U.S. Southern Command stands ready to carry out non-combatant evacuations of U.S. citizens in Haiti at any time, a senior Pentagon official said.
Gen. Laura Richardson, the commander of U.S. Southern Command, appeared at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Thursday and was asked whether Confederate forces were being evacuated in the wake of the unfolding violence and unrest in Haiti. Ta.
“Southcom was successful in airlifting embassy personnel out of the country,” Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) said at the hearing. “However, many Americans remain in Haiti and are considering leaving the country. There may be some people who do.” “Some are concerned that the United States has not activated a non-combatant evacuation order (NEO) to remove Americans from Haiti. General, have you been tasked with an evacuation operation?”
“As part of the broader contingency plans that US SOUTHCOM has in place, we are ready to activate NEO if necessary and, as always, we have other plans in place and will The plan continues to be updated many times.” “So we are always ready for any kind of crisis.”
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Gen. Laura Richardson will speak at a Senate committee hearing Thursday about Southern Command’s readiness for non-combatant evacuation orders in Haiti. (Fox News)
Kelly asked for more information and whether additional plans were in the works in case the mission was needed urgently.
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The streets of Port-au-Prince, Haiti are filled with pedestrians and commuters. Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced Tuesday that he would step down to make way for new leadership in a country overwhelmed by violent gangs. (AP Photo/Oderin Joseph)
“I thought that the dual mission of increasing the security of the embassy and extending it with a little bit of my ability is a platform to use if we need to expand from there,” Richardson said. ” “Therefore, we have taken all necessary steps to activate any plans.”
Southern Command said in a statement early Wednesday morning that, at the request of the State Department, it “deployed the U.S. Marine Anti-Terrorism Security Team (FAST) to maintain a strong security capability at the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince.” Relief operations are being conducted in Haiti for current Marines, which are common and routine around the world. ”
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The military secures an area of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Popular Haitian radio station Radio Television Caraibé has announced that it will be off air for a week to protest the widespread violence in the capital. (AP Photo/Oderin Joseph)
Additionally, “the U.S. Embassy remains open and will continue limited operations focused on providing assistance to U.S. citizens and supporting Haiti-led efforts to ensure a peaceful transition of power.” he added.
The U.S. military already sent troops to Haiti over the weekend to strengthen security at the U.S. embassy and airlift out non-essential personnel, including the families of diplomats who remained after last summer’s evacuation order.
State Department spokesman Matt Miller told Fox News Digital that no plans are currently underway to rescue Americans stranded in Haiti amid the collapse of the government, citing government travel warnings. Ta.
Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman contributed to this report.
