U.S. Leaders Promise Assistance to Haiti After Massive Earthquake

President Obama said Wednesday that the U.S. government would "stand ready to assist the people of Haiti" following a massive earthquake in that already beleaguered nation, CNN reports. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also promised America's "full assistance" in the aftermath of the quake, which registered 7.0 on the Richter scale, killed thousands and left Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital, in ruins.

International aid organizations were preparing to provide assistance Wednesday as rescue workers continued to pull casualties from the wreckage. No death toll has been confirmed, but several countries are reporting their own losses. The Tunisian head of the United Nations mission to Haiti was killed in the quake and 14 other U.N. workers are reported missing. Brazil, which has a significant peacekeeping presence in Haiti, said four of its soldiers were killed and five were injured.

In his statement, Obama said the Haitian people have the "unwavering support of the American people" and called the reports and images coming from that nation "truly heart-wrenching. . . . I have directed my administration to respond with a swift, coordinated and aggressive effort to save lives. The people of Haiti will have the full support of the United States in an urgent effort to rescue those trapped beneath the rubble."