Originally: Open Letter to the President of the United States of America
June 30, 2005
President George W. Bush
The White House
Washington, D.C. 20500
Dear Mr. President:
We have read a press release from the U.S. Embassy in Haiti further reducing the in-country personnel and sending them back home as a result of continued and accelerating violence in Haiti. While all of us Haitians and Haitian-Americans are very grateful to the United States for its repeated benevolent acts towards Haiti, we are respectfully asking you once more for additional help that only you can provide.
UN Peacekeeping Chief Jean-Marie Guehenno recently stated that parts of Haiti are far worse than the violent conditions in Darfur, and that the 1,000 additional troops assigned to Haiti will be insufficient to solve this crisis. United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has also stated that only the presence of U.S. troops working side-by-side with the U.N. will bring about peace and security.
We Haitians and Haitian-Americans support the assertion of Mr. Kofi Annan that only the direct intervention of the United States will stem the flow of violence and bring about peace and security for all of its citizens. As you know, there are at least 6-10 kidnappings daily in the country and citizens are living in a state of terrorism, full of fear and anxiety, afraid even to drive their kids to school.
May I urge you Mr. President, on behalf of Haitians everywhere, to consider direct action and help us provide security to our helpless brothers and sisters in Haiti.
Respectfully yours,
Dumas M. Siméus
Chairman & Founder, Siméus Foods International, Inc.
Co-Chair, National Organization for the Advancement of Haitians
Chairman, PromoCapital USA Haitian-American Investment Bank