Larry Pressler: “I believe strongly that we should not send any troops to Haiti. We should have a policy of keeping our troops out of…”

“I believe strongly that we should not send any troops to Haiti. We should have a policy of keeping our troops out of there. We should have a policy of keeping illegal immigrants out of the United States; and proceed only with lawful, traditional immigration rules. We should keep a light embargo on Haiti to signal that we are for democracy. But the United States cannot solve the problems in Haiti. The people of Haiti have to solve them themselves. If we send troops, it will just enmesh us and put a great burden on the U.S. taxpayer. In the end, we will be blamed for everything. Haiti has been an economic disaster for the past 100 years, and nothing is likely to change that fact. Certainly the presence of U.S. troops will not. We saw what happened in Somalia. We cannot have a domestically-driven foreign policy. Just because certain groups in the United States advocate the invasion of Haiti does not mean that we should do so. We should base foreign policy on foreign policy objectives. We must not engage in foreign policy adventures. We must think of the American taxpayer and the long-run implications of our actions.”