U.S. Coast Guard repatriates 537 Haitian boat people

[stevedeshazer]

(02-27) 11:54 PST PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) --

The U.S. Coast Guard repatriated 537 Haitian boat people at a dock near the capital Friday in a bid to choke off a tide of refugees from the troubled country.

It was the first repatriation since Haiti's uprising began Feb. 5 and underscored President Bush's determination not to allow the rebellion to lead to a mass exodus, despite pleas from human rights groups and three Florida lawmakers to allow them refuge.

The Haitians -- including infants -- were left on the dock on the southern outskirts of the tense capital.

Most said they were fleeing the grinding poverty in Haiti, not because of political motivations or fear of being swept up in the 3-week-old uprising, which has claimed at least 80 lives.

more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/02/27/international1454EST0654.DTL

[CaptainClark23]

1. Hearts n' minds

Sorry, dropping civilians, including infants, in a de facto war zone is...I don't know what the hell it is.

Fine, Bush wants to send 'em back? great, put 'em in detention until the situation stabilises in Haiti and there is someone to accept their repatriation. Or at the very least drop them off someplace OTHER THAN the capital which is the focus of violent civil strife.

[stevedeshazer]

4. It's "repatriation"

We're "compassionate" conservatives.

Suppose there were Swedes or New Zealanders jumping into US-bound boats while their country was being looted and burned. Think the Coast Guard would be directed to "repatriate" white people?

[CaptainClark23]

6. Is that a real question?

"Suppose there were Swedes or New Zealanders jumping into US-bound boats while their country was being looted and burned. Think the Coast Guard would be directed to "repatriate" white people?"

sorry, my sarcasm meter has been acting up.

Just in case, I'll answer sincerely: No. Of course they would be welcomed with open arms.

Problem here is, alot of my neighbors are Haitian, and goddamn it pisses me off that I can look out my window at the Statue of Liberty and it don't really mean shit anymore.

[beanball]

7. Return white people

no way,and thats called racism.

[stevedeshazer]

9. It's sarcasm n/t

[bif]

2. It would probably be cheaper to send some Marines down there

Than send back wave upon wave of Hatians that are certainly on their way.

[Loonman]

3. More room for Cubans that way

Built-in Repub demographic.

[Fovea]

5. Stupid ... Inconsistent ... Evil

Give me your (white) tired, your (working) poor-- your huddled (hetero) masses yearning to breathe free (in designated free speech zones only)
the wretched refuse of your (investing class) teeming shore.

Send these (just kidding) the homeless tempest tossed to me. I lift my lamp (and export my jobs) beside the golden door.

Why don't we just send the damn statue back to France? We obviously aren't getting much use out of it anymore.

[nixonwasbetterthanW]

8. 537! THE MARGIN BY WHICH HE BEAT GORE IN FLA.!

It's obvious he wants them repatriated because he fears a tie in '04 in the Sunshine State.

[stevedeshazer]

10. Hadn't picked up on that

The magic number! Or one of them. Another one is 18181.