Clinton+to+Obama+(pre-Quake)

Rose Barrett, Emily Theobald, and Shawna-Leigh Morton

**Clinton to Obama**

“With just a few hundred miles of ocean between us and a long history that binds us together, Haitians are our neighbors in the Americas and here at home." This statement, taken from a recent interview with President Barack Obama, represents a view that has been held by the United States government for quite some time, but that has not been evident in the practice of American foreign policy. America’s long and extensive relationship with Haiti has led to the development of a dual foreign policy with the abused nation.

**__Historical Context__** Since the arrival of [|Columbus] in the New World, the country that is now Haiti has been exploited by more powerful nations. With Haiti recently devastated by a horrifying earthquake, we are forced to wonder if the same disaster would have caused such a level of destruction in a more developed nation. But why did Haiti become the poorest country in the Western hemisphere to begin with? A complicated history of international abuse ruined the economy of the country, leaving it without a chance of success.

The United States has played a large role in the affairs of Haiti since the beginning of our country’s existence. In the last several decades, Haiti’s relationship with the US has changed frequently. Through the Duvalier regime, the intermittent administration of Aristide, and periods of control by other heads of state, the US has always exercised influence. This is mostly due to the fact that America is Haiti’s number one trading partner. Over 70% of Haitian goods are shipped to the U.S. and over 34% of goods used in Haiti are imported from the U.S. This close trade relationship, along with foreign aid from the U.S., has contributed to our official foreign policy with Haiti. Under President Clinton, the US unsuccessfully tried to make the country more democratic. [|Jean Bertrand Aristide] has been hailed by some as the first democratically elected president of Haiti. Since his first election in 1991 there have been reports of ballot box stuffing and intimidation of voters by his supporters. Later that same year, he was overthrown by the military, and control of the country was taken by army commander Raoul Cédras. Although Aristide claimed that the coup occurred with American support, the US government spent the next several years pressuring the military to step down. Actions taken by President Clinton include the deployment of US troops to ensure Aristide’s return to power. The Haitian president then completed his term and was succeeded by his former prime minister and avid supporter, [|René Préval].

In 2004, during the presidency of George W. Bush, there was another rebellion in Haiti. Aristide claimed later that he was kidnapped with the support of France and the US and forced into exile in South Africa. Since the coup, which may or may not have been performed with the aid of US troops, René Préval has been re-elected, and continues to serve as president. He has been praised for his efforts to aid investigations of human rights violations in his country, and his strongest support lies in the urban poor, who support his economic measures and success in lowering the unemployment rate. While Bush was in office, economic relations with Haiti continued to be exploitative of the island nation and extremely beneficial to the US.



Before the earthquake, President Préval and President Obama did not have much cause for political contact. Préval has been extremely successful in the past few years in steadily improving the political stability of his country, although there have still been struggles, including a series of riots in 2007 over the price of food. His term in office is due to end in February of 2011, and only time will tell how he will deal with the grief of his country until then.

**__United States Policy towards Haiti: Official and Actual__**
 * // The Official U.S. Foreign Policy //**
 * T **he official U.S. foreign policy towards Haiti is designed to bolster Haiti both politically and economically. The U.S. government is trying to improve the nation of Haiti as a whole, but their most urgent need is the securing of a democratic government. They believe that with a secure and sturdy democratic government, Haiti could improve their economy and their political standing internationally. After President Bill Clinton’s direct intervention, the illegal military rule ended, and [|President Jean Bertrand Aristide] was restored to democratic power as President. After his return to power, Aristide said, “In order to restore democracy, we were asked to agree to an economic plan which could once again mortgage the future of the country." President Bill Clinton had hoped this democratic restoration would help Haiti prosper economically because their democratic government was secure.

With a secure democratic government in Haiti, the U.S. believed their economy would grow slowly but progressively. The foreign policy is also designed to help improve the poverty, which is at an astonishing 80% of the population. The U.S. wants to develop Haiti’s political standing internationally so they might have multiple trading partners and allies. With more exports and foreign aid, Haiti’s economy would begin to grow and sequentially the population below poverty level would reduce in size. The U.S.’s foreign policy towards Haiti is also designed to promote human rights and negate illegal drug trafficking and illegal immigration. Along with the proper treatment of Haitian civilians; meaning no cruel or unusual punishments and equality among all, the U.S. set up a major task force to deter drug trafficking.

