U.S. furious at Jamaica for embrace of Aristide

[seemslikeadream]

BY ANDRES OPPENHEIMER

[email protected]


AND JACQUELINE CHARLES

Jamaica's decision to welcome former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide has infuriated Bush administration officials, who say U.S. relations with English-speaking Caribbean countries have reached a new low.

Senior U.S. officials refuse to speculate whether Washington will retaliate against Jamaica, which currently presides over the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) regional bloc.

But other U.S. officials say that if Aristide's return from Africa to the Caribbean triggers new bloodshed in Haiti and U.S. troops get in harm's way, there would be congressional calls for a strong U.S. reaction against Jamaica.

Asked whether the United States will take any concrete measures against Jamaica, U.S. officials say the Bush Administration will not cut aid to fight AIDS in the region or reduce other kinds of humanitarian assistance. But they hint that other nonhumanitarian bilateral programs could be slowed down.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/nation/8222803.htm

Haitians roam the streets in front of the National Palace in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Sunday.

[Art_from_Ark]

1. As far as that goes,

US relations with just about any (previously) friendly country seem to have reached new post-war lows.

Bu$h is to diplomacy what a bull is to a china shop

[seemslikeadream]

13. bull in a china shop

The body of an unidentified man shot dead the previous night lies in the streets in front of the General Hospital in Port-au-Prince, Haiti Saturday, Feb. 28, 2004. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

A boy on a bicycle passes the body of a man on a street in Cap Haitien, Haiti, Wednesday Feb. 25, 2004. (AP Photo/Pablo Aneli)

[ugarte]

2. Bush is a new low

n/t

[markus]

3. How about investigating renting out US troops for coups?

If U.S. troops get in harms way, it is because George Bush sent them there as part of an illegal coup.

It is Bush who will have the blood on his hand, and should be charged with murder if anyone dies in Jamaica.

The world won't be safe until both Osama bin-Laden and George Bush are both brought to justice.

[seemslikeadream]

14. Guy Philippe

Rebel leader Guy Philippe is seen at the Hotel Mont Joli in Cap Haitien, Haiti, Wednesday Feb 25, 2004. Philippe confirmed earlier this week that some rebels were trained in the Dominican Republic, though on Wednesday he began denying it, saying as far as he knew only he and three others crossed the border at the start of the rebellion. (AP Photo/Pablo Aneli).

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. The USA cannot justify any 'retaliation' at all

Jamaica has done nothing wrong. If the USA had a decent claim that Aristide had done something illegal, they should have arrested him, rather than taking him from the country.

It's talk like this that makes me accept that the USA had an active part in the coup. I gave Bush the benefit of the doubt before, stupidly.

[seemslikeadream]

18. Active part

A U.S. Marine stand guard at U.S. Embassy in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, February 23, 2004. (Reuters/Daniel Aguilar)

A U.S. Marine stands guard at U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, February 23, 2004. (Reuters/Daniel Aguilar)

U.S. Marines en route to the U.S. Embassy, in Port-au-Prince, after arriving at the city's airport from the U.S., February 23, 2004. (Reuters/Daniel Aguilar)

[xchrom]

5. of course bushco is furious with jamaica

jamaica displayed a will of it's own.

[shanti]

40. jamaicans are very strong willed people

i know many and can just imagine what they are saying to this bit of news!

[lumpy]

6. It is all very believable now.

Bushco is looking for world domination.

[seemslikeadream]

20. Supporters of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide

Supporters of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide scream at the gate of the presidential palace in Port-au-Prince while he holds a news conference, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2004. Aristide appealed for the world to come to Haiti's aid, warning that thousands of deaths and a wave of boat people could result from political chaos. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)

[Jacobin]

7. Do they have oil?

If so, they better duck and cover.

[seemslikeadream]

10. The US Administration ultimately seeks to militarize the Caribbean basin.

The island of Hispaniola is a gateway to the Caribbean basin, strategically located between Cuba to the North West and Venezuela to the South. The militarization of the island, with the establishment of US military bases, is not only intended to put political pressure on Cuba and Venezuela, it is also geared towards the protection of the multibillion dollar narcotics transshipment trade through Haiti, from production sites in Colombia, Peru and Bolivia.

