U.S. commits $100M to Haitian relief efforts

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama said today that "one of the largest relief efforts in our recent history" is moving toward Haiti as he continued to mobilize the U.S. response to the island's devastating earthquake.

As many as 5,500 U.S. infantry soldiers and Marines will be on the ground or on ships offshore by Monday, a Defense Department official said. More than a half-dozen ships, including a hospital ship with 12 operating rooms, also were heading there today or preparing to get under way, said spokesman Bryan Whitman.

Obama said the U.S. government is initially directing $100 million toward the relief effort, a figure he said would certainly grow over the year. "This is one of those moments that calls out for American leadership," he said.

Meanwhile, an administration official said Obama is reaching out to former presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton for their assistance in the relief effort. It was Bush who tapped his father, former President George H.W. Bush, and Clinton, to assist with the tsunami response.

Their roles will be defined in the coming days, the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because a formal announcement had not been made.