With the official policy set forth, the U.S. is a major influential power that could help rebuild Haiti to a nation of prosperity. Congressional representative Water said, "They [Haiti] have to have the court system; they have to have the criminal justice system; they have to have the support for their elections – all of that. Then we have to support rebuilding that infrastructure…and education." Along with the U.S.’s help, Haiti is the major influential factor for their success, because even with help and guidance, Haiti will determine their own success.

// The Actual U.S. Foreign Policy // Although the United States of America has set forth strategies and doctrines in our foreign policy with Haiti, many of these have yet to be realized. The U.S. acknowledged in the policy the many issues that Haiti is currently dealing with and how they will facilitate them. Even with intentions of helping, many feel that the U.S. government has not acted upon their stated plans. Congressional Representative Maxine Waters believes the U.S. needs to create a well-intentioned plan that benefits Haiti, and not the U.S. She has gone as far to say, "It has always been seen as a place where someone else can make money off the backs of the people and it has always been supported by major powers in ways that would allow dictators to keep their feet on the necks of the people while other people make money through exports, imports etc."

The U.S. foreign policy was designed to bolster Haiti both politically and economically, but it failed. Today, according to statistical information provided by the CIA- The World Fact Book, Haiti’s economy is worse than it was in the 1970’s. In 2009, Haiti’s [|Gross Domestic Product had declined by .5%] and is predicted to fall even more. With increased aid, and direct involvement the U.S. is urgently trying to revamp their failed economy. Although the United States is Haiti’s number one trading partner, the U.S. benefits more from the trades than Haiti does. The U.S. purchases exports at an extremely low price, while Haiti buys imports at a higher price. This has caused an unbalanced trade partnership and has left Haiti with an increasing debt. About two-thirds of Haitians rely on the agricultural sector, which is vulnerable to destruction by natural disasters. The U.S. needs to promote more job markets besides the agricultural sector.

Although the United States has not been able to fix Haiti’s failing economy, they have been able to secure a democratic government. Since 1994, Haiti has had democratically elected presidents and parliament. Although there may be issues with the elected President, he was democratically elected by the Haitian people. The U.S. has helped in this effort by ending political violence, and by protecting their legal system, which is based on the [|Roman civil law system]. By securing Haiti’s democratic government, the U.S. is securing a strategic ally in the Caribbean.

With a stable government in Haiti, the U.S.’s next step would be to fix the illegal trafficking of drugs and illegal immigration issue. Congressional Representative Waters said that the U.S. foreign policy should help create a nation where Haitians would not want to migrate to the safety of the United States. Although the U.S. government is trying to do so, illegal immigration has been significantly increasing. The U.S. Coast Guard reported an increase of illegal immigrants trying to enter the country by boat or ship. Many Haitian illegal immigrants who were deported said they wanted a better life, and success in Haiti is virtually impossible. The U.S. government has been able to lessen the severity of drug trafficking in Haiti. The Special Drug Trafficking Tactic force reported a decline in drug deals and drug related deaths.

Although the U.S. has not been able to fix all of the problems as their policy had intended, the U.S. has been able to help Haiti in some aspects. The U.S. foreign policy with Haiti helped secure a democratic government. Some see this move as a tactic of the U.S. in creating a strategic ally in the Caribbean while others see it as a helpful gesture from a powerful country. The U.S. government has also been able to help lessen the severity of drug crimes and trafficking in Haiti. Although the U.S. has fixed these issues, the U.S. has not been able to fix Haiti’s most urgent need, their economy. With no growth and an increasing debt and poverty rate Haiti is heading towards complete destitute. The U.S. has increased their funding for Haiti, and the World Bank has even forgiven their $525million dollar debt. The U.S. needs to spend more time on Haiti’s economy, which President Obama plans on doing, before fixing any other problem, because without a good economy, a country cannot prosper.

