President Obama to Haiti: “You Will Not Be Forsaken. You Will Not Be Forgotten”
EmailABC News’ Jake Tapper and Sunlen Miller report:
Speaking for the second time in as many days about the administration’s efforts in Haiti, President Obama today spoke directly to the people of Haiti.
“To the people of Haiti, we say clearly and with conviction, you will not be forsaken. You will not be forgotten,” the president said. “In this, your hour of greatest need, America stands with you. The world stands with you.”
The president called Haitians “a strong and resilient people” who have “endured a history of slavery and struggle, of natural disaster and recovery. And through it all, your spirit has been unbroken and your faith has been unwavering. So today, you must know that help is arriving. Much, much more help is on the way.”
The president announced the U.S. is making an initial $100 million investment to the relief efforts in Haiti, which he said “will mean more of the lifesaving equipment, food, water and medicine that will be needed. This investment will grow over the coming year as we embark on the long-term recovery from this unimaginable tragedy.”
Standing in the Diplomatic Reception Room, he was flanked by members of his national security team leading the administration’s coordinated response: Vice President Biden, Joint Chiefs Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, US Ambassador to the United Nations Dr. Susan Rice, and US Agency for International Development Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah.
“I’ve made it clear to each of these leaders that Haiti must be a top priority for their departments and agencies right now,” the president said. “This is one of those moments that calls out for American leadership.”
The first waves of rescue and relief workers are on the ground and at work in Haiti, he reported.
The president has privately expressed some impatience with how long it has taken for rescue and relief workers and supplies to get to Haiti, which is roughly 700 miles from Florida.
“Even as we move as quickly as possible, it will take hours — and in many cases days — to get all of our people and resources on the ground,” he said, explaining that in Haiti right now “roads are impassable, the main port is badly damaged, communications are just beginning to come online, and aftershocks continue.”
He acknowledged that none of the relief efforts “will seem quick enough if you have a loved one who’s trapped, if you’re sleeping on the streets, if you can’t feed your children. But it’s important that everybody in Haiti understand, at this very moment one of the largest relief efforts in our recent history is moving towards Haiti. More American search and rescue teams are coming. More food. More water. Doctors, nurses, paramedics. More of the people, equipment and capabilities that can make the difference between life and death.”
The president outlined steps successfully taken: Overnight, the US government’s survey team worked to identify priority areas for assistance. Search-and-rescue teams are working on the ground. The US military has secured the airport and prepared it for the massive influx of resources and equipment. An airlift for high-priority items such water and medicine has been set up, and several Coast Guard cutters are providing basic supplies and technical equipment. A Marine expeditionary unit, the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, and the Navy’s hospital ship, the Comfort, are also on their way.
He has “no higher priority” than the safety of American citizens in Haiti, the president said.
“Even as we move as quickly as possible, it will take hours, and in many cases days, to get all of our people and resources on the ground,” Mr. Obama said, “you should know that we will not rest until we account for our fellow Americans in harm’s way.”
The president thanked those Americans who have contributed to the effort, and encouraged more to “summon the tremendous generosity and compassion of the American people.” He announced that Vice President Biden will travel to South Florida this weekend to visit with members of the Haitian-American community and the responders mobilized there to help the Haitian people.
As Mr. Obama left the room, he put his arm around Dr. Shah, the USAID administrator.
“Okay, make me proud, we got a lot of work to do,” he said.
-Jake Tapper and Sunlen Miller
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The U.S. is broke, but we still give and help.
Where are the matching amounts from China, Europe and the Muslim countries?
Posted by: Sheila Winston | January 14, 2010, 11:16 am 11:16 am
Please insert “California” as well. …Only…..wait for it….CALIFORNIA DREAMIN people….California goes, so goes the rest of the Nation…
Posted by: Parallex View | January 14, 2010, 11:18 am 11:18 am
Does Shah have a nickname too?
Posted by: Elle | January 14, 2010, 11:34 am 11:34 am
Yesterday in Obama’s divine wisdom
he declared that Tiger Woods could
be rehabilitated. Today he said that
those in Haiti will not be forsaken.
He uses the words and thoughts like
he is speaking as a “God”. Can someone
please ask him if he is going to tax the
banks to recover money for the taxpayers
of this country, why he is not asking
the same of the other recipients of
“bailouts” like the auto companies???
Could politics be the reason ??? This
guy is really transparent in that he is
really showing what he is made of and
its nothing to be proud of. Shallow,
smug and arrogant is just the beginning
of the labels you could put on him.
Posted by: wis134 | January 14, 2010, 11:46 am 11:46 am
TOO BAD the Babbler in Chief didn’t get on the undies bomber as fast as he’s gotten on Haiti.
