PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, Feb. 1 (UPI) -- U.N. peacekeepers in Haiti are on high alert ahead of elections scheduled for next week, Haitian radio reported Wednesday.
The 9,000-soldier, multinational force is reportedly preparing for the possibility armed gangs still loyal to former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide could try to disrupt the Feb. 7 vote.
Aristide left Haiti in February 2004 after armed rebels began taking over large parts of the country trying to force him from power.
Since then hundreds of Haitians have been killed in clashes between U.N. forces and Aristide loyalists.
Wednesday, American Airlines announced it was canceling all flights to and from the island nation next Monday and Tuesday to ensure the safety of employees, flight crews and passengers, the Miami Herald reported.
"We took a look at the history of unrest coinciding (with elections) and there is definitely a history there," American spokesman Tim Wagner told the newspaper.
Passengers with tickets to or from Port-au-Prince, issued no later than Jan. 31, can change their reservation to travel as late as Feb. 10, and one ticketed change is allowed with no fee or penalty, Wagner said.
