It seems that our government has not involved itself in enough international messes, so now it has decided to send American troops into volatile Haiti.

But this is not another Somalia.

U.S. troops are being sent to Haiti to train members of the Haitian military, help reinstate deposed President Jean-Bertrand Aristide and assist in various construction projects.

Essentially they are there to help the local government on a “mission of peace.”

But this is not another Somalia.

The 170 U.S. troops sent were to be greeted into a peaceful environment. This, however, was not the case because when the troops arrived, armed thugs kept our ships from landing in the port.

But this is not another Somalia.

The White House, the State Department and the Pentagon all promise that American troops would not be put in harms way. This better be the case since troops will be entering a violent country and only bearing sidearms.

The promise has also been made that if progress is not made in the next couple of days, the troops will be returning instead of prolonging the situation.

If our government legitimately finds an interest in sending our troops to Haiti on a “mission of peace,” then let’s do it and get out, but only if the safety of our troops is entirely guaranteed.

Because the last thing this country needs is another Somalia.