French Minister for Humanitarian Relief Alain Joyandet called on the United Nations to clarify the role of the U.S. in Haiti. Joyandet claimed that the U.S. military buildup is hampering aid efforts.

This came after Joyandet was involved in a scuffle with a U.S. commander in the control tower at Haiti’s airport over the flight plans for a French evacuation flight.

My first thought when I read this wire story Monday was “how dare the French accuse the U.S. of being an occupying force in Haiti.”

Let’s clarify something here; the infrastructure in the island nation of Haiti was destroyed. The air traffic controllers of the Haiti are used to handling only a handful of flights in and out of Haiti on a daily basis and were ill-prepared to handle the sheer number of aid flights coming into Haiti and with only one operating runway.

The problem of assuring aid to Haiti is one of logistics and not one of American nation-building. Haiti, much like other third-world developing nations, suffered from poor infrastructure in terms of roads and buildings that could withstand an earthquake. And, there was only one runway and the port for sea access was inoperable

However, after Joyandet’s terse statement, French President Sarkozy his country was “fully satisfied” by the cooperation between the United States and France, which decided last week to join forces to respond to the devastation of the Jan. 12 earthquake.

Sarkozy also acknowledged the “exceptional mobilization of the United States on Haiti’s behalf and the essential role it was playing on the ground.”

I would believe that most Americans would take offense at Joyandet’s statement. I would think that the “Boys of Pointe du Hoc,” who began the liberation of France in World War II would certainly take offense that the United States is an occupying force in Haiti.

As far as I can recall, the last logician that the French had was Napoleon, preceded by Lafayette and Charlemagne. The bad thing about making a statement without thinking about it first is that you cannot retract the words. No matter the attempt by Sarkozy to apologize and clarify, the insult is still there.

One has to wonder if Minister Alain Joyandet perceived the U.S. Army as an occupying force in France in 1944-1945 when it liberated his country. One man’s occupier is another man’s liberator, I guess.

No matter the comment by Minister Joyandet, I believe the citizens of Haiti see the United States forces as a force of hope when they see the U.S.S. Carl Vinson anchored offshore, or they see the Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals set up to give aid to those afflicted.

I would like to see Joyandet have the humility to make an apology to the United States for his rash and absurd comment, but I won’t hold my breath. Nonetheless, he is in terrific company in believing the U.S. to be occupying; Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez shares Joyandet’s view.

Until then, American forces will keep the peace, deliver aid and save lives along with fireman and first responders from the U.S., Canada and several Latin American countries.

Haiti is a neighbor of all of those in the western hemisphere, and as good neighbors, we always stand ready to help, as has been proven time and again on the part of the United States.

The French political philosopher Voltaire once said, “Opinion has caused more trouble on this little earth than plagues or earthquakes.” The opinion of Mr. Joyandet will not matter one iota and he will be as quickly forgotten as the escargot he had for dinner before he left France for Haiti.

However, Mr. Joyandet please remember what the great French General Charles de Gaulle said: “I have tried to lift France out of the mud. But she will return to her errors and vomitings. I cannot prevent the French from being French.”

I suppose that Minister Joyandet’s comments are simply the French being French from the mudpits. In the meantime, it might be good if you would consider being as vocal as Marcel Marceau, who once said “it’s good to shut up sometimes.”

— Tim McDonald can be reached at timothy.mcdonald@agsfaculty.indwes.edu