PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — U.S. troops are withdrawing from the shattered capital, leaving many Haitians anxious that the most visible portion of international help is ending even as the city is still mired in misery and vulnerable to unrest.
As troops packed their duffels and began to fly home, Haitians and some aid workers wondered whether U.N. peacekeepers and local police are up to the task of maintaining order. More than a half- million people still live in encampments that have grown more unpleasant in recent days with the rainy season.
Some also fear the departure of Americans is a sign of dwindling interest in the plight of the Haitian people after the Jan. 12 earthquake.
U.S. officials say the long-anticipated drawdown of troops is not a sign of waning commitment to Haiti, only a change in the nature of the operation. Security will now be the responsibility of the 10,000-strong U.N. peacekeeping force and the Haitian police. The Associated Press
