Aristide kidnapped

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According to an exclusive report airing on DemocracyNow! PRESIDENT ARISTIDE SAYS 'I WAS KIDNAPPED'
'TELL THE WORLD IT IS A COUP' (3/01/04). The transcript states that Aristide was told that his US security force was being withdrawn and that Philippe (the paramilitary leader) would storm the palace and kill him. He was then kidnapped as is noted in the following quote (emphases mine):

TransAfrica founder and close Aristide family friend Randall Robinson also received a call from the Haitian president early this morning and confirmed Waters account. Robinson said that Aristide "emphatically" denied that he had resigned. "He did not resign," he said. "He was abducted by the United States in the commission of a coup." Robinson says he spoke to Aristide on a cell phone that was smuggled to the Haitian president.

While it is clear that the US has been at least passively involved in the overthrow of the Aristide government, I have felt that there was much more active involvement. The breaking news at DemocracyNow! seems to confirm these suspicions.

The interview on DemocracyNow! is with Congresswoman Maxine Walters who was contacted by Aristide at 9am EST. She says that Aristide feels he is a cptive, he has been abducted, and the US has completed the coup of his government. The following actions are recommended by Congresswoman Waters (emphases mine):

MAXINE WATERS: First of all I think the people in this country should be outraged that our government led a coup de’tat against a democratically elected President. They should call, write. Fax with their outrage, not only to the State Dept. but to all of their elected officials and to the press. We have to keep the information flying in the air so people will get it and understand what is taking place. And for those of us who are elected officials we must not only get to the President, we must demand that he is returned to claim his presidency if that is what he wants. If you can recall what happened in Venezuela when Mr. Chavez was…they tried to force him out and they had someone step into the presidency and he had not resigned his presidency and he got it back. I did not have that conversation with President Aristide but we must meet with him and we must talk with him and be prepared to protect him.

The US seems to be involved in another illegal regime change right under our noses. This should definitiely not be swept under the rug, or passed off as chaos as usual for the people of Haiti. I would reinforce Congresswoman Waters' call to action.

Update with news reports
3/01/04 14:24PST There is a very nice analysis (More on Haiti at Body and Soul. Thanks to Emily for the lead.

Here is the link to Statement by the Press Secretaryon Haiti 2/28/04

3/01/04 Elsner, Reuters, U.S. Top Aim in Haiti Seen as Halting Refugees

03/02/04 The Advertiser/AU, US denies Aristide kidnap claims

3/01/04 Ben-Ari & Weinberg, AlterNet, U.S.-Sponsored Regime Change in Haiti

3/02/04 LaFranchi, CSM, Round 2 for US nation-building in Haiti

3/02/04 LaFranchi, CSM, Round 2 for US nation-building in Haiti

3/01/04 Elliott, PrisonPlanet, USAID, the CIA, and the Coup in Haiti

3/01/04 Rense.com, Oppose Bush's Coup In Haiti

3/01/04 News/AU, US troops 'made Aristide leave'

3/01/04 Reuters, Reuters World News Highlights 1900 GMT March 1 - Haiti

WASHINGTON - Jean-Bertrand Aristide, ousted as Haitian president on Sunday, told U.S. lawmakers and other contacts by telephone that he was abducted by U.S. soldiers and left his homeland against his will.

Washington immediately denied this, saying Aristide had agreed to step down and leave his country. "It's complete nonsense," White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters.

Posted by rowan at March 1, 2004 09:36 AM | TrackBack | Printable Version | [eMail this article!] |