WASHINGTON – The scheduled arrival beginning next week of a U.N. security force in Haiti means the 1,900 U.S. Marines in the Caribbean nation will complete their mission and return home by the end of June, the Pentagon (news – web sites) said Wednesday.
The Marines began arriving in Haiti on March 1 to help stabilize the country following the resignation of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. He claims that the United States forced him to resign amid a spreading three-week revolt on Feb. 29; the Bush administration denies that. Brig. Gen. David Rodriquez, the deputy director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the Marines should have left Haiti by June 30. Most of them came from Camp Lejeune, N.C. Also part of the U.S.-led force in Haiti are about 1,700 troops from France, Canada and Chile.