02 June 2010

US to Haiti: "Later, yo!"

After the rapid buildup of humanitarian assistance, the US military has ended major relief operations in Haiti. And the last major humanitarian relief mission undertaken by Al Qaeda?

The U.S. military announced the end of major relief operations in Haiti on Tuesday, nearly five months after the country's devastating Jan. 12 earthquake.

Spearheaded by the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division, thousands of American troops were deployed in Haiti as part of Operation Unified Response.

The troops helped to distribute food and keep the peace after the quake, which killed more than 300,000 people, according to Haitian government estimates.

The Pentagon has been drawing down the number of soldiers in the impoverished Caribbean country steadily in recent months. The end of Operation Unified Response was announced on Tuesday by the U.S. Southern Command.

Despite the announcement, the Miami-based command said a 500-strong contingent of U.S. National Guard Troops would be engaged in humanitarian assistance projects in rural Haiti through September.


By: Brant

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