[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 7 (Thursday, January 12, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S895]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                        AMERICAN TROOPS IN HAITI

  Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, today one of America's sons was killed 
while serving with the Special Forces on duty in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. 
He is the first American serviceman to die while on this mission.
  Where did this soldier die? Was he engaged in a battle with former 
supporters of General Cedras? No. This soldier died while he was 
monitoring toll booth operations on a road in Haiti. I will repeat 
that: The first American soldier to die in Haiti died while he was 
monitoring toll booth operations. He was shot by a passenger in a car 
at the toll booth.
  Mr. President, why are American troops still in Haiti? General Cedras 
is gone. Aristede has been in power for more than a month. And still 
American forces remain in Haiti. And what are they doing? Monitoring 
toll booths and cleaning streets.
  In this Senator's view, the return of our soldiers from Haiti is 
long-overdue. Their mission has been accomplished and they should not 
be performing local civil functions. It is a sad day when any American 
soldier loses his life in defending freedom. But Mr. President, it is 
totally absurd that this soldier was killed while performing a job he 
was neither trained for nor should have been doing.
  I urge the President to bring the troops home now.
  

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