- As Media Coverage Fades, Urgent Issues On The Disaster Go Uncovered': "Haiti is already fading from the headlines. The desperation of the population in what was called the “rescue” phase of the relief effort is giving way to ‘silver-lining” talk of recovery and rebuilding." [the News Dissector via Pacific Free Press]
- Article from Germany, 'New Colonies,' that discusses German media's talk of [re-]colonizing Haiti; first article that we've seen putting R2P into context: 'On the occasion of the acquisition of state sovereignty in Haiti by Western powers, the German media call for a reassessment of colonial rule. In many parts of the world are now "find new forms of 'colonies', writes a major newspaper, this could the term" colony "will be viewed positively and stand for" sustained commitment."'[German-Foreign-Policy.com; Google Language tools]
- A message to Paul Farmer, the Senate, Dobbins & Francois [Ezili Danto on recent Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Senators' call for Haiti protectorate: “Is it too wild a suggestion to be talking about at least temporarily some sort of receivership?” Senator Christopher J. Dodd, a Connecticut Democrat, asked during hearings on Thursday in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, noting that Haiti risked slipping back into its old pattern of a few greedy families running the country. Senator Bob Corker, Republican of Tennessee, echoed that thought, adding, “I think something far more draconian than just us working behind the scenes to prod reforms and those kinds of things is going to be necessary." [Link to .pdfs of witness testimony; link to video of SFRC hearing]
- 'IMF Backtracks on Debt Relief for Haiti': "Just days after Naomi [Klein] praised the International Monetary Fund for its historic advocacy of turning a $100 million emergency loan to Haiti into a grant, the institution seized up and began back-pedaling on debt relief. IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn clearly proposed converting the loan to a grant on January 20." [NaomiKlein.org]
- 'Haiti heads for Debt Crisis as Emergency Loans Pile up After Earthquake': "Unctad, the United Nations' trade and development body, which is leading international calls for the island state's debts to be forgiven, said this weekend: "Considering the large direct costs of the earthquake, in the absence of further international action a new debt crisis is all but assured." [The Guardian]
- 'The west owes Haiti a bailout. And it would be a hand-back, not a handout': "The west owes Haiti. And yet still it keeps trying to extort more from the misery. The living had not yet been pulled from the debris when the vultures started circling. A day after the earthquake The Street, an investment website, published "An opportunity to heal Haiti", claiming: "Here are some companies that could potentially benefit: General Electric, Caterpillar, Deere, Fluor, Jacobs Engineering." James Dobbins, a special envoy to Haiti under President Clinton and director of the International Security and Defence Policy Centre at the Rand Corporation, saw other possibilities. "This disaster is an opportunity to accelerate oft-delayed reforms," he argued. The reforms included "breaking up or at least reorganising the government-controlled telephone monopoly", and restructuring the ports. In other words, privatising what little is left of the country's state enterprises." [The Guardian]
- 'America Strikes Again: The Continued Violation of Haitian Humanity' [Maziki Thame, Jamaica Observer]
- 'Israel and Haiti': "Following the devastating earthquake in Haiti, which may have wiped out up to 3% of the population, one of the most publicised national aid and rescue efforts was provided by Israel. The day following the quake, a delegation including Ministry of Foreign Affairs, IDF Home Front Command and IDF Medical Corp Personnel left immediately to see how they could assist, and between then and the 27th January, the 218 IDF soldiers and officers, and 18 civilians treated more than 1,110 patients, conducted 319 successful surgeries, and delivered 16 births. The IDF Search and Rescue force also rescued or assisted in the rescue of 4 individuals. During that same time period, the same army shot 11 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children, overwhelming during peaceful demonstrations; conducted 41 military raids into Palestinian communities, arrested 63 Palestinian civilians, including 5 children, as well as continuing the annexation of Palestinian land and destruction of homes in the West Bank, and the suffocation of Gaza." [The Daily Moshin]
- A new rap song about Haiti by Joell Ortiz, "I See you Haiti." Raps about Aristide's call for reparations from France..."Haiti's history is full of debt to other nations....2004....James Foley escorted Aristide out the door...[ends] You really want to help? Get Aristide out of South Africa." [2dopeboyz]
- 'Help of Cuba, Venezuela and Brazil to Haiti Appreciated' [CubaNews]
- 'Push to Send FEMA Trailers to Haiti Stirs Backlash': "The trailer industry and lawmakers are pressing the government to send Haiti thousands of potentially formaldehyde-laced trailers left over from Hurricane Katrina — an idea denounced by some as a crass and self-serving attempt to dump inferior American products on the poor. "Just go ahead and sign their death certificate," said Paul Nelson of Coden, Ala., who contends his mother died because of formaldehyde fumes in a FEMA trailer." [AP]
- Al Jazeera reports that the US military 'to resume' Haiti airlifts, which had been stalled due to disputes over payments: "Before the latest announcement, the medical group Partners in Health transferred three critically-ill children to a hospital in Philadelphia on Sunday using a private jet to bypass the US military's order to suspend flights." [Al Jazeera]
- Congratulations goes to CanWest's Peggy Curran, for writing one of the worst corporate Canadian media columns to date, "How Haiti Lost its Way." Please see Joe Emersberger's e-mail to Curran over at CMM.
- Associated Press' Ben Fox pens Pentagon propaganda piece, "US troops more than welcome in Haiti - for now." [WTop, happily reprinted by AirForceTimes]