Viking_Yearbook_95

The Close Invasion of Haiti T he United States went to the brink of invading Haiti, its poor, unsettled neighbor to the south. But at the last minute Haiti's military rulers bowed to the United Nations and promised to cede power to the duly elected president whom they had ousted, Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Their decision was greeted with great relief by the Clinton administration, who were worried about meager public support for an invasion, and especially for the casualties it might have required. With troop planes in the air and flying toward Haiti, three special U.S. envoys— former President Jimmy Carter, retired General Colin Powell and Sen. Sam Nunn- struck an eleventh hour deal with Gen. Raoul Cedras and colleagues. About 21,000 U.S. troops eventually landed on the island. They were followed by an international force charged with keeping the peace until Aristide, who had been in exile in the U.S., could consolidate control. Courtesy ofAssociated Press 22