Democrat Kerry Blames Bush 'Neglect' for Haiti Crisis

[UpInArms]

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=4430566

CLEVELAND (Reuters) - Democratic White House front-runner John Kerry on Tuesday blamed President Bush's "neglect" for the political instability in Haiti and called for the naming of a special envoy to help end the crisis.

The United States has sent about 50 Marines to the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince to protect U.S. facilities and has pressed opposition politicians to accept a power-sharing plan meant to defuse an armed revolt against Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

"The current crisis in Haiti is yet another example of Bush administration neglect in our own hemisphere," Kerry said in a written statement. "As a result, Haiti is now on the verge of collapsing into a failed state, potentially creating untold hardships for the Haitian people and an enormous influx of refugees on our shores."

...more...

*'s way of dealing with problems cannot even be called benign neglect. The I/P difficulties come to mind.

[htuttle]

1. Due to his neglect, or due to his administration's attention?

http://www.counterpunch.org/goff02142004.html

Beloved Haiti

A (Counter) Revolutionary Bicentennial

By STAN GOFF
February 9, 2004.

As I write this there is an attempt to start a civil war in Haiti, engineered in the United States of America and supported by its lapdogs in Caricom and the Organization of American States. Former Haitian military men who have received "some form" of training and logistical support while hiding out in the neighboring US semi-colony, the Dominican Republic, are systematically attacking the Haitian National Police at primary strategic points along the entire route from Port-au-Prince to the Dominican Border near Ouanaminthe. Only Cap Haitien has not fallen so far as St Marc, Gonaives, and Trou du Nord a town at a key bridge between the border and Cap Haitien has been ransacked by right-wing paramilitaries, who are the armed wing of a US-funded "opposition" that cloaks itself in the name Convergence Democratique, and now falsely claims no connection with this activity.

(snip)

The ridiculous names like Gonaives Resistance Front that these right-wing paramilitaries have assigned themselves are already being echoed in the capitalist press, which also refers to them, idiotically, as "rebels," and to their activities as the activities of "crowds." A contact I spoke with hours ago who returned from Port-au-Prince today told me that the real crowds are those who are fleeing these fascist coup operations in the North and the massive PRO-Aristide demonstrations in the capital. This contact said the situation here is very similar in many respects to the US-supported attempt to overthrow another democratically elected government, that of Hugo Chavez in Venezuela.
(more)

[mobuto]

5. Nonsense - its pure neglect

That article is total bullshit. The revolt began in Gonaives among disgruntled Aristide henchmen - the Cannibal Army. The Dominican exiles only joined up later, viewing the revolt as an opportunity to seize power for themselves. There is no evidence the Bush Administration has paid much attention to the situation at all, as evidenced by all the conflicting statements its produced: one day it wants Aristide to step down, the next it wants him to stay, etc.

Kerry is absolutely right. The US could make peace with minimal effort - the size of both factions is tiny. The problem is simply that the Bush Administration doesn't really care one way or the other.

[Judi Lynn]

8. I believe you have connected the wrong party to the Cannibal Army

Just found this in a quick google search:

(snip) The leader of this Opposition, André Apaid, is a millionaire businessman of Middle Eastern extraction whose family has been in Haiti for decades. He is the leader of the elites, the unreconstructed class of light-skinned and white Haitians who have never forgiven the blacks for defeating France, Spain, and Britain on their way to independence. They were extreme racists 200 years ago, and some of them still are today, although one imagines that like the elites in Jamaica, many would have accommodated themselves to reality.
(snip)

According to the National Labour Committee
Apaid is a notorious Duvalierist. When asked at a business conference in Miami soon after the coup in 1991 what he would do if President Aristide returned to Haiti, Apaid replied vehemently, 'I'd strangle him!'
(snip)

Apaid reportedly has US citizenship, having been born in the US.

It is, of course, perfectly possible that a businessman-politician who owns sweatshops is a die-hard democrat. Whatever Apaid’s ideology, for the Haitian Opposition to attach itself to an organisation calling itself the Cannibal Army would not seem to encourage confidence. As Congresswoman Walters asks: why can’t the Haitian Opposition submit itself to elections like any other party in this democratic world? What makes them so special?
(snip/)

http://www.nathanielturner.com/cannibalarmy.htm

Feel free to take some kicks at the author, if you'd like. I haven't looked him up, yet, so he may be sinister.

