U.S. shouldn't take lead in resolving turmoil in Haiti

The United States took heavy international criticism for taking the initiative in toppling the regime of Saddam Hussein in Iraq. Now, another regime is ripe for toppling -- that of Jean-Bertrand Aristide in Haiti -- but the United States should play, at most, only a supporting role.
The United States has strong interests in Haiti. First, of course, there is the purely humanitarian interest. Haiti's people have long been poor, but the poverty is becoming even more pervasive. Many of its farmers have, literally, eaten the seed corn and the nation is not going to be capable of feeding itself later this year. Second, there is the fact that Aristide, while democratically elected, is a brutal tyrant who has surrounded himself with thugs. And third there is the reality that the worse things become in Haiti, the more Haitians take to sea and try to make it across 600 miles of ocean to the shores of the United States.
Another day maybe
Perhaps under normal circumstances, this confluence of U.S. interests would demand a more active role by the United States in helping restore peace to Haiti. Perhaps, but not today.
The United States must concentrate its energy in Afghanistan and Iraq, two hot spots where tens of thousands of American troops are already engaged.
If any single nation is to throw itself into the breach in Haiti, let it be France. Haiti was its colony. Let France rise to the occasion. Let France dedicate its treasury and its sons and daughters to the task of restoring peace to a product of its colonialism. It would only be fair and just.
But while France is active in diplomatic efforts, no one should hold his or her breath until the French make a real commitment to Haiti.
In truth, efforts to avert a civil war and years of unrest in Haiti should not be the responsibility of any one nation or any handful of nations.
The White House is coming under pressure from some members of Congress to dispatch U.S. troops to Haiti. But as Secretary of State Colin Powell said, "There is frankly no enthusiasm right now to send in military or police forces to put down the violence."
That is an understatement, and the White House should stand by it. Only those troops that are necessary to safely evacuate U.S. diplomatic personnel and stranded citizens should be dispatched.
International effort
Any peacekeeping force that is deployed to Haiti should be under the auspices of the United Nations and the 15 nations of the Caribbean Community, which is known as CARICOM.
It is those entities, as well, that should be putting pressure on Aristide to step down, or at least to share power with the opposition.
A decade ago, the United States took the lead in replacing a brutal military dictatorship with Aristide, who had been elected but forced from office. Aristide responded by becoming as bad as those he replaced.
The lesson there is that nations can't be built or rebuilt in a day. Nation-building is a long-term enterprise that requires time, patience and the dedication of billions of dollars in resources.
Which is, of course, why nation-building efforts should be undertaken by individual countries or by international groups with their eyes wide open.
Aristide has turned out to be a disappointment, but there is no legitimate government-in-waiting. The rebels who have taken over several Haitian towns are basically remnants of the old military dictatorship.
It should not take much for Americans to see that the United States should not take the lead in sorting out this mess.