US Troops Withdrawing En Masse From Haiti

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – U.S. troops are withdrawing from the earthquake-shattered capital of Haiti.

Many Haitians are anxious that the most visible portion of international help is ending even as Port-au-Prince is still mired in misery and vulnerable to unrest.

Haitians and some aid workers are wondering if U.N. peacekeepers and local police are up to the task of maintaining order. More than a half-million people still live in vast encampments that have grown more unpleasant with the early onset of rainy season.

Some also fear the departure of the American troops is a sign of dwindling international interest in the plight of the Haitian people.

U.S. officials say the draw-down of troops is not a sign of waning commitment, 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.