On edit:

This article, also, leads one to believe Buteur Metayer, the leader of the Cannibal Army, who insists Aristide leaves office, is not connnected to Aristide:

http://www.tallahassee.com/mld/tallahassee/news/world/7940671.htm

[tinanator]

15. Oh yeah, no Bushwork there, no SOA students, no bipartisanship?

you might write those AP articles chock full of glowing adjectives for the valiant rebels and slamming Aristede, never once, for some reason giving the root causes, just the phony framework of an illusion solely for the American masses. Nobody else in the world is dumb enough to believe the US aint behind these TERRORISTS! The gross manipulation and neglect of the facts by our major media, should, on its own bring the ire of every citizen raining down.

[I AM SPARTACUS]

17. c'mon...the "elite" of Haiti certainly know their way around terror...

...with or without BushCo. That's not to say the Smirko Gang doesn't have a role - I'm sure they do. But pointing out that the local economic elite are involved doesn't provide a screen for BushCo...

[Judi Lynn]

19. Short but sweet!

(snip) Coup in Haiti (Duvalier)
Francis "Papa Doc" Duvalier takes over Haiti. Supported by the USA, he rules the country autocratically, corruptly and brutally until 1971.
Under his regime and that of his son who succeeded him, 60,000 people would die. Thousands would be tortured by the Tonton Macoutes death squads. While Haiti would become the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, the Duvaliers would enrich themselves by stealing foreign aid money.
(snip)
http://www.krysstal.com/democracy_1955to1959.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(snip)
1957 - With army backing, Duvalier is elected president for a six year term on 22 September, promising to end the privileges of the mulatto elite and bring political and economic power to the black masses. However, the political climate remains unstable.

1958 - After an unsuccessful attempt to overthrow him in June, Duvalier takes steps to consolidate his position. Senior officers in the military are replaced with younger men, the size of the army is reduced, the military academy is closed, political parties are banned and curfews are introduced.

Duvalier reinstates and takes control of the presidential guard. With chief aide Clément Barbot, he organises the Volunteers for National Security, or Tontons Macoutes (Bogeymen), a private militia estimated to number 9,000-15,000 and used to terrorise and murder opponents.

Recruits are drawn initially from the capital city's slums and equipped with antiquated small arms found in the presidential palace. They receive no salary, relying instead on extortion and petty crime. The Tontons Macoutes act as Duvalier's front-line security force and counter the influence of the armed forces in the politics of the country.

1959 - Duvalier suffers a heart attack in May. Barbot acts in his place but is promptly imprisoned when Duvalier recovers. On 12 August a group of Cuban guerrillas and Haitian exiles lands on the southern most tip of the country in another attempt to remove Duvalier. They are defeated by the Haitian Army, with the aid of US marines.

1961 - Duvalier manipulates elections to have his term extended to 1967. The US terminates aid to Haiti. Barbot is released from prison and begins plotting to overthrow Duvalier. The attempt is to take place in July 1963 but is uncovered at the last moment. Barbot is killed.

1963 - Attempts to remove Duvalier continue, reportedly with backing from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Duvalier's leadership becomes more extreme. He fosters a personality cult, portraying himself as the semidivine embodiment of the Haitian nation, a voodoo Jesus Christ.

With corruption endemic, the elite gets richer the poor suffer badly. The per capita annual income sinks to US$80, the lowest in the western hemisphere. The illiteracy rate remains at about 90%.

1964 - Duvalier has himself elected president for life in April. Haiti is now almost completely isolated. Duvalier is excommunicated by the Vatican until 1966 for harassing the clergy.

1967 - Several bombs exploded near the presidential palace. The regime subsequently executes 19 officers of the presidential guard.

1970 - The entire membership of Haiti's small coast guard stages an abortive mutiny. Conspiracies and dissent proliferate. Duvalier responds with a reign of terror and is able to stay in power longer than any of his predecessors
(snip)

http://www.moreorless.au.com/killers/duvalier.htm

The Eisenhower government thought he was just fine!

[I AM SPARTACUS]

20. not short, but...you could start back 'round '99..1799, that is

[Judi Lynn]

18. Hallelujah, you're someone who's taken the time to look for the truth!

May the spirit of Augusto Pinochet, and his henchmen, and his CIA affiliates NOT be with us.

