President Barack Obama is calling in the big guns to help with the devastation in Haiti as a result of this week’s mega-earthquake that may have left over 100,000 dead.
Former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush are joining with the President to launch www.clintonbushhaitifund.org. The two former presidents returned to the White House to discuss what they and the American people can do to help.
Follow the latest here: Haiti Earthquake
President Obama has said that the Haitian earthquake relief effort will not be measured in days or weeks, but rather in months and possibly even years.
New Orleans is still feeling the after-effects of Hurricane Katrina, and the U.S. is a fairly advanced civilization. Rebuilding Haiti could realistically take a decade, or even longer.
Obama stood with his two predecessors on Saturday morning and said they have answered his call to provide more aid to Haiti.
“Presidents Bush and Clinton will help the American people to do their part, because responding to a disaster must be the work of all of us. Indeed, those wrenching scenes of devastation remind us not only of our common humanity, but also of our common responsibilities,” he said.
The president also says that with Republicans and Democrats working together, the U.S. sends a clear message that we stand united with the people of Haiti.
“As the scope of the destruction became apparent, I spoke to each of these gentlemen, and they each asked the same simple question, ‘How can I help?’. In the days ahead they will be asking everyone what they can do,” he said.
With regard to the new fund, George W. Bush said that he and Bill Clinton will see that the money is spent properly.
“We have all seen that, first hand, when Americans responded to the tsunami or to Katrina, or the earthquake in Pakistan. And President Clinton and I are going to work to tap that same spirit of giving to help our brothers and sisters in the Caribbean,” he said.
Clinton says this cause has great personal meaning for him as he’s the U.N.’s special envoy to Haiti. As president in 1994, he sent troops there to restore democratically elected president Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who had been ousted in a military coup.
“I was in those hotels that collapsed. I had meals with people who are dead. The cathedral church that Hillary and I sat in 34 years ago is a total rubble. But what these men have said is true. It is still one of the most remarkable, unique places I have ever been. And they can escape their history and build a better future if we do our part,” he said.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is also traveling to the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, to meet with president Rene Preval.
Please see our previous article here for a complete list of ways you can help Haiti.
Related articles by Zemanta
- Clinton heads to Haiti, ex-presidents visit Obama (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
- A Presidential Triple Plea for Haiti Relief Fund (thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com)
- Hopes for a fresh start in U.S.-Haiti relations (msnbc.msn.com)
- Top Foreign Policy Voices Push For Haiti Commitment Well Beyond Disaster Relief (huffingtonpost.com)
- In a Moment of Hope, Haiti Is Plunged Again into Despair (time.com)
Get Blippitt via RSS feed, Facebook, Twitter, Google+,
and be sure to get our Daily Email Broadcast.
