To the Editor:

Thanks to Wil Hudson for his letter, “Religion needs less space” (page 7, Dec. 23 Advance). I think those with biblical aspirations can do their thing without cluttering the Opinion Line with their views.

The news of the earthquake and the U.S. invasion of Haiti don’t surprise me. But, I wonder, does nature really target only the poor or those whom U.S. wants to invade? Remember the cyclone in Myanmar (Burma)? The U.S. was ready to invade it under the cover of humanitarianism, and the horrific storm materialized in time, like it was made to order, but lucky for Myanmar the invasion was averted. Or New Orleans, where the hurricane washed away poor wards, while thousands of the military were on standby mainly to hinder the rescue, and the officials talked only nonsense?

Strangely, before massive disasters these days, the military or police are ready for some field exercise in the same area, at the same time. An identical pattern emerged in Haiti. The U.S. armada and combat troops were ready before the earthquake, and claimed it was all for a military exercise off Haiti that required the very same equipment. The U.S. Southern Command met in Miami the day before the quake, co-ordinating its parameters, according to www.globalresearch.ca.

On the bright side, within 24 hours of the quake, Cuba sent nearly 400 doctors with field hospitals and power generators. A Venezuelan relief plane with doctors and emergency aid was among the first to land. Venezuela also pledged to provide as much fuel as Haiti needed to generate electricity and provide transport. Flying halfway around the world, the Chinese search and rescue team with emergency supplies arrived 32 hours after the quake. Canada’s early presence needs no comment; we are part of the U.S. plans for Haiti.

The U.S. military, which occupied Port-au-Prince’s Toussaint Louverture International Airport and all seaport facilities, and is the de facto ruler of Haiti, was busy landing projected 20,000 combat troops and their equipment; they denied many humanitarian flights permission to land. Among them, Geneva-based Doctors Without Borders carrying field hospital and emergency supplies were denied landing. French, Brazilian and other emergency supply planes were denied landing. Even now, the aid distribution is not organized and many aid groups have gone home.

“The disaster in Haiti is the result of centuries of imperialist domination, occupation and isolation,” says www.globalresearch.ca. “The news reports speak of poverty, but they don’t tell why Haiti is poor. Few know that Haiti had the only successful slave revolution in history — when the heroic descendants of African slaves drove out the strongest army in the world at that time, the French. Then France and the U.S. embarked on a policy of isolating and impoverishing Haiti. For nearly 20 years in the early 1900s the U.S. marines occupied Haiti, suppressing the liberation struggle and implanting puppets. The U.S. backed the cruel tyrant ‘Papa Doc’ Duvalier, and then his son, ‘Baby Doc’. And later conspired to overthrow the popular president Jean-Bertrand Aristide in the 1990s and again in 2004. All these criminal actions flowed from the economic and political interests of the U.S. ruling class. The Haitian people need emergency assistance, not suppression and further domination.”

Anton Skerbinc

Boswell