With rebel violence escalating in Haiti, U.S. officials are expecting refugees fleeing the war-torn country to try and make the United States their sanctuary. According to a CNN report, President Bush announced Wednesday that the U.S Coast Guard will continue to turn back refugees, while the United Nations also announced it will be holding a meeting to discuss the situation today.

Bush's statement might sound callous or cold, but it's necessary. The United States simply can't handle that many refugees at once.

Americans are used to hearing these stories on the news - war-torn countries with rebels threatening guerilla warfare that turn into bloody conflicts. There are many countries that experience the type of conflict that sends citizens fleeing their homes - Kosovo, Liberia, Rwanda and Sudan are just a few examples.

When Americans read about the bloodshed and conflict, it's hard for them not to sympathize with the refugees' plight and hardships.

Since World War II, The United States has either been praised or accused of being the police of the world, stepping in with military might every time unrest explodes somewhere. It has intervened in several of these cases, but common sense explains that the nation's armed forces can't be everywhere at once.

There are times when the nation has gotten involved militarily, but right now, the United States should be concentrating on helping Haiti diplomatically. The best thing this nation can do to help the Haitians right now is to work with the United Nations and try to reach a compromise between the rebel forces and the Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

It's unfortunate the United States can't do more for the Haitian refugees; however, this country must look at its own situation and realize that sometimes it cannot handle the massive numbers of refugees who want a safe haven.