Biden won’t send any troops to Haiti

Will bolster security at U.S. embassy

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden said Thursday that the U.S. will bolster security at its embassy in Haiti following last week’s assassination of that country’s president, but sending American troops to stabilize the country was “not on the agenda.”

Haiti’s interim government last week asked the U.S. and the United Nations to deploy troops to protect key infrastructure following President Jovenel Moïse’s assassination. Mr. Biden signaled he was not open to the request, which comes as he is drawing down U.S. forces in Afghanistan this summer.

“We’re only sending American Marines to our embassy,” Mr. Biden said. “The idea of sending American forces to Haiti is not on the agenda.”

Mathias Pierre, Haiti’s elections minister, told The Associated Press on Thursday that he believes the request for U.S. troops is relevant given what he called a “fragile situation” and the need to create a secure environment for elections scheduled to happen in 120 days.

He also said Mr. Biden’s comment still leaves the option open.

”This is not a closed door. The evolution of the situation will determine the outcome,” Mr. Pierre said. “In the meantime, the government is doing everything we can to stabilize the country, return to a normal environment and organize elections while trying to come to a political agreement with most political parties.”

Meanwhile, authorities in Haiti on Thursday forcefully pushed back against reports that current government officials were involved in the killing of Mr. Moïse, calling them “a lie.”

Léon Charles, head of Haiti’s National Police, denied a report from Caracol news, a Colombia-based private TV station, that claimed interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph was the mastermind of the July 7 killing.

“The police warns of all propaganda creating a diversion,” he said, adding the government has no evidence to support those claims.