Aristide at SAfrica airport en route to Haiti

[rabs]

Hil/Obama must be having conniptions about now.
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JOHANNESBURG – Declaring the "great day has arrived," Haiti's Jean-Bertrand Aristide bade farewell at a South African airport Thursday, on his way home after seven years in exile despite President Barack Obama's bid to keep the hugely popular but controversial figure away until after a presidential election this weekend.

Aristide addressed about 50 reporters in several languages from South Africa and elsewhere on the continent at a small airport in northern Johannesburg that often handles charter flights. South Africa's foreign minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane accompanied him, his wife Mildred and two daughters to see them off. Michaela, 12, and Christine, 14, have spent half their lives and their most formative years in exile.

"The great day has arrived! The day to say goodbye before returning home," he said in Zulu, a language he studied in South Africa. "We are delighted to return home after seven years. In Haiti also they are very happy .... Their dream will be fulfilled. Together, we will continue to share this endless love."

Thousands are expected to welcome him home.

vhttp://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110317/ap_on_re_af/af_south_africa_aristide

[EFerrari]

1. Woohoo!

A great day for Haiti.

[EFerrari]

2. Amy's live blog:

http://www.democracynow.org/blog/2011/3/17/live_blog_amy_goodman_reports_on_jean_bertrand_aristides_historic_return_to_haiti

[Judi Lynn]

4. He looks so focused, doesn't he? Thank you for posting Amy's blog.

It is so good of her to keep the world of friends and well-wishers he has informed.

Will be looking forward to checking back to the link regularly.

[Judi Lynn]

3. On their way home. What good news. So many will be waiting for him, too.

Do you recall before BabyDoc landed, someone spread the rumor Aristide was coming then, so a crowd showed up at the airport, to be photographed as the crowd waiting for Baskethead, instead? God, I'll bet they were mad. Some of them actually had Aristide signs.

Hope these people will make it home safely. Thanks for this alert, rabs.