WASHINGTON — As the timeline for the deployment of a multinational security force led by Kenya into a gang-ridden Haiti continues to face delays, President Joe Biden and his Kenyan counterpart on Thursday defended the mission, saying they believe the force can help bring peace and stability to the volatile Caribbean country.
Biden also addressed for the first time publicly why he’s refusing to commit American troops to Haiti. The country is closer to Florida than Nairobi, but Washington has had a long-tortuous history with Haiti ever since the United States deployed Marines on the heels of a presidential assassination at the start of the century and then stayed for 19 years.
“We concluded that for the United States to deploy forces in the hemisphere, it just raises all kinds of questions that can be easily misrepresented by what we’re trying to do, and be able to be used by those who disagree with us and against the interest of Haiti and the United States,” Biden said during a joint news conference with his East African counterpart.
“Haiti is in an area of the Caribbean that is very volatile,” he later added. “And we’re in a situation where we want to do all we can without us looking like America once again is stepping over, deciding, ‘This is what must be done.’ Haitians are looking for help, as well as the folks in the Caribbean are looking for help.”
Biden and first lady Jill Biden are hosting Kenyan…
