October 19, 2004: Headlines: COS - Haiti: UN Peacekeeping: Safety and Security of Volunteers: House International Relations Committee Democratic Office: Congressman Tom Lantos (D-CA) asks Peace Corps Director Gaddi Vasquez to consider withdrawing volunteers from Haiti to protect their safety amid increasing violence and a shortage of international peace-keeping forces there
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October 19, 2004: Headlines: COS - Haiti: UN Peacekeeping: Safety and Security of Volunteers: House International Relations Committee Democratic Office: Congressman Tom Lantos (D-CA) asks Peace Corps Director Gaddi Vasquez to consider withdrawing volunteers from Haiti to protect their safety amid increasing violence and a shortage of international peace-keeping forces there
Congressman Tom Lantos (D-CA) asks Peace Corps Director Gaddi Vasquez to consider withdrawing volunteers from Haiti to protect their safety amid increasing violence and a shortage of international peace-keeping forces there
Congressman Tom Lantos (D-CA) asks Peace Corps Director Gaddi Vasquez to consider withdrawing volunteers from Haiti to protect their safety amid increasing violence and a shortage of international peace-keeping forces there
Lantos Calls on Peace Corps to Consider Withdrawing from Violence-Wracked Haiti
October 19, 2004
Washington, DC – Congressman Tom Lantos (D-CA) today asked Peace Corps Director Gaddi Vasquez to consider withdrawing volunteers from Haiti to protect their safety amid increasing violence and a shortage of international peace-keeping forces there.
"While removing volunteers from worthwhile and much-needed projects is always somewhat disruptive to the volunteers and the communities in which they serve, the safety and well-being of our volunteers should be our top priority," Lantos wrote in a letter to Vasquez.
Lantos pointed out that within the past two weeks, 46 people have been killed in politically-motivated attacks, including five policemen. He noted that vigilantes have chased the Haitian National Police out of at least one city within 40 miles of where Peace Corps volunteers work. Such incidents prompted the U.S. State Department recently to issue a travel warning advising U.S. citizens to consider leaving Haiti until the situation is stabilized.
"I understand that well-established and battle-seasoned international aid organzations have also temporarily suspended humanitarian relief operations in and to the hurricane-devastated areas because of the surge in violence and the insufficient number of U.N. peace-keeping forces," Lantos wrote. "Mr. Vasquez, I strongly recommend that you immediately re-evaluate the appropriateness of maintaining Peace Corps volunteers in Haiti at this time."
Lantos is the ranking Democrat on the House International Relations Committee and is the co-founder and co-chairman of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus.
When this story was posted in October 2004, this was on the front page of PCOL:
| Director Gaddi Vasquez: The PCOL Interview PCOL sits down for an extended interview with Peace Corps Director Gaddi Vasquez. Read the entire interview from start to finish and we promise you will learn something about the Peace Corps you didn't know before.
Plus the debate continues over Safety and Security. |
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Story Source: House International Relations Committee Democratic Office
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Haiti; UN Peacekeeping; Safety and Security of Volunteers
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