

[blackie]

Rumsfeld Discusses Haiti Deployment ~ Bump!

We are winning ~ the bad guys are losing ~ trolls, terrorists and the democrats are sad ~ very sad!

~~ Bush/Cheney 2004 ~~

[cubreporter]

What does Molon Labe mean? Just curious. Never heard it before. Thanks. :)

[SunkenCiv]

Clinton and Carter put Aristide on the throne, and Aristide cheated in the most recent elections, then used thugs to try to crush opposition.

Marines are already in and around Haiti's capital of Port- au-Prince, he noted. They are the leading elements of a multinational interim force sanctioned by the United Nations.

The thugs who did Aristide's dirty work should be tried, found guilty, and executed. And so should Aristide. But it's a Haitian matter, and US interests are not very large.

[SunkenCiv]

An African-American activist says Aristide told him on the phone Monday that he was kidnapped at gunpoint by American soldiers and ousted in a U.S. coup d'etat. Aristide said he was being held prisoner at the Renaissance Palace in Bangui, Central African Republic, said the activist, Randall Robinson. *

See also Randall Robinson: Smooth Talking Racist by Anders G. Lewis [a Free Republic topic]

[Alamo-Girl]

Bump!

[windchime]

Bump!

[blackie]

Molon Labe!

[cubreporter]

Thank you. That was wonderful. That should be the motto of the RNC and GWB. Very interesting. Thanks so much.

[January24th]

From the PBS site:

Famous quotes and anecdotes associated with the Spartans:

Herodotus reports that just before the Battle of Thermoplyae, a Spartan warrior named Dienekes was told that the Persian archers could blank out the sun with their arrows. He replied "Good, then we shall have our battle in the shade."

A Sybarite, who ate at a public mess, once remarked: "Now I know why the Spartans do not fear death."

Asked what was the greatest benefit Lycurgus conferred on his countryman, King Agesilaus replied "Contempt of pleasure."

"Come back with your shield - or on it" (Plutarch, Mor.241) was supposed to be the parting cry of mothers to their sons. Mothers whose sons died in battle openly rejoiced, mothers whose sons survived hung their heads in shame.

Asked why it was dishonorable to return without a shield and not without a helmet, the Spartan king, Demaratos (510 - 491) is said to have replied: "Because the latter they put on for their own protection, but the shield for the common good of all." (Plutarch, Mor.220)

An old man wandering around the Olympic Games looking for a seat was jeered at by the crowd until he reached the seats of the Spartans, whereupon every Spartan younger than him, and some that were older, stood up and offered him their seat. The crowd applauded and the old man turned to them with a sigh, saying "All Greeks know what is right, but only the Spartans do it."

[blackie]

I'm here to serve. :)

[blackie]

Good stuff ~ thanks!

[cubreporter]

Well, it was very informative. I sent it to a few people. Thanks again. Freepers are so helpful.

[blackie]

It's surprising it was a PBS site. :)

[January24th]

I finally found my favorite Laconic quote, and it's only one little word:

Philip of Macedon wanted to become the master of all Greece. So he raised a great army, and made war upon the other states, until nearly all of them were forced to call him their king. Then he sent a letter to the Spartans in Laconia, and said, "If I go down into your country, I will level your great city to the ground."

In a few days, an answer was brought back to him. When he opened the letter, he found only one word written there:

"IF."

[blackie]

:):):)