Reply #8: Ms. JACKSON LEE.

[seemslikeadream]

Ms. JACKSON LEE. First of all, let me thank the Chairman and particularly the Ranking Member for the effort they have made to have this hearing, which happens to be particularly timely, but all of the Members who worked so hard that are on this particular Committee that really generated this meeting, all of the standing Members that are there—Congressmen Payne and Meek, Barbara Lee and Ms. Watson and others who are on the Committee—I thank you very much, and I thank you for the courtesies of allowing us to be here.


Mr. Noriega, this is not a personal inquiry, it is not personal against you. I can tell you that there is a great deal of emotion because many of us have taken personally the bleeding in the streets, the mutilating and the murdering that has been occurring. And, of course, we take personally words such as a ''rule by tyranny,'' and we take personally the seemingly unceasing attack on an ex-priest that through a great deal of his life has spent making efforts to the extent of possibly a loss of life to preserve democracy.

To this very distinguished gentleman that is in the room let me, first of all, acknowledge you and offer to you my deepest understanding, because those of us who lived through the era here in the United, States as we still fight against racism and hostilities and discrimination, are reminded of those who marched across the Edmond Pettis Bridge and the dogs and hoses that came about, and the fact that some of those who were marching were unfortunately terribly injured.

If you would, accept our sympathies.

To Mr. Noriega, let me pose this series of questions to you: Have you ever had a sense of fear of your life or the fear of your life and that of your family members? Do you have any history of that or any way that you could understand that by personal experience?

Mr. NORIEGA. Yes, yes, absolutely.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. So you have been in fear of your life?

Mr. NORIEGA. Yes.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Might you share with us?

Mr. NORIEGA. No.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. You have been in fear of your life when and where?

Mr. NORIEGA. That is none of your business, ma'am.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Well, let me say this. Since you are going to be hostile, let me say this.

Mr. NORIEGA. No, no. It is a silly question.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. My business is to find out whether the Administration lied and whether or not you kidnapped and coerced Mr. Aristide. So that is my business.

Mr. NORIEGA. Please ask me those questions, and I will answer them.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. I would imagine—excuse me. I am talking, not you. Since you started off being rude, then let me be rude. In any event, let me just say this.


My understanding of Mr. Aristide's position on that eve where he was, if you will, thrown out of his own country, is that he was told by American officials, maybe with the involvement of the CIA, that his life was in jeopardy and that the security would be removed.

My question to you is whether or not you have any firsthand knowledge of that activity.

My second point is—and you don't need to comment on this—I am reminded of the attack on Chairman Karzai's, or President Karzai's life in Afghanistan, reminded of the fact that we did not ask him to leave his country, but we provided the necessary security so that, thank God, his life was spared. He didn't have to make that decision.

Do you have any firsthand knowledge of saying to President Aristide that your security would be immediately removed?

Mr. NORIEGA. It is not true. As a matter of fact, there is an organization that, as a private contractor, has provided security for——



It is not true. As a matter of fact, there is an organization that, as a private contractor, has provided security for Aristide, paid for by the Government of Haiti. This organization provided for Aristide's security throughout all of the events that led to his resignation. A U.S. government security team consulted with his security detail on the prevailing security conditions. We approved of that contact because we were concerned about the security of U.S. citizens, including Mrs. Aristide and the Americans who served in his private security detail. However, I am not aware of the details of these exchanges. After those conversations, Aristide contacted the Embassy, through his private security firm, to ask what the U.S. Ambassador thought would be best for Haiti. Our answer was that he, Aristide, had to make that judgment. Aristide's private security personnel stayed with him after he made the decision to resign, accompanied him to the airport, and boarded the aircraft with him for the trip to the Central African Republic.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Do you have any knowledge of saying to him that his security would be removed at that time.

Mr. NORIEGA. I am trying to answer the question. It is not true.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. If that is not true, then I assume that you would welcome, as I have asked both the leaders of this House for a full congressional investigation that would investigate the Administration as to whether or not that is true. Would you welcome that investigation?

Mr. NORIEGA. The Congress has an obligation to oversee——

Ms. JACKSON LEE. You would welcome that investigation, yes or no.

Mr. NORIEGA. The Congress has an obligation to oversee the Executive Branch.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Is that yes or no? Is that yes or no? Is that yes or no.

Mr. NORIEGA. We would cooperate with any——


Ms. JACKSON LEE. And you would welcome that investigation, yes or no?

Mr. NORIEGA. We will welcome—we will cooperate with any inquiry that the Congress deems appropriate.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Thank you very much.

Let me proceed with my questions on another important aspect that I am concerned about.

Is the United States a member of the U.N. Security Council?

Mr. NORIEGA. Yes.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. So as I understand it, by way of a report on February 25, 2004, the U.N. News Service, the United Nations Security Council today deplored the Haitian opposition's rejection of proposals from two regional organizations that could form the basis for a peaceful compromise. And so you were—the United States was a part of that offering of a compromise——

Mr. WELLER. Mr. Chairman, regular order.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Let me just conclude, Mr. Chairman, by saying this.

Mr. WELLER. Mr. Chairman, regular order.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. CARICOM has been totally disrespected by this Administration.

Mr. WELLER. Regular order, Mr. Chairman.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. And you have violated the relationship with the Caribbean——

Mr. WELLER. Regular order, Mr. Chairman.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. And we will never be able to mend it, because there is no way of providing the support that the United States has.

Mr. WELLER. Mr. Chairman, regular order.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. All I can say, Mr. Chairman, is that we have failed to be the kind of friend to Haiti that we should have been.

http://commdocs.house.gov/committees/intlrel/hfa92343.000/hfa92343_0f.htm