

Area: Aen_News

Date : Oct 28 '94, 18:48                                             Scn
From : Al Thompson                                           1:231/110.0
To   : All                                 
Subj : PSYOPS and gun buy-backs                                              


Army News 24 Oct 94

:'Weapons for Cash' program popular, productive, by Nathan Reeves
(Oct. 17)

    PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- Describing the new "Weapons for Cash"
program shepherded by 10th Mountain Division soldiers as "a good
thing," a Haitian walked away from Bowen Airfield with a smile as
wide as the brim on his straw hat. The latest program in Operation
Uphold Democracy was building on its success in the second week of
the Fort Drum, N.Y.-based unit's deployment.

    Begun Sept. 26, Weapons for Cash is a procedure in which
Haitians may exchange firearms for money at designated weapons
turn-in points. The program, according to Capt. Alfred Dodson, of
the 3rd Battalion, 62nd Air Defense Artillery augmented to the joint
task force, helps alleviate the threat of certain elements of the
Haitian populace from forcibly impeding U.S. operations.

    "The process starts with psyops (psychological operations) units
beginning a campaign locally," said Dodson, the officer in charge of
the Bowen Airfield turn-in point. "They send out leaflets and use
loudspeakers that advertise the weapons buy-back program. Psyops
also tells the location of where it'll take place."

    Dodson said the Haitians find the weapons turn-in point and are
then processed through a finance center with agents who sign for the
weapons and issue the money. He added that Haitians, after turning
in their firearms, are issued "gourdes," the local currency.

    "Once we have the weapons," Dodson said, "they're taken to the
ammo supply point for storage."

    He added that the amount of money a person received depends on
the sort of weapon he turns in. "A handgun usually runs about $50,"
Dodson said. "A single-shot rifle get you $100, and a fully
automatic rifle gets you up to $300."

    Dodson also said the Haitian's response to the program was
initially slow, but has quickly picked up. At first, some of the
people were timid about turning in their weapons because of the high
degree of media exposure in the program's early going. However,
after only a few days, things had improved dramatically.

    "This is only the third day we've done the Weapons for Cash
program," he said as he surveyed the pile of weapons in a heavily
guarded Humvee. "Yesterday, we gave out the equivalent of $15,000 in
U.S. currency. We took in over 60 weapons."

    Dodson said the weapons were as varied as they were numerous. He
also said that the tendered weapons were mostly operable. A
near-perfect Uzi, grenades, grenade launchers, an AK-47 and various
ammunition magazines were among the stockpile.

    "The best weapon we've seen," Dodson noted, "was a Thompson
sub-machine gun in mint condition. It's a classic weapon used in
World War II. I'd say it's probably worth about $3,500 on the
American market."

    Dodson said the majority of the people turning in weapons were
couriers for others. He said some people feared repercussions from
their community were it to be known they turned in their firearms to
U.S. authorities for money.

    One Haitian man, who wished to remain anonymous, said he was
turning in a weapon that he had gotten when he was a member of the
Haitian military,

    "I am 100-percent pro-Aristide," he said. "I am turning in a
rifle. I hope that the money I get from it will help improve my
welfare and my family's welfare."

    The man said he heard about the program from American
helicopters broadcasting over loudspeakers. He also said he had no
fear of any reprisals from his community for accepting U.S. dollars
for his rifle. In his opinion, the money he gets will ease some of
the discomfort of the severe poverty from which he and many others
in Haiti suffer.

    "What the Americans are doing here is a good thing," the man
said. "I support their efforts to restore our president. Getting
money for weapons is something that benefits both sides."

    (Spc. Reeves is with the 27th Public Affairs Detachment, 10th
Mountain Division, and is currently deployed to Haiti.)


--- GEcho 1.00
 * Origin: Gun Control=Criminals & Gestapo vs. the Unarmed. (1:231/110)