By the by, a D.U. reader who has seen this photo, and lived in Chile, told some of us at a small message board that the photo above was taken immediately after the coup in Santiago, Chile, and that Pinochet was wearing shades because there were television lights in there.

He also said that the guy in the back, on the right side of the page met an untimely death later. Creepy.

Pinochet, Kissinger/Nixon's man of the hour in Chile was quoted saying that not a blade of grass in Chile moved without his permission. That's a great U.S. taxpayer-supported dictator's comment for you!

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

7. I agree 100%.

Stan Goff knows the ins and outs of Haiti more than a lot of other people. He was stationed there for a long time and was in the armed forces for almost 2 decades.

[I AM SPARTACUS]

2. Bush neglects, France steps in...

from the cited article...

<snip...>
Secretary of State Colin Powell spoke to French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin on Tuesday, seeking support for mediation. France said it would host members of the Haitian opposition and government for talks this week.
<snip...more>

[onehandle]

3. and Middle East neglect for 9/11

I'm convinced. Bush must go.

Unite behind the Democratic Nominee. Naysayers can bite me.

[UpInArms]

4. standing right beside you

friend.

United.

[grytpype]

6. I bet we don't have the troops.

Sorry. Iraq, you know.

[daleo]

9. Where is the money coming from?

Even "rag-tag rebel armies" need money to buy weapons and pay supporters. I know there is not much in the way of government forces to oppose this group (the army being disbanded and the national police seeming ineffective), but the "rebels" still need money. Who is bankrolling them and why?

Is control of the drug market behind this? Does Bushco just want to make sure that any good the Clinton administration did is rolled back before they lose power? I haven't seen these questions addressed in the media yet.

[htuttle]

10. The money is coming from the International Republican Institute

The 'rebels' appear to be the armed wing of the 'Convergence Democratique' a coalition of right-wing parties. Some call it a 'Macoute-Bourgeoisie' coalition (according to the Stan Goff report, linked above).

The Covergence Democratique receives guidance and funding from the International Republican Institute, according to this site:

http://haitireborn.org/news/haitireport/10-3-2003.php

I found dozens of links that mentioned that the Covergence Democratique was funded by Republicans in Washington, DC, but this is the only link I've found so far that had a detailed description of who it was and when they've been meeting.

The Convergence's wrecking strategy has alienated the Haitian public (and some diplomats) and it's glaring inability to build anything like a mass protest movement probably accounts for the appearance of new opposition tactics in 2003. In a remarkable coincidence, they were put into action immediately after Haitian opposition leaders met with IRI strategists in the Dominican Republic in December 2002.
(much more at link)

[htuttle]

11. And the IRI is of course...

...the very same client of the 'National Endowment for Democracy' that brought you the coup in Venezuela.

[Judi Lynn]

16. Just saw the IRI mentioned in this article, and NED, as well

(snip)
2000: Once again, the Haitian population elects Jean-Bertrand Aristide to the presidency of their country, as Republican candidate George W. Bush becomes President of the United States. American right wing agencies, the International Republican Institute (IRI) and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), which openly opposed Aristide’s election, provide assistance to Convergence Democratique (CD), a 15-party opposition coalition which declares the elections fraudulent and, in challenge of Aristide’s legitimacy, names its own alternative president while some of its members (CD) bluntly declare their intention to violently overthrow Aristide with assistance of the CIA and the disbanded Haitian Army—for a second time around. The most determined of these men, with a promise of anonymity, freely express their desire to see the U.S. military intervene once again, this time to get rid of Aristide and rebuild the disbanded Haitian army. That would be the cleanest solution, said one opposition party leader. Failing that, they say, the CIA should train and equip Haitian officers exiled in the neighboring Dominican Republic so they could stage a comeback themselves. Haiti Torn by Hope and Hatred As Aristide Returns to Power by Edward Cody (Washington Post, February 2, 2001)
(snip/...)

