¡¡While the US Marines is intensifying their presence through out Haiti, more countries committed to sending troops to the Caribbean island country plagued by looting and violence while.
The US Marine made the decision as rebel leader Guy Philippe on Tuesday declared himself new head of Haiti's military, and vowed to arrest Prime Minister Yvon Neptune,, US Marine Col. Dave Bergertold a press conference at the airport Tuesday.
Local radio reported Neptune, a top member of Aristide's Lavalas party and his former presidential spokesman, was evacuatedby helicopter. His whereabouts were not immediately known.
Berger said the US forces, who began arriving Sunday night to lead an international peacekeeping force, will take "appropriate action" if Philippe's men interfere, including using deadly force if they come under attack.
The rebels seemed to be taking advantage of a power vacuum as Aristide fled into exile on Sunday, though the United States and France have been trying to increase their military presence in the Caribbean country.
Haiti was swept by violence Tuesday with political murders and looting being still rampant 48 hours after President Jean-BertrandAristide resigned and fled the country.
The new authorities seemed unable to put the situation under control any time soon and some observers predict that the country might plunge again into chaos like what happened on Feb. 5 that led to Aristide's Sunday resignation and exile under the pressure from outside.
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan appealed to the international community Tuesday to keep its focus on helping the people of Haiti.
"We should put the people of Haiti at the center of everything we try to do and try and help them build a better future," he told reporters as he entered the UN headquarters in New York.
"And as I have indicated before, I hope this time the international community will go in for the long haul and not a quick turn-around," he stated.
Some 200 US Marines and 140 French troops arrived Monday and more were expected Tuesday. Commanders of both forces said they had no orders to disarm Haiti's rebels and instead were to secure key sites and protect their countries' citizens and government property.
Chile was sending 120 special forces to Haiti on Wednesday, the first part of a 300-strong contingent to join an international security force authorized Sunday by the UN Security Council.
Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Norman Caldera confirmed Tuesday that his country received a request of the United Nations to participate in a multilateral peacekeeping force to be deployed inHaiti for three months to restore public order.
The minister said he will ask the National Assembly to allow the dispatch of a contingent but he underlined the government's will to only participate in humanitarian assistance in the Caribbean nation.
Argentina agreed to send "white helmets" for humanitarian aid in strife-torn Haiti, following its rejection of the deployment of military or police forces in the Caribbean nation, the Argentine Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.
Philippe will continue talks Tuesday with members of a broad-based opposition coalition, who have not met with other rebel leaders notorious for human rights violations.
Aristide, meanwhile, was expected to discuss with President Francois Bozize of the Central African Republic about final asylumplans in a third country, said the African nation's communications minister, Parfait Mbaye.
South Africa has said it does not disagree in principle to accept Aristide, but has not received a formal request.
