Haiti Update, Part 4

The U.S. is sending in 10k troops to Haiti to help keep order and distribute aid.

Admiral Mike Mullen, the top military chief, said that up to 10,000 US troops would be either in Haiti or offshore on six Navy vessels that will arrive by Monday.

"It looks like between 9,000 and 10,000 with the arrival of the Marines and the three ships that are associated with that," Mullen, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, told reporters.

Mullen said that about 1,000 troops were already in Haiti including members of the 82nd Airborne brigade, who arrived late Thursday and were already delivering water from helicopters.

The US military has also sent the nuclear-powered USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier, which will serve as a "floating airport" to bring in supplies and rush out victims as Port-au-Prince's airport struggles to function.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the security situation remained "pretty good" but that supplies needed to be delivered urgently.

"The security situation remains OK," Gates told the news conference.

"The key is to get the food and the water in there as quickly as possible so that people don't, in their desperation, turn to violence," Gates said.

It's that "turning to violence" part that's the immediate problem this weekend.  As horrific as things are now, they soon will be exponentially worse for the survivors, and the efforts to aid them are being severely hampered by the damage.  It's been 96 hours almost since the earthquake hit.  Those still trapped in rubble and debris are not going to survive much longer.  The window on saving and reaching those in need is closing.  By Monday, we're looking at some scenario out of an apocalypse movie.  We're going to be seeing casualties out of Port-au-Prince for weeks and months, and the total numbers will be six figures, easily.

And even if aid does reach them in time, in the long term Haiti is a parking lot.  There is no economy, no government, no police, no infrastructure, no trade, nothing.  It's over.  Haiti is no longer a country, but a nightmare scenario in anarchy.

While short-term aid is vital, long-term we need to consider that rebuilding Haiti and repatriating its people may be a decade-long project or more.