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March 18, 2010
Obama Won’t Fly the U.S. Flag in Haiti
The Cubans, French, Brits, and Croations have no problem flying their flags
Obama won’t fly the US flag in Haiti
Flap flies in Haiti over U.S. flag absence
The U.S. flag has flown in Haiti under circumstances that were not always friendly.
In 1915, Marines invaded Haiti to restore stability after several coups. In 1986, President Ronald Reagan pressured dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier to renounce his rule and leave. In 1994, President Bill Clinton sent troops to prop up President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. In 2004, President George W. Bush's administration eased Aristide out of office amid a brutal civil war.
The many nations helping Haiti recover from the devastating earthquake that struck there have set up their own military compounds and fly their flags at the entrances.
France’s tricolor, Britain’s Union Jack and even Croatia’s coat of arms flap in the breeze.
But the country whose contributions dwarf the rest of the world’s — the United States — has no flag at its main installation near the Port-au-Prince airport.
The lack of the Stars and Stripes does not sit well with some veterans and servicemembers who say the U.S. government should be proud to fly the flag in Haiti, given the amount of money and manpower the U.S. is donating to help the country recover from the Jan. 12 quake.
The Obama administration says flying the flag could give Haiti the wrong idea.
“We are not here as an occupation force, but as an international partner committed to supporting the government of Haiti on the road to recovery,” the U.S. government’s Haiti Joint Information Center said in response to a query about the flag.
The absence of the American flag bothers Navy veteran Arthur Herriford, national president of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association.
“It’s very improper,” Herriford said. “Our military people always engage and function under the American colors — always have and always will.”
Army Col. Billy Buckner, spokesman for Joint Task Force-Haiti, a group representing various Obama administration agency heads, said the decision not to fly the American flag was made out of respect as guests of the government of Haiti.
"It is no mystery that U.S. forces are on the ground, and we proudly wear an American flag on our right sleeve," he said.
U.S. Air Force air operations specialists and FAA air-traffic controllers manage air traffic at Haiti's main airport, where millions of dollars in aid from the United States has been arriving for weeks. More than 12,000 U.S. military personnel support relief operations.
"Our commanders are smart and intuitively understand their mission here in Haiti, and clearly the sensitivities that come with supporting the mission," Buckner said.A U.S. flag went up at a temporary consular station set up in the first few days on the airport tarmac, according to Charles Luoma-Overstreet, a State Department spokesman in Haiti.
"Apparently, the prime minister (Jean-Max Bellerive) saw this" and thought it appeared as if the United States were taking over the airport, Luoma-Overstreet said.
He said Bellerive said something to U.S. Ambassador Kenneth Merten, who agreed that flying the flag wasn't a good idea and told the consular officials to take it down.
Don Hollenbaugh, a former Army Delta Force operator who received the Distinguished Service Cross for actions in Fallujah, Iraq, in 2004.
"Everybody in the world knows the U.S. is there," Hollenbaugh said. "So by not flying the flag, we're not changing anyone's mind about anything."
Wild Thing's comment.......
Does this also mean that bags and boxes of donated food won't say Product Of The USA.
Castro and Chavez has already accused the USA of invading and occupying Haiti. We all know that is BS, but Obama feels like they do.
Posted by Wild Thing at March 18, 2010 05:40 AM
Comments
More PC crap from our leftist govt and a few weak military leaders. obama is an America hating asshole.
Posted by: TomR at March 18, 2010 11:08 AM
"Apparently, the prime minister (Jean-Max Bellerive) saw this" and thought it appeared as if the United States were taking over the airport, Luoma-Overstreet said.
He said Bellerive said something to U.S. Ambassador Kenneth Merten, who agreed that flying the flag wasn't a good idea and told the consular officials to take it down."
I hate to see innocent people suffer but if they don't want our flag flying then send a loud and clear message to any country expecting help from the USA. Take down our flag and come home. Let them depend on the rest of the world for aid.
Toss Merten out on his ass.
Posted by: Bob A at March 18, 2010 11:53 AM
But they got no problem taking our money, food, aid and medical help, to rebuild this POS country. Who has never been a friend to the US.
Fly our Flag or forget the help. we should pull up stakes and leave. fuck'em. I have never seen any of these third world bastards come to Florida after their Hurricanes, or Louisiana, or California after an earthquake. NO, hell no, but you see volunteers from every state in the Union going to the damaged parts of the country for little or no pay at all.
They are worried we may take over their air port, which could fit in a hangar at Kennedy, what would want the air port for ? This whole attitude sounds like Congress, Screw the American people, I think its time to start screwing them back.
Posted by: Mark at March 18, 2010 09:37 PM
test
Posted by: Wild Thing at March 22, 2010 07:33 PM
