Biden not sending troops to Haiti as crisis worsens
The Biden administration will not send U.S. troops to Haiti to help its national police respond to a rapidly worsening security crisis, a White House official told McClatchy, as a united front of gang leaders has led attacks on the country’s main seaport, airports and prisons.
The White House decision comes after a frantic 72 hours of communication between U.S. and Haitian diplomatic officials raised the prospect of an emergency deployment of U.S. Special Forces to respond to the crisis, fearing that a longplanned international security mission, to be led by Kenya, would not be ready to deploy in time to address the immediate situation.
“The United States is not sending U.S. troops to Haiti to support the Haitian National Police’s security operations,” a National Security Council official said. “We are urgently mobilizing all support we and the international community can immediately provide Haiti, especially to the Haitian National Police, to ensure they are able to restore security for the sake of the people.”
Gangs that had previously worked separately have recently united to challenge what remaining control the Haitian government, led by Prime Minister Ariel Henry, has over the country and its capital.
On Monday, Haitian security forces engaged in an hourslong gun battle with gang members trying to take over the international airport in Port-auPrince, after gangs successfully orchestrated major prison breaks two days earlier and laid siege to the country’s main seaport. Henry is trying to return home from a trip to Kenya where he was working to finalize the deal for the deployment of an armed force.
Haiti declared a state of emergency, and the U.S. Embassy in Port-auPrince issued an alert calling on U.S. citizens to leave the country immediately on commercial or private aircraft, even with the airport under attack.
The White House is working to “expedite” the deployment of the Kenyaled force, John Kirby, the White House national security communications adviser, said on Monday.
“Through the weekend, senior U.S. government officials remained in close contact with senior Haitian government officials and members of the international community to help stabilize the situation and to move quickly toward an enduring political solution,” Kirby said. “We’re working with international partners to provide immediate support to the Haitian National Police and expedite the deployment of the Multinational Security Support mission that will help restore security urgently. Violence serves only to delay a democratic transition while destroying and upending the lives of thousands.”
The Biden administration has said it intends to provide $200 million to the mission. But the State Department has faced opposition from skeptical Republican lawmakers in Congress who have blocked the disbursement of a $50 million request to help get the mission going.
Last week, Kenyan President William Ruto said a bilateral police-and security-sharing agreement with Haiti was the final step and declared that his 1,000 police officers were ready.
However, Ruto’s government has also promised its Parliament that officers will not be deployed until the funding is in place.