The militarisation of the Caribbean basin is, in some regards, similar to that imposed by Washington on the Andean Region of South America under "Plan Colombia', renamed "The Andean Initiative". The latter constitutes the basis for the militarisation of oil and gas wells, as well as pipeline routes and transportation corridors. It also protects the narcotics trade.
http://www.infoshop.org/inews/stories.php?story=04/03/11/4113947

Rebel leaders Louis-Jodel Chamblain (left) and Guy Philippe celebrate after news of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide's departure reached northern Cap-Haitien, Haiti, Sunday.

[pfitz59]

17. Notice brand-new, US issue cammies?

BFEE role in Haiti is so transparemt..

[seemslikeadream]

25. U.S. special forces

Members of the U.S. special forces sit in the back of a truck, from part of a convoy which delivered people to the Dominican Republic. (Reuters/Andrew Winning)

Two members of a special US security force for the US embassy in Haiti stop traffic in a street of Port-Au-Prince as they make space for buses on their way to the International Airport(AFP/Roberto Schmidt)

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

24. Don't forget Puerto Rico.

We have some of the biggest bases outside the US mainland.

[info being]

27. No, the CIA wants a cut on the drug money

[tlcandie]

8. Temper tantrums get you absolutely no where.. taught to children...

Evidently, they didn't learn these lessons. Why get mad, get revenge is their motto!

Wonder what they will do to Maxine Waters, Amy Goodman and the rest who were in on bringing Aristide to Jamaica?

The deaths are on the hands of the US and French NOT Aristide, Jamaica or anyone else's hands.

Now it's play by MY rules and move when I say jump to anyone or else you are toast! Nice way to play...reminds me of my dad and his little man syndrome and the play ground bullies.

[Aidoneus]

9. What are they going to do about it?

I think another coup would be too obvious.. :eyes:

[jmcgowanjm]

11. The Avg USCitizen has no idea

None. Zip. Zero. And so will have no idea of
what's happening now or will happen in the
future.

Venezuela's leftist President Hugo Chávez, a close ally
of Cuba's Fidel Castro, is influencing most Caribbean
decisions these days, they say.

Venezuela is in charge now. They can and will supply the
oil that CARICOM needs.

'I think you are going to see a cooling of relations,'' a
well-placed U.S. official said. ``Their actions on Haiti,
and their willingness to believe a pathological liar like
Aristide over the verifiable facts of his departure, have
damaged U.S.-CARICOM relations a great deal.''

Hint: When you cut off "the Aid" that you are sending
to your protaganist and the protaganist still tells you
to "FuckOff", That means you've lost your
influence.

[PATRICK]

12. Protest threatens hangover

French wines, Spanish Madeira, now Jamaican rum. Showing solidarity with the anti-Bush family of nations is threatening our livers.

What next? Vodka? Saki?

[jmcgowanjm]

15. LOL-LPEC

[chasqui]

55. And we are left with....

Budweiser, the "King of Beers"

[SOS]

16. Retaliate?

The US has severely damaged Jamaica already. The CIA guns for drugs program in the 1970s, Reagan's Caribbean Basin Initiative, the crippling IMF loans approved by Seaga, the Dole Corporations attempts to destroy the UK-JA trade agreements, the destruction of the currency (under Manley 2-1, now 50-1), the free trade zones filled with slaves from Asia.
Retaliation is the wrong word. Whenever the PNP is in power Jamaica is at risk of US destabilazation efforts. This has been proven for the last 30 years.

[Layman]

26. Marley and Manley?

Didn't the CIA poison Bob Marley and have Manley deposed?

[SOS]

30. The Marley question

has been debated for years. Marley historians tend to agree that he died of untreated malignant melanoma. The cancer in his toe was diagnosed in Paris in 1977. Marley refused to have his foot amputated and the cancer spread. He died in 1981. There was an unsolved assasination attempt on Marley right before the 1976 election. Marley was shot twice. He left Jamaica after that, never to return.

The CIA ran guns to Jamaica in 1976, arming the right-wing JLP. Ex-CIA man Phillip Agee says the guns were traded for drugs delivered in Miami. Street fighting in Kingston took nearly 1,000 lives. Michael Manley won despite US efforts, which angered Washington. The US felt that Manley was "too friendly" with Castro, which was nothing but paranoia. Manley was a Democratic Socialist, much more like European socialists than Castro. In 1980 the US decided that Manley must go and put a big effort in for Seaga (also known as CIAga). Seaga won and Reagan invited him to the White House as his first foreign guest in 1981. Seaga took a ton of IMF money for his government and things improved for a short period in the 1980s. Now, global feudalism and interest payments are strangling the country.

