MEDIA REACTION - PEACEKEEPING MISSION IN HAITI

UNCLAS SANTIAGO 000296 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR R/MR, I/PP, WHA/BSC, WHA/PDA, INR/IAA, PM, INL STATE FOR INR/R/MR E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KMDR KPAO OPRC PGOV HA CI SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION - PEACEKEEPING MISSION IN HAITI ¶1. Conservative, influential, newspaper-of-record El Mercurio (Sat. circ. 173,049, 2/17) ran an op-ed by former Army Commander-in-Chief and current Director of the International Studies Center of the Catholic University Juan Emilio Cheyre entitled, "Haiti: The Imperative Not To Fail." Excerpts follow. ¶2. "The nine countries that form the Minustah met in Lima... where they conceptually agreed that the time for change has come. But that is not enough. It is not enough to have a declaration. There must be new goals and strategies, and different ways to maintain the force, readapting the mission and evaluating a project so that it can be quantified in terms of goals, responsibilities, and achievements.... Haitians need to see, feel, and live the changes. This is not so hard if one leaves the desk and uses money in the field and not in elevators. Simple things would suffice: two more hours of light, some water, increase the stoplights in the city.... ¶3. "The government of Haiti must take real control ... and work better with the forces that support it, such as Minustah; create and make institutions work; reject bandits; and especially not to seek support by protecting interest groups. It is time to rule with legitimacy.... ¶4. "The police and justice must reorganize and show radical changes. It is not possible to have a judicial system that does not issue arrest warrants or put bandits on trial ... or have a 5000 police force of questionable formation ... absent from the areas of conflict.... ¶5. "Minustah, the police, and the government must find ways to share information to control, among other things, the 8 percent of narcotics that leave Haiti for the United States; establish land and maritime border controls; disarm a population that this year has only turned in about 150 weapons; and to identify, apprehend and bring criminal leaders to trial. ¶6. "We must end the concept that there must be total security for assistance to arrive. Terror is focalized in Cite Soleil and Martissant, which are two small areas of the capital. There is no doubt that the inhabitants in those areas are protecting the bandits, but they cannot be considered enemies. The combined military action ... must be strengthened to guard against insurrection and terror. ¶7. "Haiti must establish a currency and regulate its use and exchange.... It must also control the income of Haitians abroad. The illegal foreign capital market must be dealt with, because the wealth of some could affect an incipient honest private sector. Haiti should define, finance, and execute at least 15 road projects with clear deadlines.... It is vital for NGOs to have accountability, so that corrupt entities are removed ... and honest ones can continue to operate... but not without coordinating their goals with the government and tax payers. Education and health ... have to be programs that show results. Perhaps teaching Spanish in the only country in the Americas that does not speak or understand it is not such a crazy idea.... ¶8. "Countries such as Chile, the United Nations, and the OAS, which are providing support, must demand results. This means committing to do follow-up.... We have no right to fail. Many already have. Success requires a new strategy." KELLY