2000: Once again, the Haitian population elects Jean-Bertrand Aristide to the presidency of their country, as Republican candidate George W. Bush becomes President of the United States. American right wing agencies, the International Republican Institute (IRI) and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), which openly opposed Aristide’s election, provide assistance to Convergence Democratique (CD), a 15-party opposition coalition which declares the elections fraudulent and, in challenge of Aristide’s legitimacy, names its own alternative president while some of its members (CD) bluntly declare their intention to violently overthrow Aristide with assistance of the CIA and the disbanded Haitian Army—for a second time around. The most determined of these men, with a promise of anonymity, freely express their desire to see the U.S. military intervene once again, this time to get rid of Aristide and rebuild the disbanded Haitian army. That would be the cleanest solution, said one opposition party leader. Failing that, they say, the CIA should train and equip Haitian officers exiled in the neighboring Dominican Republic so they could stage a comeback themselves. Haiti Torn by Hope and Hatred As Aristide Returns to Power by Edward Cody (Washington Post, February 2, 2001)

2000: Once again, the Haitian population elects Jean-Bertrand Aristide to the presidency of their country, as Republican candidate George W. Bush becomes President of the United States. American right wing agencies, the International Republican Institute (IRI) and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), which openly opposed Aristide’s election, provide assistance to Convergence Democratique (CD), a 15-party opposition coalition which declares the elections fraudulent and, in challenge of Aristide’s legitimacy, names its own alternative president while some of its members (CD) bluntly declare their intention to violently overthrow Aristide with assistance of the CIA and the disbanded Haitian Army—for a second time around. The most determined of these men, with a promise of anonymity, freely express their desire to see the U.S. military intervene once again, this time to get rid of Aristide and rebuild the disbanded Haitian army. That would be the cleanest solution, said one opposition party leader. Failing that, they say, the CIA should train and equip Haitian officers exiled in the neighboring Dominican Republic so they could stage a comeback themselves. Haiti Torn by Hope and Hatred As Aristide Returns to Power by Edward Cody (Washington Post, February 2, 2001)

http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/43a/396.html

The entire history of Haiti as outlined in this article is horrendous, shocking.

If this international emergency hadn't brought it to our attention, it could have been ages before I ever got around to reading this information, which fits in PERFECTLY with U.S. behavior toward other countries. Simply amazing.

The number of U.S. invasions in Haiti ALONE is astonishing, not to mention the complete recurring beating we have given them in any number of ways. Shocking.

[Judi Lynn]

12. First, the Stan Goff link you provide is excellent, so helpful

Next, this tiny article I just stumbled across reinforces what you have described:

(snip)
The Bush administration is preparing to declare Haiti a “failed state,” so that Washington can step in to put the pieces back together as it chooses. Creating the conditions for such a declaration has been the U.S. objective since George Bush came to power. For three years Washington and the European Union have imposed an aid embargo on Haiti, squeezing the hemisphere’s poorest nation until it screamed – and then squeezing harder.

Despite ever deepening misery, Haiti’s poor majority stuck with their popularly elected President, Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Washington had expected to remove the former priest through massive demonstrations – a counter-revolution by acclamation – hopefully before this year’s celebrations of Haiti’s 200th anniversary. U.S. and European media tried mightily to paint a picture of overwhelming popular disaffection with Aristide. However, the Haitian people are intimately familiar with the faces and history of the “opposition,” gathered opportunistically under the banner of Group 184. U.S. media routinely exaggerated the size of opposition demonstrations, while ignoring far larger pro-government rallies. But you can’t tell a bald-faced lie to people about events they have witnessed with their own eyes. Americans may have been fooled, but Haitians were not. Aristide remained.

Frustrated, the U.S. unleashed the mad dogs of the old regime, based in the neighboring Dominican Republic (see , April 3, 2003).The Haitian elite, too tiny and effete to field any forces of their own, enlisted drug gangs as shock troops for what Prime Minister Yvon Neptune called the ”coup in motion
(snip)

http://blackcommentator.com/78/78_haiti.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And another article:

(snip)
Time to Stop Resisting Haiti’s Resistance
By Jean Saint-Vil, from Haiti list, November 2002
As political violence appears to be growing in Haiti in the midst of outrageous calls to overthrow of a democratically-elected government; As a Bush administration denies being, once again, involved in efforts to overthrow Haitian president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide; As many Haitians feel powerless in front of the barrage of pre-coup lies which currently permeates the international press coverage of Haiti, I invite those wishing to understand what is really going on down there to do a little reading. It just might help put all this craziness in proper context.

