US to end military operation in Haiti by June 1st
Has the world forgotten about Haiti?
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. military will wrap up its formal earthquake relief mission in Haiti on June 1, although some assistance will continue beyond that date, a U.S. military official said on Monday.
Immediately after the catastrophic January 12 earthquake that Haiti's government says may have killed more than 300,000 people, President Barack Obama ordered thousands of U.S. soldiers and aid workers to spearhead relief efforts.
The mission saw a peak of about 22,000 military personnel, most of them stationed on ships offshore, but the force now stands at just 2,200, according to Lieutenant General Ken Keen, who stepped down as head of Joint Task Force Haiti on Sunday.
Keen, briefing reporters at the Pentagon, said the remaining troops under Joint Task Force Haiti would be withdrawn from the impoverished Caribbean state by June 1.
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