Posted by: Ron | January 14, 2010, 11:48 am 11:48 am
Where is the outrage at the mismangement
of the fraud they readily admit is in
the medicare system ? Where is the
outrage at the managers of Fannie
and Freddie that is also a financial
mess be immune from the scrutiny of
bonus’s ? You want to talk about
entities that are tone deaf? Look at
our government.
Posted by: wis134 | January 14, 2010, 11:53 am 11:53 am
It takes a true leader to show the light at end of the tunnel. President Obama you make us proud sir!
Posted by: N_OHIO | January 14, 2010, 12:06 pm 12:06 pm
Will…50% of America proud anyway…
Posted by: Parallex View | January 14, 2010, 12:17 pm 12:17 pm
Anyone who questions Obama’s response to the Haiti earthquake clearly is not living in reality. This is another instance where the administration has reacted quickly and with professionalism to a crisis.
Posted by: matt | January 14, 2010, 12:29 pm 12:29 pm
Pictures of our troops in fatigues handing out food and water, helping poor Haitians in dire need, do tremendous good for America’s stature and takes a breath of wind out of anti-Americanism from Europe to Somali. Heck, the good it does as a recruit ad alone probably makes it worth it. Add in the fact that Americans are among the most generous in the world towards those suffering from such disasters, and that it is the moral, Christian thing to do, and Obama’s actions are quite reasonable. There are no questions about what happened or what the correct response is.
This level of response was right when Bush did it to aid the suffers from the 2004 tsunami (a high point of his presidency in my opinion) and it is right now.
Posted by: jhw539 | January 14, 2010, 12:35 pm 12:35 pm
You want to talk about
entities that are tone deaf? Look at
our government.
wis134 | Jan 14, 2010 11:53:33 AM
Or a brief review of your postings is a more than sufficient review of tone deafness. America is a force for good, and the response to this disaster is not a partisan debate.
Posted by: jhw539 | January 14, 2010, 12:38 pm 12:38 pm
Here’s a thought Obama…It’s going to take the LARGE BANKING INDUSTRY TO SUPPORT YOUR 100 MILLION DOLLAR (personally I am betting much more than that) HAITI SUPPORT EFFORT…WHO you just imposed increased fees upon who in turn must pass those fees on to the businesses, who must borrow from the banks to increase inventory levels, who will supply the relief goods who will be paid for by YOU and the taxpayer….DUH…WHAT GOES AROUND COME AROUND……………YOU CAN’T MAKE THIS STUFF UP….
Posted by: Parallex View | January 14, 2010, 12:46 pm 12:46 pm
Use the money we spend on Somalia and Ethiopia. They brought their problems on themselves, they’re doing nothing to fix it and they’re half a world away. Haiti didn’t ask for an earthquake and they’re next door neighbors.
While we’re at it, use troops from Japan and Korea to guard our borders instead of their’s. Let’s take care of this hemisphere and let the rich countries take care of the rest.
Posted by: oonogil | January 14, 2010, 12:47 pm 12:47 pm
These comments were very kind, and necessary and appropriate, but Obama expresses no such concern for Americans who are out of work and losing their homes.
Posted by: Bubbles | January 14, 2010, 12:49 pm 12:49 pm
Re: “While we’re at it, use troops from Japan and Korea to guard our borders instead of their’s. Let’s take care of this hemisphere ”
We don’t need troops on our border. We neede to eliminate NAFTA so that Latin Americans aren’t pushed off of their own land by American corporations that do business in Mexico and the rest of Latin America.
And I agree that we need to put this hemishpere first. Obama needs to get immigration reform done like he promised during the campaign. He needs to close down those detention centers which are housing people who are guilty of working for a living. Those places are just a way for private prison corprations to get contracts from the government that are paid with tax dollars. This has now become a human rights issue.
If Obama doesn’t address these issues, and get immigration reform passed, I will not vote for the Democrats.
Posted by: Bubbles | January 14, 2010, 1:01 pm 1:01 pm
Does this man think he is God? “You will not be foresaken..?” Nobody uses this word these days. This is a biblical phrase, and he is speaking as though he is some all-powerful being here.
Posted by: FairTaxGuy | January 14, 2010, 1:03 pm 1:03 pm
Re: “You will not be foresaken”
I thought the same thing when I heard it. They don’t call him Messiah for nothing…
Posted by: Bubbles | January 14, 2010, 1:08 pm 1:08 pm
When you “forsake” someone you leave without planning to return.
First the US would have to be there (as in running or occupying the country) to then leave; thus forsaking them.
Obama seems more likely to forsake the people of Iraq….
