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12/06/2004:

"Brazil's Haitian Mission"

Doing God's Work or Washington's?

By Anna Ioakimedes
Less than a week after the de facto February 29 coup d'état that overthrew President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the Brazilian government let it be known that it would send 1,100 troops to lead and provide the core units for MINUSTAH, the UN's international peacekeeping force in Haiti. Brazilian troops arrived and assumed command of the force in June, relieving a U.S.-led multilateral force of 2,500 already in the country. On November 29, the UN Security Council announced that the MINUSTAH forces would extend their stay in Haiti until June 2006, with Brazil continuing to lead the force. Brazil's stated mission for its presence in Haiti is to support the decisions of the UN Security Council and aid the Haitian people. "It is natural for Brazil to be in Haiti," said a source within the Brazilian embassy. "There was no alternative to involvement [there]." However, a number of independent observers have been quick to claim that Lula da Silva's reasons for his country's presence are more self-centered than just maintaining regional peace or helping the Haitians, and more accurately stem from Brazil's desire to advance its position on the world stage, a project for which U.S. goodwill is essential.
Full Article: counterpunch.org