Check your video store for "Life and Debt". A superb movie about the current Jamaican situation. The book "Catch a Fire" by Timothy White is also an excellent resource on Marley and Jamaica in the 70s and early 80s.

PS: It is likely that right-wing forces did assasinate Peter Tosh in 1987.

[Judi Lynn]

43. Very helpful post, SOS.

We weren't told ANYTHING About Michael Manley in our own media. In fact, we've been kept TOTALLY in the dark here, while our own right-wing psychopaths have been terrorizing the entire damned hemisphere.

Thanks for the view oof what happened to Peter Tosh.

One moment he was here, then POOF! So sad.

[SOS]

50. Hi JudiLyn

For an enlightening look at Peter Tosh's life and death check out the film "Stepping Razor Red X". Powerful stuff.
If you would like more resources on Marley, Jamaica, Rastafari you can PM me and I'll send you my web site address.
Peace.

[seemslikeadream]

33. Bob Marley's album "Survival".

Conical Tower, Great Zimbabwe
Take a close look at the backside cover of Bob Marley's album "Survival". You will find a picture of the conical tower, in the Great Enclosure section of Great Zimbabwe, the only difference being that the trees were shorter then and that Dumi and I weren't on that picture.
The Great Enclosure probably was the palace of a king. The function of the conical tower is as yet unknown. There are no doors or windows in it and its contents is unknown. Joe Wein

[jmcgowanjm]

19. Thank you JudiLyn for digging up all of this information.-Tinoire

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x398639

[jmcgowanjm]

21. as concern grows over the possibility of disruptions in the oil industry

of Venezuela...

How come the only media reporting this concern is
USMedia?

You'll look in vain for world news saying this.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/18/business/18GAS.html?ex=1080190800&en=851eb79ef600c803&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE

[bvar22]

22. And another foreign leader joins the large club...

...of foreign leaders who support Anybody But bush*!!

[goclark]

23. Step Up To The Plate Colon

Isn't this the area where your people are from? Surely you would not let this administration stage a coup in Haiti! Surely you would not approve Jamaica being frowned upon for doing what is right and just.

We see you prancing all over the globe,telling every country how they should run their governments. You tell them about the word DEMOCRACY,.


Oh no, you have no right to tell anyone about the word democracy.

Not you Colon, not you!

[AspenRose]

28. Exactly what I was thinking....

an American of Jamaican heritage
awfully quiet, there, Mr. Powell

[shanti]

41. colon bowel

is considered a "white jamaican" and his beliefs mirror white americans. i doubt he has much allegiance, if any, to jamaica.

[Tinoire]

53. Colin Powell... Belafonte's reference to Colin Powell as a House Nigger

Harry Belafonte's reference to Colin Powell as a House Nigger is not new to Blacks

By Sinclere Lee


WASHINGTON (BNW) -- To be a Black in the Republican Party, you have to be a house nigger, and Harry Belafonte remarks calling Colin Powell one is something that may sound shocking to most white, but it’s very familiar to Black American. All Blacks who called themselves Republicans must sellout their culture and race to tow the party line.

However, Secretary of State Colin Powell said Wednesday that comments made by singer Harry Belafonte comparing him to a slave out to please his master were "unfortunate."

In a scathing radio interview Tuesday in San Diego, Belafonte blasted Powell in racially charged comments that compared the secretary of state to a plantation slave who moves into the slave owner's house and says only things that will please his master. Belafonte is a longtime political activist.

Both the singer and the secretary of state are Black men of Jamaican descent.

"There's an old saying," Belafonte said. "In the days of slavery, there were those slaves who lived on the plantation and were those slaves that lived in the house. You got the privilege of living in the house if you served the master ... exactly the way the master intended to have you serve him.

<snip>

http://www.blacknewsweekly.com/195.html

Mods, please humor me. I'm Black. And that neo-con Powell is the type of person we've long called house niggers. Nobody should be wringing their hands about this. He is what he is and it's accepted language within our community.

[matcom]

29. so where is Asskroft Going For His Medical 'Ganja' Now?

you know after passing all them stones

[SoCalDem]

31. Sadly, most 'Murikans only think of the caribbean

when they want sandy beaches and fancy hotel-spas..

We spent two weeks in Jamaica in the early 70's and even though some of the locals threw stuff at our car (the were kind of anti-american back then too), most of the people were wonderful..

Of course we had a car and drove around on our own, and frequented local restaurants, so we did not do the "rich tourist" thing..

