MINUSTAH CONTINUES CITE SOLEIL OPERATIONS

C O N F I D E N T I A L PORT AU PRINCE 002472 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/EX AND WHA/CAR S/CRS SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD STATE PASS TO USAID FOR LAC/CAR INR/IAA (BEN-YEHUDA) WHA/EX PLEASE PASS TO OAS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/29/2016 TAGS: PINS PGOV KPKO MOPS HA SUBJECT: MINUSTAH CONTINUES CITE SOLEIL OPERATIONS REF: A. PORT AU PRINCE 2459 ¶B. PORT AU PRINCE 2424 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Thomas Tighe for reasons 1.4 (b) and ( d). ¶1. (C) MINUSTAH and the Haitian National Police (HNP) ran their second joint operation in the early morning of December 28 targeting gang members, specifically Belony, residing in the Bois Neuf area of the Port-au-Prince slum, Cite Soleil. According to MINUSTAH's A/Deputy Commissioner for OPS Neil Warriner (strictly protect),the plan to destroy gang leader Belony's house was executed perfectly by the Bolivian contingent, which has not left the area since the first operation on December 22 (ref A). MINUSTAH does not know of any fatalities -- Belony was not in the house -- and has knowledge of only five injured Haitians, including Belony's girlfriend. The troops came under fire by a 50 caliber (unverified) machine gun round which blew a hole through one of the armored personnel carriers (APC); no MINUSTAH troops were injured. Warriner said that the machine gun could be an old weapon, or it could be one of the weapons from the MINUSTAH APC deserted in Cite Soleil on December 22 (ref A). ¶2. (C) The operation took 45 minutes. After several nights with no gunfire near checkpoint 21 in the Bois Neuf area, the troops flanked Belony's strongpoint from the northwest, and took gunfire almost immediately. (Note: In accordance with the mandate, MINUSTAH troops cannot fire unless fired upon. End note.) The troops then launched four rocket propelled grenades (RPG) into the center of Belony's house after they believed most of the bystanders had left the area. MINUSTAH analysts report that the inside of the house is completely destroyed, although the outside of the house appears intact. MINUSTAH OPS postponed this second operation by one day because analysts learned that the community was holding a wake followed by a burial on the morning of December 27 for the victims of the first assault. Any reports that the operation took place in the early morning of December 27 were most likely the result of a rumor campaign, which MINUSTAH hoped would prompt innocent civilians to leave the area. ¶3. (C) The HNP and UNPol were waiting nearby, ready to deploy, but the Bolivian troops never asked for their assistance. MINUSTAH and the HNP will continue to run operations in the Bois Neuf area until the gangs run out of ammunition and have to dessert their stronghold. According to Warriner, the HNP are "scared to death" of the operations because they have only "run-down weapons and no ammunition." (Note: According to INL Program Manager, there will be a training class on January 3, 2007, after which new semi-automatic weapons will be distributed. He has also been pressing HNP Director General Mario Andresol to buy ammunition since the embargo has been lifted. End note.) Despite their fear, which Warriner finds rational, the HNP has been very cooperative and willing, even energetic, to participate in the operations. MINUSTAH's goal is to establish an HNP presence in Bois Neuf by the end of January or sometime in February. Once Bois Neuf is secure and Belony is arrested, the HNP and MINUSTAH will work their way southeast through Cite Soleil. Their next target is gang leader Amaral Duclonet, followed by Evans Jeune. ¶4. (C) Comment: MINUSTAH and the HNP -- under direct orders from President Rene Preval (ref B),with vocal parliamentary support -- have answered the population's plea for a response to insecurity in Port-au-Prince. For the first time since Preval's inauguration, it seems that all official voices (at least the executive, the legislative and the UN peacekeeping force) support the same plan. TIGHE