VZCZCXRO1923
RR RUEHQU
DE RUEHPU #1643/01 3331909
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 281909Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9207
INFO RUEHZH/HAITI COLLECTIVE
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 2125
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 0275
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 1883
RUEHQU/AMCONSUL QUEBEC 1301
RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1717

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT AU PRINCE 001643 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/EX AND WHA/CAR 
INL FOR KEVIN BROWN, JAMES BEAN, MEAGAN MCBRIDE, ANGELIC 
YOUNG AND DON STOLWORTHY 
S/CRS 
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAR 
INR/IAA 
WHA/EX PLEASE PASS USOAS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR PGOV PHUM PREL HA
SUBJECT: INL VISITORS GET FIRST-HAND OVERVIEW OF NAS 
PROGRAMS 
 
PORT AU PR 00001643  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  Summary:  November 18-22 INL/CIVPOL Director Jim Bean and 
new INL/CIVPOL Haiti Program Officer Meagan McBride paid 
their first visit to Haiti to get an overview of the INL/NAS 
programs in country.  They visited the police station 
construction site in Cite Soleil, the instructors barracks 
construction project at the National Police Academy, the 
proposed site of the new women's prison outside Port au 
Prince, the proposed site for a second police commissariat in 
Cite Soleil, and the Men's Penitentiary and met with 
MINUSTAH, DynCorp and PAE contractor staff as well as the 
U.S. UNPOL contingent.  The visit showcased the progress 
being made but also highlighted the challenges of providing 
assistance in Haiti.  End summary. 
 
¶2.  INL/CIVPOL Director Bean and INL/CIVPOL Haiti Program 
Officer McBride spent three intense days visiting the major 
NAS renovation/construction projects in Haiti as well as 
meeting with USG contractors and the U.S. contingent seconded 
to MINUSTAH. NAS briefed them on overall program initiatives 
in the police, coast guard, corrections, counternarcotics and 
anti-money laundering arenas, future goals for the program in 
Haiti, and coordination on the ground with MINUSTAH and other 
donors.  Regarding NAS police and security activities, they 
toured police station sites in Cite Soleil, both possible sub 
station sites being considered and the on-going construction 
of the main police station as part of the Haiti Stabilization 
Initiative (HSI).  They observed the small contingent of 
Haitian National Police (HNP) along with the MINUSTAH 
Brazilian soldiers and the MINUSTAH UNPOL officers at the 
site.  DynCorp's Deputy Program Manager briefed the visitors 
on construction issues, including the looming possiblity of 
significant construction delays caused by the presence of the 
Brazilian battalion inside the police commissariat under 
renovation. 
 
¶3.  The visitors also met with Director Maxime of the Haitian 
National Police (HNP) Academy and walked the entire Academy 
site.  The Director thanked the USG for its long and steady 
support to the Academy cadet classes and infrastructure, 
commenting that "without the USG's assistance the Academy 
would not exist."  He personally conducted the walking tour 
of the Academy, showing the recently completed Canadian 
renovation of some structures and culminating in a visit to 
the on-going U.S. construction of new instructors barracks 
and road and drainage upgrades that began in November.  The 
improvements in road access and drainage are already 
apparent. 
 
¶4.  On the corrections side, they met with the INL/NAS 
Corrections Advisor and visited two prison sites.  A visit to 
the proposed prison compound site approximately 45 minutes 
outside Port au Prince, where the USG is considering building 
a new women's prison, revealed a shocking amount of erosion 
in the area following this fall's massive storms that 
presents serious impediments to site access and raises 
concerns about prisoner safety under severe weather 
conditions.  All those issues will be addressed by a site 
study. 
 
¶5.  A tour of the National Penitentiary provided an up-close 
look at prison conditions.  INL/AS met with the warden prior 
to the tour and leaned that the present prison population 
stands at3929, with just 454 of those sentenced and the rest 
being held in pre-trial detention.  Each prisoner has 
approximately .63 square meters of space in the severely 
overcrowded facility.  A catwalk tour gave a birds-eye view 
of the prisoners' living conditions, including broken showers 
and prisoners living on window ledges or lying in the 
recreation yard to alleviate chronic swelling in their feet 
caused by sleeping in standing positions all night in cramped 
cells.  The group then entered the controlled area of the 
prison to see the kitchen and the infirmary.  NAS projects to 
rehabilitate the infirmary and build an isolation ward and to 
provide equipment upgrades to the kitchen are on track to 
begin soon.  USAID is also pursuing a project to improve 
sanitation in the main cellblock, the Titanic.  The warden 
 
PORT AU PR 00001643  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
lamented the large number of sick prisoners, including those 
with contagious diseases, and has identified the 
infirmary/isolation ward, the kitchen and sanitation 
improvements as his highest priorities.  He also stated that 
the need for a new men's prison is reaching crisis 
proportions. 
 
¶6.  The INL officers also met with the MINUSTAH Deputy Police 
Commissioner for Development to discuss HNP needs and 
progress through the second year of the HNP reform plan. 
Many of the U.S. UNPOL Officers work under his day-to-day 
management.  They also met with PAE which supports the U.S. 
contingent in country as well as having an informal gathering 
with contingent members about their Haiti experiences. 
Taking advantage of their presence, INL and NAS conducted 
interviews and selected a new Deputy Contingent Commander as 
well. 
 
¶7.  Comment:  The visit afforded an excellent overview of the 
INL/NAS programs in Haiti.  The visitors left with a deeper 
understanding of the goals NAS has set for the future, the 
challenges of doing assistance and counternarcotics work in 
Haiti and the need for close coordination and communication 
with Washington to continue to grow.  In understanding 
Haiti's stability and security needs and obstacles, pictures 
can not fully convey the message and a visit is worth a 
thousand words.  End comment. 
 
¶8.  This cable has been cleared by INL/CIVPOL Director James 
Bean. 
SANDERSON