Dominican Republic and Haiti: Country Studies

Haiti: National Security
nary soldiers were permitted to serve in the Interim Public
Security Force (IPSF) , which acted as a stopgap until the new
civilian national police force could be trained and deployed.
Some 3,300 soldiers were ultimately accepted into the IPSF.
ByJanuary 1995, all officers' commissions had been revoked,
and the remaining FAd'H personnel who had not been
accepted into the IPSF were demobilized. Aristide announced
his intention to ask parliament to take up a constitutional
amendment to formally abolish the armed forces. Under the
constitution, action to this effect was not possible until the end
of the legislative term in 1999. In addition to the weapons collected
by the occupying troops under the buy-back program,
the military's heavy weapons were impounded and destroyed.
Structure and Capabilities of the Pre-1995 Armed
Forces
Haiti's internal upheavals had repeatedly caused the armed
forces to assume a decisive role in the conduct of the political
institutions of the state. Domestic security concerns greatly outweighed
external defense considerations in the operations and
organization of the armed forces. The FAd'H constituted the
military arm of the Ministry of Interior and National Defense.
The commander of the FAd'H served a renewable three-year
term. Under him, the general staff had the usual staff offices
for operations, intelligence, logistics, and training. Among
other important officers were the inspector general, an adjutant
general, and commanders of the military regions of the
north and south, and of the metropolitan military region
(Port-au-Prince).
The nine military departments under the northern and
southern military regions operated principally as district
police. Only the forces assigned to the metropolitan military
region had a significant tactical capability. The strongest of
these units was the 1,300-member Presidential Guard, which
was relatively well-trained and disciplined. Many members of
the guard were stationed on the grounds of the Presidential
Palace as a protective force for the president. The Dessalines
Battalion, with barracks behind the Presidential Palace, was a
light infantry force of some 750 men. The Leopard Corps was
an internal security unit of some 700 men equipped with
United States help. Both the Dessalines Battalion and the
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