THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 16, 1994 TAG: 9409160552
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: NEWSDAY
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium: 51 lines
The ``window'' for a U.S. invasion of Haiti will open Sunday night when the last of more than 20 U.S. warships arrives off the Caribbean island, Pentagon planners said Thursday.
``Anytime after Sunday night, we'll be ready to go,'' said a senior U.S. military officer who has helped plot the deployment of 20,000 U.S. combat troops from American bases as well as U.S. ships off the coast of Haiti.
While Haitian resistance is expected to be light and ineffective, Marines from the Norfolk-based amphibious assault ship Wasp and Army airborne troops from the aircraft carrier America, also based in Norfolk, would be ready for intense fighting if they seize key points of Haiti during the opening hours of the invasion.
``Make no mistake: They will kill anyone who gets in their way,'' a Pentagon planner said. ``We want to minimize casualties on both sides, but it could get messy.''
That view was echoed by Defense Secretary William Perry on Thursday. ``I do not want to take at all lightly the possibilities of casualties,'' Perry told reporters.
A major concern for U.S. military commanders is the aftermath of an invasion, when American soldiers would be on the sharp end of efforts to tame armed Haitian militias that could disrupt efforts to stabilize the nation torn by political strife and poverty.
U.S. troops would be in the middle of the struggle between supporters of the military junta and those of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the ousted leader President Clinton has vowed to restore to power. As of now, U.S. troops would be on the front line of that conflict for at least seven months, defense officials said.
Perry emphasized the size and complexity of the Haiti operation Thursday by calling up 1,600 reservists expert in everything from civil administration to air and ship cargo handling. A dozen massive roll-on, roll-off cargo ships with armored vehicles, combat earth movers and other heavy equipment also were being deployed to Haiti.
After an initial assault, U.S. airborne troops from bases in the United States would parachute into Haiti while members of the 10th Infantry Division arrive by helicopter and Air Force cargo planes.
KEYWORDS: HAITI by CNB