It's so sad that some of the most beautiful places are so vulnerable to horrible governance..

(best scallops I ever ate..they were the size of an adult fist...slathered in butter, garlic and lime juice )...yummmm..

[shanti]

42. jamaica is so beautiful

the best way to see it is NOT in an all-inclusive resort, but out with the people. what part of ja did you see and do you plan to return?

[SoCalDem]

45. We stumbled onto Negril BEFORE it was built up

In fact , back then there was a little combo barbershop/grocery/post office, a few small hotels (not even on the beach), and that cute little roundabout as you enter the town..

We also went up into the hills a bit..

It saddened me much later when I realized that Negril had "been discovered"..:(..

We stayed at a place calle the Colony..(MontegoBay) It was a bit on the "seedy side" by the time we stayed there (no electricity after 4 pm), but we had a cute little efficiency cottage all to ourselves.. and we had a volkswagen to drive around.. We shopped at the local markets and ate at the local resaturants..

We made it to OchoRios, but it was a bit touristy for our tastes.. The falls were gorgeous.. We did not walk up them..

The roads were SCARY...

[shanti]

47. i have to give you props

for driving on your own! the roads in jamaica are not for the faint of heart! lol, you never know what you will come upon, goat, pothole, cow. i don't think i could ever attempt it.

you should check out port antonio and the south coast, still relatively undeveloped. i've only been to negril, but plan to branch out next time. heck, some of the other parts of the caribbean are beautiful too, dominica, tobago, antigua, st. vincent. they all have their own special flavor.

it's time to go back for a visit! :hippie:

[ElementaryPenguin]

32. Geesh! Who ISN'T BushCo pissed at?

:shrug:

[htuttle]

34. China

[Minstrel Boy]

35. Quick, send in the marines!

Call it "Operation Restore Hope, Part II: Hope Harder."

[seemslikeadream]

36. The marines have landed

A U.S. Marine stand guard at U.S. Embassy in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, February 23, 2004. (Reuters/Daniel Aguilar)

A U.S. Marine stands guard at U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, February 23, 2004. (Reuters/Daniel Aguilar)

U.S. Marines arriuve at an airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, February 23, 2004. (Reuters/Daniel Aguilar)

U.S. Marines en route to the U.S. Embassy, in Port-au-Prince, after arriving at the city's airport from the U.S., February 23, 2004. (Reuters/Daniel Aguilar)

[htuttle]

38. With all those heavy weapons, they must be bringing a lot of 'peace'

[MidwestMomma]

37. US is furious?

Since when do countries have emotions?

Why don't they tell it like it is and say GW Bush and his minions are furious.

Sick of the headlines screaming 'we the people' are pissed/furious/disappointed/in murderous rage...

Wonder what sanctions they'll impose on Jamaica? This administration is despicable. :puke:

[shanti]

39. uh oh....jamdung, look out!

the jamaican people will NOT tolerate an invation of their country, and many americans wouldn't either!

[WatchWhatISay]

46. Are you kidding?

I don't know about the Jamaican people, except that they depend on tourism and it will be tough for them to take a stand against us.

But Americans? They are tolerating anything and everything right now. They can't be bothered with this stuff.

[shanti]

48. americans aren't the only tourists

granted, they are the most numerous. i applaud pj patterson for standing up to the chimp. it can't be easy.

perhaps i'm referring to the americans who actually love jamaica and its people, there are a lot of us out here. we CARE.

[Judi Lynn]

44. The author, Andres Oppenheimer is a true right-wing looney-toon

He'd be a love slave to anyone making threats to the poor of this hemisphere, or their would-be protectors. He identifies exclusively with the European-derived elite in Latin America.

Who on EARTH ever dreamed we'd hear American officials discussing what kind of damage they were going to deliver to an island like Jamaica for offering friendship to a man they had tried to destroy.

This is NOT a Norman Rockwell America.

[Chovexani]

49. Where's the coup apologists, I wonder?

I guess they're still hanging out on the Chavez threads. Herding cats, I tell you.

[Judi Lynn]

51. Lost one either last night or today.

It was the big, rude, pushy one. :cry:



Try to be brave.

[Judi Lynn]

52. The photos in this thread, also, are incomparable.

They really show there are real human beings whose lives are being tossed away by _Bush's nasty designs.

Real people. I can't believe ANYONE would consider unleashing so much vicious mischief on them.

Hope there IS a judgement day, for sure.

[bobthedrummer]

54. "Get up, stand up-stand up for your rights"