Aristide's Departure: The U.S. Account

[windansea]

By Peter Slevin and Scott Wilson
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, March 3, 2004; Page A19

It was shortly after 4 a.m. on Sunday, U.S. diplomat Luis Moreno recalled, when he pulled up to the gate of Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide's walled compound in the suburb of Tabarre. He was traveling with a fellow U.S. diplomat and six State Department security officers.

The lights were on, Moreno said, and Aristide was awake. The bespectacled former Roman Catholic priest met Moreno, the U.S. Embassy's second-ranking officer, at the door with his suitcases packed.

"You know why I'm here," Moreno recalled saying in Spanish, the language they had spoken to each other during 10 years of professional association.

"Yes, of course," he quoted Aristide as replying, also in Spanish.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24346-2004Mar2.html

[windansea]

1. kick n/t

[TacticalPeek]

2. Jon Stewart on the Daily Show really nailed this.

Showed a clip of Colin Powell giving the spiel.

"That was Colin Powell with the administration's new approach: 'No, Seriously ... Really'." Like that.

[windansea]

3. JS usually does n/t

[daleo]

4. Time for the Post to do its 'official history' bit

For the gullible.

[windansea]

5. Senator Harkin also spoke to Aristide

Among those who said they had spoken by phone with Aristide Monday were Reps. Charles Rangel of Harlem and Maxine Waters of California, and Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa, all Democrats.

Reached Monday evening, a spokeswoman for Harkin said: "Senator Harkin does not believe that was kidnapped, and he does believe that he resigned."

But the spokeswoman, Allison Dobson, added that Harkin thought Aristide resigned "under tremendous pressure that built up" after the Bush administration failed to send troops to protect him last week.

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/ny-woaris0302,0,3712814....

[bobbyboucher]

6. Good job!

Keep spouting. You'll be rewarded sooner or later.