PREVAL PRESSURES MINUSTAH FOR CLAMPDOWN

C O N F I D E N T I A L PORT AU PRINCE 001622 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/CAR DRL S/CRS SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAR INR/IAA (BEN-YEHUDA) TREASURY FOR JEFFREY LEVINE E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/30/2011 TAGS: PGOV MARR MOPS KCRM HA SUBJECT: PREVAL PRESSURES MINUSTAH FOR CLAMPDOWN REF: A. PAP 1571 ¶B. PAP 1543 Classified By: Classified by Deputy Chief of Mission Thomas C. Tighe fo r reasons 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (C) President Preval on August 31 convened meetings with MINUSTAH leaders, including the SRSG and his military and police commander, and Haitian security officials to press for decisive action against gang leaders in Cite Soleil. A MINUSTAH official who participated in the meeting told Polcouns that evening that in response to Preval, MINUSTAH would take additional measures to integrate the Haitian police (HNP) into efforts to pacify the adjacent Cite Militaire neighborhood and would bring in additional MINUSTAH troops to patrol and establish "fixed points" on route national 1. The MINUSTAH official related that Preval was increasingly anxious to demonstrate results in combating the Cite Soleil gangs, but that MINUSTAH's military commanding General Elito did not feel prepared to immediately launch operations in Cite Soleil, prefering to continue a phased approach whereby MINUSTAH first secures Cite Militaire and the main arteries bordering Cite Soleil, principally route national 1 (ref B). ¶2. (C) Mission DAO confirmed the above account with MINUSTAH military counterparts, noting that the Jordanian and Sri Lankan contingents, which have responsibility for the areas east and west of Port-au-Prince, respectively, had already been brought back into the Cite Militaire area over the previous two weeks. MINUSTAH sources added that reserve Peruvian troops stationed at the edge of Cite Soleil would also be enlisted in the effort. 3, (C) On the other side, a MINUSTAH informant and neighbor of gang leader Evans Jeune reported that Evans and other gang leaders expect that a pitched battle with MINUSTAH will come shortly. To present a more heroic image to local residents in anticipation of this battle, he has procured a horse on which he periodically appears in the neighborhood. Gang leaders have also increased spending within the neighborhood, including distribution of ice cream. The informant also claimed that he was also increasingly uncomfortable moving around his neighborhood due to the presence of large numbers of kidnapping victims. ¶4. (C) Comment. Polcouns' MINUSTAH interlocutor reflected that Preval has finally asked MINUSTAH to do, "what we should have been doing two years ago." The official cautioned, however, that the phased approach might not be as rapid or effective as Preval and others hoped. MINUSTAH has a huge challenge to meet the demands now being made by Preval. TIGHE