US flies forces in to beef up security at embassy in Haiti and evacuate nonessential personnel

By EVENS SANON
Associated Press

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — The U.S. military has flown forces in to beef up security at the U.S. Embassy in Haiti and evacuate nonessential personnel. The U.S. Southern Command said Sunday that the aircraft flew directly into the embassy compound meaning that it involved helicopters. Southcom was careful to point out that “no Haitians were on board the military aircraft.” That seemed aimed at quashing any reports of senior government officials possibly leaving Haiti as the gang attacks in Haiti worsen. The neighborhood around the embassy in the capital Port-au-Prince is largely controlled by gangs. The Southcom statement said that the United States remains focused on aiding Haitian police and arranging some kind of U.N.-authorized security deployment.