First, here are the basic FACTS OF THE DAY:

1) President Aristide was duly elected by the people of Haiti on November 26, 2000—he obtained his 5 year term fair and square.

2) George W. Bush and many of his allies have tried and are continuing to try covert (illegal) as well as overt (diplomatic) actions to destabilize then overthrow President Aristide’s government.

3) President Aristide has lost a lot of support in Haiti because of his government’s mismanagement of public affairs.

4) Progressive (majority of) Haitians feel trapped as many of them would like to punish or reward Aristide and his party with their electoral ballots. But powerful coup-plotting foreign and national forces have successfully hijacked the country from its people—offering fratricidal violence as a sole path out of the dangerous stalemate they have created in the empovrished nation.

5) There is racial as well as class solidarity between members of the coup-plotting elites of Haiti, the U.S., Dominican Republic and Europe who are hell bent on deposing Aristide before his full term expires normally on February 7, 2006.

Now, to understand these basic facts of the day, one must take a look Haiti’s history (SANKOFA—Go back and fetch it!).

Haiti’s is a history which can be accurately described to be a tale of two-way resistance. On the one hand, the (majority of) people of Haiti are resisting White Supremacy. On the other hand, white supremacy (supported by peoples of all color and class, both consciously and unconsciously) is resisting the people of Haiti’s stubborn determination to self-govern by black majority rule.
(snip/...)

http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/43a/396.html

[daleo]

14. Interesting info

Thanks.

[Judi Lynn]

21. Just found this strange info. Looks like the Republicans

have been involved far longer than we would have known without checking:

(snip)
U.S. Republicans were also quick to make hay from the TKL's outburst. "In speaking at the church of St. Jean Bosco, the men issuing these threats clearly suggested to Haitians that they were speaking for Mr. Jean Bertrand Aristide," said Congressmen Benjamin Gilman (R-NY) and Porter Goss (R-FL) in a joint statement. "Instead of keeping his promises to President Clinton, Mr. Aristide is condoning by his silence thuggish acts of violence in his name."

Of course, the TKL leaders committed no "act." Furthermore, most Haitians attribute recent thuggish acts of violence in Haiti to the Republicans' allies in the Convergence. These acts include a bombing campaign that killed two children in the weeks leading up to the Nov.26 elections, the assassination of several popular organization leaders, and the endemic crime wave carried out, in large part, by death-squads of former soldiers and Duvalierist paramilitaries.

Nor did Gilman or Goss or Sen. Jesse Helms protest when CD leader Evens Paul urged Haitian motorists to run over pro-Lavalas street demonstrators with their cars or when other CD leaders ominously predicted the bombing campaigns which have recently plagued Haiti.

On the contrary, the Republicans have tried to dress up their Haitian counterparts, who mostly supported the 1991 coup, as upstanding citizens. The web-page of the CNSP makes it very clear that the Haitian opposition is almost entirely foreign inflated. The webpage (www.geocities.com/cnsphaiti/) went up on the Internet the day after the CD's Jan. 3 forum and outlines the CNSP's "parallel government" to be established on Feb. 7. The "President" would be Dr. Duvalnord Wisler Marcellus, an unsuccessful candidate for president in 1987 and for the Senate in 1990. The "Vice-President" (a post which doesn't exist under the 1987 Constitution) would go to Leslie Manigat, a perennial politician whom the Haitian military installed briefly and then uninstalled as a puppet president in 1987. Also listed are "Members" comprised of politicians Evans Paul, Hubert DeRonceray, Camille Sylaire, Dejean Bélizaire, Gérard Pierre-Charles, and Turneb Delpé.
(snip/...)

http://www.haiti-progres.com/2001/sm010117/xeng0117.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I've been finding references to our Republicans a LOT in the last week or so. There's a whole lot to learn about this.

Jesse Helms appears to have stuck his snout ALL THE WAY INTO HAITI!
He just loved to root around, looking for possible "commies." He was quoted saying something to the effect, concerning Guatemala, or somewhere, that the "commies" there deserved to be killed.

Now he'd have to look for "terrorist sympathizers."

Gee, are we ever going to miss THAT Republican! I doubt it.

[niceypoo]

13. Clinton helped Aristide so Bush reacts..............

by hating Aristide. All so predictable