Recruits Stampede Police Academy in Haiti

[seemslikeadream]

Tuesday April 20, 2004 7:46 PM


By MICHELLE FAUL

Associated Press Writer

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) - Police fired tear gas and U.S. Marines blocked the entrance of the police academy in the Haitian capital on Tuesday as hundreds of candidates stormed the building during a recruiting drive.

The police used batons to beat back recruits and called off the recruiting drive after several people reportedly were injured in the incident.

Haiti's interim government began the drive on Monday in an effort to replenish the nation's depleted police force. Hundreds of officers, fearing reprisal attacks because of their loyalties to ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, fled their posts when rebels launched an armed rebellion that ousted Aristide on Feb. 29.

The government fired 150 of the former officers last week for leaving their posts or for ethics violations. Dozens more have fled the country

more
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-3999925,00.html

[seemslikeadream]

1. Annan Recommends 8,322 UN Troops and Civilian Police for Haiti

April 20 (Bloomberg) -- United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan called for 8,322 soldiers and civilian police to go to Haiti for at least two years to rebuild the violence-plagued Caribbean nation, the poorest in the Western Hemisphere.

Fighters who took control over northern Haiti and threatened to attack the capital of Port-au-Prince forced Jean-Bertrand Aristide from the presidency in February.

A force of more than 3,000 Canadian, Chilean, French and U.S. troops have provided security in Port-au-Prince and three northern cities since March 1, under a UN Security Council resolution. An interim government is trying to improve living conditions in the country where 52 percent of the 8 million people live on less than $1 a day.

``The security situation remains uncertain,'' Annan said in a 34-page report. ``Weapons handovers have been largely symbolic and pledges by rebels to lay down arms upon the establishment of a transitional government have not yet been followed through.''

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http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000087&sid=ahNzxwwUet7k&refer=top_world_news

US Congressional Delegation to Visit Haiti
VOA News
20 Apr 2004, 19:22 UTC



Mark Foley
A U.S. congressman has announced he will lead a bipartisan delegation to Haiti later this week to discuss ways of stabilizing the country.
Republican Congressman Mark Foley from Florida said Tuesday that he and four other congressmen will meet Friday with Haitian leaders in Port-au-Prince. The other representatives are Republicans Cass Ballenger from North Carolina and Jeff Miller from Florida, and Democrats William Delahunt from Massachusetts and Elijah Cummings from Maryland.

http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=2144B353-0408-423A-A0AB50137F08A24A