Posted by: Word Smith | January 14, 2010, 1:17 pm 1:17 pm
Does this man think he is God? “You will not be foresaken..?” Nobody uses this word these days.
FairTaxGuy | Jan 14, 2010 1:03:46 PM
Does the right wing take pride in a limited vocabulary? Try a google search for forsaken on site:abcnews.com. It is used quite often; heck, Jake used it a couple days ago in a post. It also crops up even in Good Morning America fluff pieces:
“With the advent of online shopping, millions of Americans have forsaken the all-too-real check-out lines and hassles and have opted for the ease of virtual purchasing.”
Posted by: jhw539 | January 14, 2010, 1:26 pm 1:26 pm
Bubbles
Never fear, The Obama regime will pass immigration reform in spite of the fact that most Americans don’t want it. Democrats historically don’t care what American citizens think, they want to pass John Kerry’s “Global test”.
I regress, we need to provide aid to Haiti right now. This is an emergency. We should help in an emergency. Like any other emergency such as the Katrina disaster, emergency relief shouldn’t be eternal. There has to be an end. Help the people of Haiti get back on their feet, hopefully better than they were but we don’t need to support them forever like we do Somalia, Ethiopia, Korea, Japan and other places. I include Korea and Japan because of our military presence there. People in other lands need to learn to stand on their own two feet.
Posted by: oonogil | January 14, 2010, 1:40 pm 1:40 pm
ABC did not report: By 10:49pm Wednesday, The Argentine foreign ministery had their Military Mobile Hospital already treating 800 people
9:00pm Wed, Dominican Republic the first country to give aid to Haiti. 6:42am Thrus, 60 memember Rescue team Arrived from China with sniffer dogs. End of Thurs 5 Spanish aid planes due to land in Haiti with Humanitarian aid rescue medical personel.Israeli rescue team to arrive Thurs morning with two more jets with field hospital and 220 hospital workers also all the other contries who are arriving either today or tommorrow from other European countries and other countries around the world. plus Chile is sending 20 doctors, a rescue team, 12 tons of medical supplies, food and 3 tons of medicine to Haiti on Thursday morning which is expected to be there by or before hopefully tonight. I stated that the People of Haiti would see the light of hope on the 3rd day. How? I read all the main stream, associated press, reuters, different channel news. ABC has been very slow in reporting any hope news. Shame on you.
Posted by: Angie | January 14, 2010, 1:53 pm 1:53 pm
Obama’s speech may sound weird but it is proper English. I looked up some of the words that GWB used. Sounded weird and people made fun of them but the ones I checked were proper words. Seldom used, but proper.
I would hope that anyone who resides in the White House would have a better vocabulary and a more eloquent speech than the proletariat they rule. Most of them are incapable of leadership, they have to have something going for them.
I have little use for President Obama but he is acting properly in this event. I fear our involvement will be permanent but we have to help ease the suffering in the emergency.
Posted by: oonogil | January 14, 2010, 2:24 pm 2:24 pm
Re: “ABC did not report…”
They don’t report on anything about Latin America. I read about Latin American aid to Haiti in the Wall St Journal. Mexico sent 15 tons of food and a Navy Hospital Ship, Cuba sent doctors, relief workers, etc.
Posted by: Bubbles | January 14, 2010, 2:27 pm 2:27 pm
Wow.. Haiti has been forsaken and forgotten for dozens of years.. maybe this disaster was some sort of blessing or wakeup call (yes, I know it sounds hard.. but give this some thought)..
Posted by: DontGet818OnMeNow | January 14, 2010, 4:05 pm 4:05 pm
Try a google search for forsaken on site:abcnews.com. It is used quite often;
jhw539 | Jan 14, 2010 1:26:33 PM
Come on jhw539. You certainly took my comment down a rat-hole. Of COURSE people use the single word, “forsaken.” But the way this president used it is simply not normal vernacular. You must admit that. He spoke as though he were omnipotent and the “One” who can provide relief. His manner of speaking indicates that he has delusions of grandeur beyond his current level as US President.
Posted by: FairTaxGuy | January 14, 2010, 4:42 pm 4:42 pm
It takes a true leader to show the light at end of the tunnel. President Obama you make us proud sir!
Of course!!!
Posted by: NFL Shop | January 14, 2010, 10:13 pm 10:13 pm
FairTax…You are not hearing wrong…I heard him speaking as if he was The One true God…He is not…The Lord has not forsaken anyone….He will do His job…Obama doesn’t have to do it for Him…
Posted by: krystal | January 15, 2010, 12:05 am 12:05 am
why seems to me katrina survivors have been forgotten. what about american jobs? The homeless and the hungry here, seem to have been forsaken.
Posted by: red | January 26, 2010, 12:58 pm 12:58 pm