Bill Clinton is now running Haiti
The Haitian Parliament ratified a law extending by 18 months the state of emergency that President René Préval declared after the earthquake in January. The Parliament also formally ceded its powers over finances and reconstruction, during the state of emergency, to a foreign-led Interim Commission for the Reconstruction of Haiti (CIRH). The majority of members on the CIRH are foreign. The commission is headed by UN Special Envoy Bill Clinton and Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive. The only accountability or oversight measure is veto power by Préval. Few expect him to employ his veto option, in part because of possible repercussions, in terms of the dollar flow, by the CIRH.
http://www.truthout.org/foreign-led-commission-now-governs-haiti59537
Gangsters have taken over Port-au-Prince
Gangsters have stepped into the law and order vacuum in Port-au-Prince, notably in the sprawling shanty town of Cite Soleil which they dominated before being locked up following police operations supported by UN troops over the last three years. The Haitian authorities are crippled by heavy casualties and destruction of infrastructure. "The problem is they have weapons so we cannot send the population or just any policemen to capture them," said Jean-Max Bellerive, Haiti's prime minister. Police officers have now effectively given up by appealing to local vigilantes to take the law into their own hands. "If you don't kill the criminals, they will all come back," Haitian police announce over loudspeakers from heavily armed checkpoints in Cite Soleil.
Maybe Haiti should help Latvia?
Meeting in emergency session today, the Latvian government allocated EUR 15,000 [sic] for dealing with the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti. The money will be come from the budgetary fund for emergency situations and will be transferred to the UN's Central Emergency Response Fund.
The Nation of Why Not
Sixty miles from Haiti's devastated earthquake zone, luxury liners dock at private beaches where passengers enjoy jetski rides, parasailing and rum cocktails delivered to their hammocks. A liner delivered relief supplies while passengers frolicked on zip-lines and ate barbeque within the 12-foot-high fence's perimeter. The Independence of the Seas, owned by Royal Caribbean International, disembarked at the heavily guarded resort of Labadee on the north coast on 15 January 2010. The ship was built at the Finnish shipyard, Aker Finnyards. A second cruise ship, the Navigator of the Seas is due to dock at Labadee later. Royal Caribbean International leases a picturesque wooded peninsula and its five pristine beaches from the government for passengers to "cut loose" with watersports, barbecues, and shopping for trinkets at a craft market before returning on board before dusk. Safety is guaranteed by armed guards at the gate.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jan/17/cruise-ships-haiti-earthquake
The Good Neighbor
Through the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, we will work to provide immediate relief and long-term support to earthquake survivors. We will channel the collective goodwill around the globe to help the people of Haiti rebuild their cities, their neighborhoods, and their families. We ask each of you to give what you can to help ensure the people of Haiti can build back stronger and better than ever. Both of us have personally witnessed the tremendous generosity and goodwill of the American people and of our friends around the world to help in times of great need. There is no greater rallying cry for our common humanity than witnessing our neighbors in distress. And, like any good neighbor, we have an obligation and desire to come to their aid. The people of Haiti now need us more than ever.
~ President William J. Clinton & President George W. Bush
http://clintonbushhaitifund.org/
