(Washington, D.C.) -- The following is a statement by U.S. Senator John McCain regarding the fighting between U.S. troops and Haitian police or paramilitary: "I am relieved that no American was seriously injured during last night's firefight at Police Headquarters in Cap Haitien. "Although the details remain sketchy, I am confident that the marines involved in the incident fully adhered to the rules of engagement and fought with great distinction. I commend them for their courage and calm under fire. "It remains unclear whether the Haitians that attacked our marines were Haitian Police or paramilitary irregulars associated with the Haitian security force, the so-called "attaches." Whatever their identity, the incident underlined the concerns that opponents of the occupation have long held -- that the murky situation presents our troops stationed there with extremely difficult challenges. "Instability is the norm in Haiti, where political factions are armed an settle their disputes with violence. It was inevitable that American troops would find themselves in the crossfire. The violence and chaos that define Haitian society make it very difficult to determine who are our friends and who are our enemies. This makes nation building by force of American arms as difficult in Haiti as it was in Somalia." # # #