Military - Haitian Military

Here is a picture of former Haitian military officer, Lt. Col. Jean-Claude Paul

Another of Haiti's protectors who led less than a blameless life was military officer, Lieutenant Colonel Jean-Claude Paul. Among his questionable acts was his part, inconspicuous though it was, in the coup against former President Leslie Manigat, his alleged attack against street protesters during election time in the summer of "87, in which over 30 people were killed, and the accusations of drug trafficking against him, the last of which earned him an indictment in a Miami court for cocaine trafficking on march 10, 1988. As with most of his kind, Paul evaded punishment when he died in his suburban home in Haiti on November 7, 1988.

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After the lynching of President Vilbrun Guillaume Sam for the massacre of 167 political prisoners, US feared that anti-US Caco leader Rosalvo Bobo might take over. President Wilson as a consequence ordered the invasion of Haiti

The US marines headed by Admiral William B. Caperton stormed the shores of Haiti. During the invasion of the American military forces in Haiti, Rosalvo Bobo was very popular. He was known as the rebel leader who managed to remove Vilbrun Guillaume Sam from power. However, Admiral William B. Caperton considered him as an enemy of the US and instead selected Sudre Dartiguenave to become president.

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"Operation Uphold Democracy" was an intervention authorized by the UN Security Council to restore democracy by removing a military regime that overthrew the fairly elected government of Jean-Bertrand Aristide in Haiti, on 30 September, 1991. Under the leadership of Lieutenant General Raoul Cedras, a military coup overthrew President Aristide, a charismatic Roman Catholic priest and the popularly elected president in the Haitian history who won 67% of the vote in a presidential election. The Operation Uphold Democracy involved a peacekeeping force of around 20,000 armed personnel from all five branches of the U.S armed forces, 5,000 Non-U.S forces and assistance of 24 nations. It had a mission to restore a legitimate government and a secure environment for the people in Haiti. The operation successfully assisted the exiled President to return and remain in power till the transitioning of power to the newly elected President Rene Preval on February 7, 1996. Operation Uphold Democracy officially ended with its replacement with the United Nations Mission in Haiti (UNMIH) on March 31 1995.

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Here is a picture of US Military giving order to Forces Armées d'Haïti, FAd'H. The Haitian Military force was disbanded by Former Haitian President Jean Bertrand Aristide

On December 2011, President Martelly took some steps to rebuild the military forces abolished in 1995. He appointed a special commission who consulted international and domestic experts to develop a blueprint. On May 2012, the committee submitted a detailed report on the requirement of human and financial resources with the creation of a Ministry of Defense. On September 17, 2013, the effort took a shape when Jean-Rodolphe Joazile, the Haitian Defense Minister greeted the first 41 members of the new armed forces (all fresh high school graduates) on their return from 8 months training in Ecuador. After their comeback, they worked on road construction and other public service projects in central Haiti with the Ecuadoran military engineers for three months. Thirty of them were soldiers, ten engineers and one officer; they were accountable to the Ministry of Defense but not authorized to carry any gun or weapon immediately for the next three to four years until they are permitted to carry such either on government finance or from own resources.

President Martelly has an initial plan to build a primary force of 3,500 soldiers who will patrol the border and operate during the time of crisis. This will create many job opportunities for the young, as well. His government is considering to build a fund of $95 million to train and equip the new forces so that they can effectively replace 12, 000 U.N. Peacekeepers presently stationed in the country.

However, Jocelyn McCalla, a Haiti-born political observer has remarked that the country would be better served by creating a job program. Because an army is the last thing that Haiti needs at this point.

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Here is a picture of Forces Armées d'Haïti, also known as FAD'H controlling a protest.

Haiti is a country without any regular devoted military forces. The last formal armed forces were demobilized in 1995. Haiti's first military was born in the bed of country's slave revolution. The early Haitian leaders emerged from military cadres produced by decade (1791-1804) long warfare which was fundamentally a slave revolt to expel the French out of their colony in Saint-Domingue. Haiti without a strong constitution, had been mostly ruled by force. After the expulsion of the French, the amalgamated armed force got broken down into pieces and took coercive control in every aspect of Haitian governance without any acceptable constitution. In 1987, a decree recommended the formation of a Haitian armed forces, however, that was never properly implemented till 1989 and the crude built up that came out was finally abolished in 1995. Practically, Haiti has no present external threats other than the occasional tension with its neighbor Dominican Republic over a border fixed in 1936. The presence of U.S. military in Haiti is enough to stall attack on the country.

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For the past 10 years, with their occupancy in Haiti since 2004, the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) has maintained a reign of terror. An Intergovernmental body created for promoting human rights and maintaining peace sounds more like tyrannical to Haitians. The troop first arrived in June 2004, just one month after Aristide's kidnapping. One of its first act was to support the illegal administration that followed the coup. Haitians are never satisfied with the MINUSTAH. There are many reasons for their dislike. Some of which include: (1) MINUSTAH people continually harass and humiliate Haitians; (2) They enjoy immunity from prosecution; (3) They often sabotage democracy and electoral processes for own interest; (4) Interferes in Haiti's political affairs; (5) They were ineffective, cowardice and hardly cooperative during the earthquake emergencies; (6) Carriers of many contagious diseases; (7) The presence of UN troop on Haitian soil is illegal.

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What you are looking at is an old Military airplane from Corps d'Aviation d'Haiti.

In 1943 Corps d'Aviation d'Haiti was established with an air base at the Haitian Air Force field. The U.S. sent training aircraft F-51D Mustangs and F-48D-40s.

Fighter aircraft was updated as necessary, but Presidents Estime and Magloire took advantage of the air power the U.S. gave it and used it during coup d'etats.

The U.S. suspended use of its aircraft during certain of these periods. In 1994 the Corps d'Aviation d'Haiti was dissolved when the UN arrived.

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A new naval base located in Les Cayes was officially launched in Haiti. This project is funded by the government of Canada and aims at intercepting drug traffickers. The prime Minister of Haiti indicated that the base scope will improve security in the southern region of the country. Earlier this year, the US State Department gave a report claiming that Haiti is still a point of transition for marijuana from Jamaica and cocaine from South America.

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Here is a picture of former haitian Dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier with wife Michele Bennett. He is carrying the uniform of his newly created military force, the Leopards Corps.

The Leopard Corp was was established during the regime of Jean Claude Duvalier andestimated at 700 member. This was a tactical unit created in the early 1970s and based in Petion-Ville.

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A reaction that was not too kind to the president. Former colonel Himmler Rébu criticized Michel Martelly for the message delivered in front of the United nations

He criticized the mission specifically for being too diplomatic in front of the assembly. Himmler Rébu also the statement was lacking of vigor

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