French Minister Slams U.S. Role in Haiti

The United Nations must investigate and clarify the dominant U.S. role in earthquake-ravaged Haiti, a French minister said Monday, claiming that international aid efforts were about helping Haiti, not "occupying" it.

U.S. forces last week turned back a French aid plane carrying a field hospital from the damaged, congested airport in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince, prompting a complaint from French Cooperation Minister Alain Joyandet. The plane landed safely the following day.

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French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner warned governments and aid groups not to squabble as they try to get their aid into Haiti.

"People always want it to be their plane ... that lands," Kouchner said Monday. "(But) what's important is the fate of the Haitians."

But Joyandet persisted.

"This is about helping Haiti, not about occupying Haiti," Joyandet, in Brussels for an EU meeting on Haiti, said on French radio.

In another weekend incident, some 250 Americans were flown to New Jersey's McGuire Air Force Base on three military planes from Haiti. U.S. forces initially blocked French and Canadians nationals from boarding the planes, but the cordon was lifted after protests from French and Canadian officials.

The U.S. military controls the Port-au-Prince airport where only one runway is functioning and has been effectively running aid operations. However, the United Nations has stepped forward to take the lead in the critical task of coordinating aid.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Saturday the U.S. government had no intention of taking power from Haitian officials. "We are working to back them up, but not to supplant them," she said.

Joyandet said he expects a U.N. decision on how governments should work together in Haiti.

"The U.N. is working on it," Joyandet said, adding that he hopes "things will be clarified concerning the role of the United States."

Both nations have occupied Haiti in the past.

France occupied Haiti for more than 100 years, from 1697 to independence in 1804 after the world's first successful slave uprising. More recently, U.S. Marines occupied the country from 1915 to 1934 to quiet political turmoil.

[obbbl]

The French really need to shut up. They have repeatedly shown themselves to be a bunch of whining idiots. They talk, and talk and talk, reminding me of a bunch of little boys with ADHD. They do little besides cause problems in every situation from natural disasters to the gulf. I think it's time for another French boycott, perhaps I can find that list of French owned companies operating and/or selling their products in the US again.

[bluemoon6699]

I really don't understand all the nasty comments posted here.
Yes I am a French citizen, and i have been living in the US for over 10 years now. I truely appreciate the incredible effort brought by the US governemnt to this tragedy.
I think it is not very respectfull of the Haitian people to use the comments made by this French minister to feed this ongoing US - France bashing sessions.
This French plane was bringing a field hospital. Medical equipment is right now the #1 need for people of Haiti.
Another plane from MSF (I think from Canada) had a similar problem on Saturday.
CNN also reported that planes with medical supplies should be given priority to land, because delays of a few hours could result in dozens of people dying from their injuries.
So I think everybody should stay calm. The US government is trying to do its best for sure. That doesn't mean that other organizations or governments should not express their concerns. Let's just try to use them in a productive way, again, for the sake of Haiti!

[from_the_north]

Well, why didn't they go there and start organizing things and helping people? If the US doesn't help they complain if we do help they complain.

[Archie_Clement]

I think the French Air Force should run the airport in Haiti. Wait, they would probably surrender it to the first group of German tourists who passed through....

[newsworthy8]

Slob....

[jgg000101]

zee hatians could be dining on coq au vin and sucking on pastries. sacre bleau!

[gilmomuff]

Come on, French Minister, zee arrival of Bill and Hillary Clinton,
and their hughe entourage, was reason enough to close the whole
Haitian airport to any other traffic not important enough, like zee
french hospital plane that meant to land and take over zee medias !

And, beside, every media camera on the Island had to be dedicated to
zee Clinton, from the time they landed and went on restoring food and
water supplies... to every Haitian disaster victim !

Grrrr

[wayland59]

The French are a nation that wants everything yet gives nothing. They surrendered to the Germans without a shot being fired. The Brits sank their navy to stop it falling into German hands because they refused to. If they never existed, would it matter.

[gnimelf1968]

French fries are not french moron.

[armyoftwelve]

The need for law and order isn't going to be filled by the Republic of France. The minister is having sour grapes because his plane couldn't land.

[pdxdave]

But if anyone else wants to invade Haiti while French troops are there, at least they will have a white flag handy.

[vietnamwar]

send Hitler over ...