This, of course, raises a question that looms over any major disaster relief effort: Where do we go from here?

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Once President Obama promised he would help the disaster victims with quick, efficient, and sympathetic aid, he bought ownership of the disaster relief effort.

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Some 20, 000 soldiers and police arrived at the disaster area to help with the relief effort, and 30, 000 more were on the way, the Defense Ministry told Xinhua.

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The challenges down there are immense, but there's a lot of devoted people leading the relief effort, from government personnel who deployed into the disaster zone to the faith-based groups that have made Haiti a calling.

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In general, despite some heroic achievements, the relief effort must bear some of the blame for the unfolding disaster.

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