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Haiti is 'tinderbox' foreign policy challenge for Biden
[The Hill] The Biden administration is confronting a new and complicated foreign policy crisis as political turmoil grips Haiti following the assassination of its president. The assassination remains shrouded in mystery, and it’s unclear who carried out or financed the killing. Regional experts are raising alarm that the president’s murder, while extraordinary, is only one part of Haiti’s ongoing hardships that threaten a broader humanitarian crisis and possible flood of refugees into neighboring countries, including the United States. Haiti is also contending with the COVID-19 pandemic, the Atlantic hurricane season and a plague of gang violence, all of which have been made worse by the country’s dysfunctional political system. "It is a tinderbox really ready to explode," said Jenna Ben-Yehuda, president and CEO of the Truman National Security Project. Haitian authorities announced the arrest late Sunday night of Florida-based Haitian doctor Christian Emmanuel Sanon, 63, who they have determined is a chief suspect. Haiti's Gulen? More than a dozen Colombian nationals with military experience and two Haitian Americans were arrested in connection with the fatal shooting attack on Haitian President Jovenel Moïse that occurred in his home outside Port-au-Prince in the early hours of July 7. The Haitian government has requested U.S. military support to secure the country’s critical infrastructure as well as security assistance from the United Nations (U.N.). A U.S. delegation comprised of officials from various departments met with Haitian authorities and the country’s political leaders on Sunday to assess how the United States can assist. White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Monday that the request for U.S. troops is still under review by the Biden administration and has not yet been ruled out. "This is just the beginning of our conversations," Psaki said. "We will remain in close touch with law enforcement, with individuals in Haiti, with a range of leaders in Haiti about how we can assist and provide assistance moving forward." The White House has also urged the political leaders in Haiti to work together to find a path forward for a united leadership at a time when two prime ministers are claiming power. Posted by: Besoeker 2021-07-13 |
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