12月14日，一支由几百人组成的联合国维和部队突袭并占领了海地首都太子港的索莱伊城区，这里是支持海地前总统阿里斯蒂德的武装分子的重要基地。这是自今年9月阿里斯蒂德的支持者在太子港发动大规模武装抗议活动以来，联合国稳定特派团与海地警察首次采取针对武装分子的联合行动。外电报道如下：Hundreds of U.N. peacekeeping troops stormed into a seaside slum loyal to ousted¹ President Jean-Bertrand Aristide on Tuesday to try to control areas that have become flashpoints of violence.

At least three people were wounded in the ensuing clashes.Sporadic² gunfire rang out from Cite Soleil as Brazilian and Jordanian troops entered the area in armored personnel carriers, exchanging fire with armed residents.

Cite Soleil, a gritty slum on the border of Port-au-Prince, has been a focal point of violence since September, when Aristide loyalists stepped up protests to demand his return from exile in South Africa.

Flashpoint的的本义是“燃点，引火点”，在此使用引申义“爆发点，触发点”，即重大事件或暴力事件发生的地点。例如：The shootdown did not increase international tensions to the flash point.（枪杀事件并没有使国际上对该事件的爆发点增加压力。）