Washington, January 20: The arrival of US Marines to Haiti to help in relief efforts has sparked international uproar, amid accusations for Washington of occupying the Caribbean country, reported.
“This is about helping Haiti, not about occupying Haiti,” France’s Cooperation Minister Alain Joyandet said in an emergency EU meeting on Haiti.
He urged the UN to clarify the US role in the country and how governments should work together to relieve the quake-hit Haitians.
Washington has sent thousands of troops into Haiti to help in relief efforts following last week’s deadly earthquake.
US forces control the main airport in Port-au-Prince and decide which relief planes are allowed to land.
Last week, US troops turned back a French aid plane carrying a field hospital from landing at the airport.
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said that the Americans were prioritizing their military aircraft over those carrying aid.
“People always want it to be their plane that lands. (But] what’s important is the fate of the Haitians.”
The French accusations came after Venezuela and Nicaragua voiced concern over the US military deployment in Haiti.
“It appears that the United States is occupying Haiti militarily, taking advantage of the tragedy,” Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said.
Thousands of Haitians were killed when a 7.0-magnitude quake jolted the poorest country of the Western hemisphere last week.
The quake caused massive destruction in the Caribbean country, with dead bodies littering across the streets.
Five days after the disaster, homeless, injured and traumatized Haitians still trawl the streets desperate for food, water and medicine.
Denial
Washington denies occupying the Caribbean country, saying it only helps in relief efforts.
“The democratically-elected government of Haiti is in charge,” PJ Crowley, spokesman for the US State Department, told the Doha-based Al-Jazeera television.
“This is an international effort, the US is not in charge here, the government of Haiti is in charge, the UN is in charge – we’re supporting them.”
Crowley denied that US military planes were favored to land at the airport other than aid planes.
“They are bringing in aid, communications gear for the Haitian government so they can begin to operate and function once again,” he said.
The US was “prepared to augment UN and Haiti forces if they need help, but for now, they are there for a humanitarian mission only.”
Haiti was occupied by the US in 1915 until 1934.
The US military was also accused of forcing the departure of the former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide before the end of his second term in early 2004.
-Agencies