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View Full Version : Will US pull troops from Afghanistan to send to Haiti?




Liberty Star
01-16-2010, 12:30 PM
Yesterday SoD gates and Adm. Mullen said that Haiti now had the "highest priority" for US military in this hemisphere.



U.S. Diverts Spy Drone from Afghanistan to Haiti

By Nathan Hodge January 15, 2010


As part of the Haiti relief effort, the U.S. military is sharing imagery from one of its high-end, high-flying spy drones, the RQ-4 Global Hawk.


This image, shot yesterday by a Global Hawk, shows damage to the National Cathedral in Port-au-Prince. U.S. Southern Command is sharing the images so that non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and relief groups can get a better picture of the situation on the ground.



http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/01/pentagon-shares-earthquake-images-from-high-flying-spy-drone/


"This is a time when the world looks to us and they say -- given our capacity, given our unique capacity to project power around the world -- that we have to project that not just for our own interests but for the interests of the world as a whole," he said. "And my national security team understands that I will not put up with any excuses for us not doing the very best in this time of tragedy."

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/01/14/haiti.us.aid/?hpt=T2



LIVE: Haiti earthquake 15 Jan
BBC News - ‎Jan 15, 2010‎

Adm Mike Mullen, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, says the US will have up to 10000 troops in Haiti by Monday.

They also said this is just start and effort is going to pick up pace in coming days. A reporter asked how could US send more troops to Haiti with military alreeady spread so thinly around the world. It's possible that after drones, US may pull some support troops out of Afghanistan in to Haiti.

Would that be a good move for national security?

torchbearer
01-16-2010, 12:35 PM
this is what i see-
they stick me on an island stuck in anarchy. they give me a rifle. what do they want me to do?
shot people.
what happens when our troops start killing people there?

Liberty Star
01-16-2010, 12:37 PM
From what they described in press conf, immediate mission was to supply water and food to Haitians and to rescue people trapped alive under rubble there. And some other stuff.
Don't know how much training these troops have to do that.

torchbearer
01-16-2010, 12:38 PM
From what they described in press conf, immediate mission was to supply water and food to Haitians and to rescue people trapped alive under rubble there. And some other stuff.

so we send people with rifles to dig people out of rubble and hand out water?

Liberty Star
01-16-2010, 12:40 PM
Hard to carry water and food and dig up people with rifle and ammo on the shoulders. Rifle will have to be left home for this mission one would think.

Although I recall seeing some pics of our soldiers laying bricks for schools in Afghanistan while still carrying their weapons.

Todd
01-16-2010, 12:41 PM
It may be likely that they send Guard and Reserve units that are CONUS based with nothing to do right now...that is, if we do anything at all

Liberty Star
01-16-2010, 12:46 PM
Some other military reconstruction projects in foreign countries:

http://photos.state.gov/libraries/usinfo-photo/4110/week_1_0307/030607-Philippines-200.jpg

http://manila.usembassy.gov/wwwjw085.jpg


Following list is although from a pro neocon news site but has interesting reconstruction projects detail:


FOXNEWS.COM HOME > WORLD > NATIONAL

Timeline: Reconstruction Progress in Iraq

Thursday, July 24, 2003

The following is an abbreviated list of the reconstruction and humanitarian efforts coalition forces have been participating in and organizing in Iraq:


http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,92778,00.html

torchbearer
01-16-2010, 12:48 PM
Anger turns to violence in Haiti: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/centralamericaandthecaribbean/haiti/6999091/Haiti-earthquake-anger-turns-to-violence-on-the-streets.html

torchbearer
01-16-2010, 12:49 PM
Desperation turns into violence in Haiti: http://www.eitb.com/news/detail/336325/desperation-turns-into-violence-in-haiti/

torchbearer
01-16-2010, 12:50 PM
According to a report by AFP, a vanguard of the 10,000 US troops being deployed to Haiti has taken control of the airport, which is clogged with tons of relief supplies, and has begun the first distribution of aid to quell the threat of violence.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/centralamericaandthecaribbean/haiti/6999091/Haiti-earthquake-anger-turns-to-violence-on-the-streets.html

ie- shoot people.

Bruno
01-16-2010, 12:52 PM
yesterday the Haiti government said they want their police to be out in front, not U.S. troops patrolling the streets.

Liberty Star
01-16-2010, 12:59 PM
Anger turns to violence in Haiti: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/centralamericaandthecaribbean/haiti/6999091/Haiti-earthquake-anger-turns-to-violence-on-the-streets.html

Yea some people in Haiti could turn to violence looking for food and stuff. But there won't be any roadside bombs.

torchbearer
01-16-2010, 01:03 PM
Yea some people in Haiti could turn to violence looking for food and stuff. But there won't be any roadside bombs.

ok, but doesn't change the fact that we are sending young adults with rifles to an area that is in chaos.
i'd have one finger on the trigger if i was there- for self preservation.

it only takes one incident before things get really bad really quick.

Liberty Star
01-16-2010, 01:05 PM
I don't disagree with that. Main question was if pulling troops out of Afghanistan to send to Haiti will be good for US national security or not?

torchbearer
01-16-2010, 01:06 PM
I don't disagree with that. Main question was if pulling troops out of Afghanistan to send to Haiti will be good for US national security or not?

neither are good for our security.
1-1=0.

HOLLYWOOD
01-16-2010, 01:20 PM
Where's the United Nations? This is a United Nations crisis, UN security, etc...not a US liability. Isn't that what the BILLIONS dumped into this organization suppose to handle?



WOW I hear China (who just exceeded Germany in Export totals) donated a whopping $4.5 million to Haiti... though I'm being cynical as usual... good gestures go a long way... except when kinda pathetic amounts. Maybe China can spare a few thousand volunteers from their 1.3 Billion habitants.

libertarian4321
01-16-2010, 02:48 PM
Hard to carry water and food and dig up people with rifle and ammo on the shoulders. Rifle will have to be left home for this mission one would think.


They will be armed.

There are a couple of ways the military can be used.

Either use the military as a security force for government agencies/NGO's who are handing out food or rescuing or whatever.

Or, have the military provide the services- e.g. military doctors performing surgery (unarmed) while armed soldiers perform perimeter security.

BTW, the kind of "violence" seen in Haiti now is NOT organized resistance to military authority, it's thugs with machetes stealing from people or robbing equipment stores. These kind of people are easy to control- they won't openly confront armed soldiers. A completely different mission than they perform in places like Afghanistan or Iraq.

Yesterday, a company or so of Bolivian soldiers (with UN helmets) managed to organize and secure food distribution. I guarantee the US soldiers/marines are at least as good as the Bolivians.

RM918
01-16-2010, 02:53 PM
Can't they just pull them from Germany? I doubt Hitler's ghost is going to rise up anytime soon.