**__Haitian Point of View of Relations with the United States__** //Clinton and Aristide// The close political relationship between United States President Bill Clinton and Haitian President Jean Bertrand Aristide began in 1994 when Clintonsent an intervention force into Haiti to restore the constitutional government that was currently in place. While some Haitians believed Aristide was beneficial to the advancement of their nation, most believed he was a corrupt leader in charge of a failing government. While Aristide was initially put in power to promote as well as facilitate democracy in the struggling nation, it became evident that he was doing nothing of the sort. Under Aristide’s rule, Haiti saw a drastic increase in violence as well as less freedom of speech in terms of government opposition. Murders and looters were common, as well as punishment for those acting in opposition to the government. Unfortunately, there are suspicions that Aristide and Clinton’s peculiarly close relationship is based around the fact that they were business partners in the long-distance telephone business (O’Grady). While many Haitians and American politicians alike were originally thrilled by Aristide’s presence, they were quickly disillusioned by his lack of passion for democracy and improving Haiti’s condition.

//Where in the World is Navassa?// Many Americans do not likely recognize the island of Navassa just 40 miles off the coast of Haiti. However, it was the topic of a heated debate between Haiti and the United States in 1998. After an American explorer visited the uninhabited island for two weeks, an argument quickly arose between the two nations. The United States believes it is the rightful owner of the small island, as it has “controlled” the island for well over 100 years. However, 23 of Haiti’s 24 past constitutions have claimed the island as theirs. The island is extremely important to both parties. The United States sees it as a natural treasure, as it contains a pristine reef and species of wildlife not found anywhere else in the world. Haitians were outraged at the United States’ claim of Navassa, as it is a significant part of Haitian history. They believe that America is totally in the wrong by believing it has the right to Navassa, just because Haiti has not inhabited the island.

//Military Intervention// In 1996, President Clinton sent a U.S. military aid mission to Haiti to help the suffering people of the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. The humanitarian mission included aiding the people in any way possible—building bathrooms, providing medical treatments and vaccines, and aiding farmers were just a few ways American troops helped out. One Haitian recounts how her daughter’s life was changed forever when American medics performed the simple but expensive surgery to fix her cleft lip. She exclaimed that she is forever grateful to the Americans for their presence in her struggling nation (latinamericastudies.org/us-haiti). While American troops were very proud of their work in Haiti, many Haitians were not pleased. They believed that the United States did not do nearly enough to help the people of Haiti. Others believed that Americans had no place in helping Haiti, which led to attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Haiti and general disapproval of American policy regarding Haiti. //More Than Political Direction// While the Clinton administration initially outlined clear and strong goals to help Haiti, it became clear to Haitians that the administration fell short of achieving these goals. These failed goals caused a definite drop in morale among the Haitians, as well as a certain distrust of American politicians. United States politicians believe that democracy will remain impossible for Haiti until the leaders of the nation can end their power struggle and come to a compromise in favor of the peoples’ wellbeing. In 2002, the US was “urged to soften its policy” regarding Haiti (latinamericastudies.org/us-haiti). Politicians believe that US aid should not be focused solely on creating political stability in the struggling nation, when there is hardly any infrastructure or economic promise. In order to be influential and worthwhile, Americans need to focus on improving all aspects of Haitian society.

//Haitian-Americans// In addition to those living in Haiti, [|Haitians who reside in America] have an opinion on U.S. intervention in Haiti. For the most part, Haitian-Americans feel regret towards past U.S. intervention in Haitian affairs. According to a survey, 39% of Haitian-Americans polled disapprove of Bush’s Haiti policy, while only 9% approve (Poll of Haitian-Americans on Haiti Crisis). Haitian-Americans also believe that U.S. immigration is often discriminatory toward Haitians.

//Hope for the Future?// Haiti’s relationship with the United States has recently been improved due to the election of President Barrack Obama, the nomination of Bill Clinton to the UN’s Haiti envoy, and a period of relatively promising political stability in Haiti (BBC News - The long history of troubled ties between Haiti and the US).

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