Reply #15: Overthrow of President Aristide Leaves Haiti in Chaos

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 10, 2004 Contact: Ron Dungee
[phone]


Overthrow of President Aristide Leaves Haiti in Chaos


By Rep. MAXINE WATERS

"I didn't leave Haiti because I wanted to leave Haiti. They forced me to leave ... It was a kidnapping, which they call coup d'état. It wasn't a resignation. It was a kidnapping and under the cover of coup d'état."

-President Jean Bertrand Aristide
March 8, 2004
Deposed President Jean-Bertrand Aristide of Haiti spoke during a press conference on Monday. He told the world that he was being guarded by soldiers from the Central African Republic (CAR); that he had been confined to one room with his wife, Mildred; and that he was not free to move around. He said that, after being allowed to hold Monday's press conference, he was told by the government of CAR that they did not like the attention of the media, and he has been asked to refrain from making public statements.

Prior to the press conference, about 100 journalists gathered in that African nation's capital city, Bangui, insisting they be allowed to talk to Aristide, but their demand was denied. CAR authorities allowed President Aristide to hold the press conference only after a delegation of visiting U.S. peace activists revealed that the Haitian president was being held under lock and key like a prisoner.

During the press conference, President Aristide maintained that he is still the legitimate president of Haiti; that his government was being replaced by a U.S.-sponsored government of occupation; and that only his return to Haiti will bring peace. He accused France of colluding with the United States to remove him from office, saying the two countries organized a "political kidnapping."

The United States government, after delivering President Aristide to CAR, has not since communicated with President Aristide. The Bush Administration has not attempted to engage him in a discussion about his future or the future of Haiti. The Bush Administration was involved with replacing him in Haiti and supported the swearing in of a new president, Boniface Alexandre, in violation of Haiti's Constitution. They are putting in place people who they believe will be responsive to the United States government and the elite class in Haiti.

Why did the Bush Administration refuse to commit the U.S. military to stabilize the violent uprising by the heavily-armed thugs, many of whom are former members of the Duvalier-era military or members of the feared death squad known as the Front for the Advancement and Progress of Haiti (FRAPH)? FRAPH members were responsible for a multitude of human rights violations during the three years following the coup d'état in 1991.

Why did the Bush Administration's reluctance to commit U.S. forces disappear as soon as President Aristide was escorted out of his country? Were the Haitian people unworthy of protection from murderous criminals who invaded Haiti, killed Haitian police officers and occupied the cities of Gonaives and Cap-Haitien prior to President Aristide's departure?

These are some of the questions I and members of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee of the House International Relations Committee put to Ambassador Roger Noriega, the Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs. Noriega is the former chief of staff for Senator Jesse Helms and one of the principal architects of the Bush Administration's flawed Haiti policy. In his testimony, Noriega tried to avoid the issues, but under intense pressure confirmed the obvious: The condition that had to be met before the Administration deployed U.S. armed forces to stabilize Haiti was the departure of President Aristide.

As we all know, prior to President Aristide's departure, the only concern of President Bush was to make sure that all Haitian refugees were turned back at sea before they could reach the United States.

I demand to know if the U.S. government armed and trained the former Duvalier military officers and death squad leaders who carried out the coup in Haiti. I want this Administration to explain why U.S. officials directed President Aristide, who had agreed to a peace plan worked out by the international community, to resign and leave his country.

Whatever their reasons, this Administration's inaction to preserve a democratically-elected government in Haiti has left that country in a state of chaos and anarchy, much as their violent action to impose democracy in Iraq has left that country in an anarchic state. It is the inevitable consequence of this Administration's shoot-first, ask-questions-later foreign policy that fails to make any plans to deal with the bloody aftermath of its actions.

There has been a tremendous outpouring of support for President Aristide from the people of Haiti and Lavalas, the political party he represents, but the international press has not given adequate coverage to that side of the story. Instead, they cover the opposition that worked with the criminals and the United States to pull off the coup d'état.

President Aristide is consulting his attorney, Ira Kurzban, and other international lawyers to determine what his options are. Leaders from Haiti, South Africa and the Caribbean countries are discussing ways to support President Aristide. Kurzban says President Aristide is considering bringing criminal charges against the United States.

Members of Congress are calling for an investigation and more public hearings about the role of the United States government in the illegal overthrow of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. The people of the United States, whose sons and daughters in the armed forces are being sent into Haiti to stabilize the situation, deserve to know the truth.

http://www.house.gov/waters/pr040310b.htm