Haiti, Bush, Next Big Mess

[mburbank]

Bush Urges International Forces in Haiti
By DEB RIECHMANN, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - President Bush said Wednesday that the United States is encouraging the international community to provide a strong "security presence" in Haiti as America and its allies continue to try to achieve a political solution to the island nation's escalating violence.


Bush said the United States was discussing such a security presence at the moment, but he provided no details.

Bush said he has been closely consulting with Secretary of State Colin Powell in an effort to reach an accord between Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide and rebels who have seized control of large parts of Haiti.

"We will have a robust presence with an effective strategy," Bush told reporters following an Oval Office meeting with the president of Georgia.





I think it might be a little too late for either of those things. Why exactly would the rebels concider accepting a negotiated peace now, having gotten almost to Aristides door? They might have a few weeks ago, but now? And if they don't accept it, what do we propose to do?

Are we even clear who's side w'ere on? Aristide is hugely corrupt, has failed in every way, but is also a democratically elected leader. If we end up firing on the rebels and protecting Aristide, where does that put us visa vis Chavez, another democratically elected leader who the United states absolutely wants out.

Our armed forces are spread pretty thin. Whay tardstick are we going to use to determine which regimes we're going to change and when?