"in haiti, the dictators are gone, democracy has a new day, the flow of desperate refugees to our shores has subsided." -- president clinton, 1996 state of the union address why was this statement significant to the american public at the time?
americans thought the government had not done enough to encourage democracy and end oppressive governments.
the number of refugees the haitian government encouraged to leave after the earthquake alarmed many southern americans.
americans demanded an end to all foreign intervention of the u. s. military unless there was a direct threat to national interests.
the u. s. military had intervened in haiti to remove a brutal regime and the small nation start to implement democracy.

The U.S. military had intervened in Haiti to help remove a brutal regime and help the small nation start to implement democracy.

Explanation:

On September 19, 1994, the United States Army invaded the territory of Haiti. The operation called Uphold Democracy or Defend Democracy was intended to restore the democratic order.

Haiti shares territory with the neighboring Dominican Republic on the island of Hispaniola, named in 1492, by the Spanish. At the time it was called La perla de las Antillas for its lucrative export of tobacco, sugar cane and coffee.

The occupation in Haiti was not a novelty since on July 28, 1915, the US army invaded the country after a series of violent events that culminated in the murder of dictator Vibrum Guillame Sam, who had come to power after a series of de facto governments. The United States remained in Haiti until 1934.

Later, Haiti was shaken by countless coups, invasions of exiles, riots, palace shots, general protests, assassination attempts and natural disasters.

The United States reacted to the increase of Haitian immigrants who fled to its territory and to the request of the United Nations to restore democracy in Haiti and after a political strip and shrink the invasion was accomplished through a multinational peacekeeping force that it would guarantee the safe departure of Haitian military leaders and the restoration of democracy.