March 26, 2004
Resisting the Empire - Jamaica
Printable Version | [eMail this article!] |Jamaica is resisting pressure to expel Aristide - Condoleezza Rice Threatens Jamaica Over Aristide (3/25/04 DemocracyNow). According to close Aristide friend Randall Robinson:
I have learned from a White House source that Condoleezza Rice has pointedly threatened the Jamaican Government, telling it to expel President Aristide or face the consequences.
Randall states that his White House source has warned the Prime Minister of Jamaica that if they do not comply, and something happens to the troops in Haiti, the US would respond with "full force."
Meanwhile, it is reported that at least 50 people a day are being murdered by "thugs" (also known as the "rebels" who enacted the coup of Aristide.
Meanwhile, Jamaica is also refusing to acknowldege the government installed by the US in Haiti - Jamaica, Venezuela Refuse to Recognize U.S.-Backed Haitian Government (DemocracyNow, 3/17/04).
So Jamaica is taking a stand against empire, which makes the following news even more alarming - HAITI: U.S. to Ship Guns to Neighbouring Dominican Republic (IPS, 3/24/04). According to the article, the guns were approved in 2002 for shipment to the military of the Dominican Republic, and the controls are in place to keep them from moving into the hands of "rebels" in Haiti.
In an interesting quote from a State Department source (emphases mine):
"If you're hinting that these are going to Haitian rebels, that's not the case. We specifically say that these are for the use of the Dominican Armed Forces and if you use them for anything else, you have to ask us first,"We're not in a position to make a 100 percent guarantee, but certainly the conditions under which we have agreed to transfer these weapons are that they are for the use of the Dominican Republic's Armed Forces and are not to be transferred. We do checks from time to time to make sure that's the case."
Well now that is reassuring. One wonders if this policy is part of our global arms transfers. Do we condition the use of arms shipped to other nations? So what of the weaponry shipped to Saddam Hussein, Israel, and others? And what is the penalty for using them in an "unapproved" way?
Meanwhile, back in Haiti, there were early demands that rebel leader Guy Philippe tell his rebels to lay down their arms. That policy seems to have changed:
But on Sunday, the U.S. head of the United Nations-approved multinational force of about 3,000 soldiers told Reuters, "This is a country with a lot of weapons and disarmament is not our mission. Our mission is to stabilise the country". (IPS)
One might well ask how one can stabalize a country when you have armed "thugs" running around shooting people with impunity.
The UN multinational force is expected in Haiti on 3/29. What will their role be since the rebels have made clear that they are not going to relinquish control? Jocelyn McCalla (of the National Coalition for Haitian Rights) stated: "They're (the rebels) there for everybody to see; they are not going to relinquish power; they are exercising power ... they told the prime minister on Saturday, 'listen if you don't do it (our) way, we'll kick you out'."
So what plan for Haiti and to what end? What about Jamaica and other nations that refuse to acknowledge the new government of Haiti because Aristide was democratically elected (by 94% of the vote)? The resistance is important, because acknowledging the implanted government legitimates the use of force to overthrow democratic governments. Which is exactly the message that the US has sent.
In my opinion, this is the machination of empire at work. The US has apparently taken it upon itself to be the sole arbiter of what is (or is not) a "legitimate" government. It determines what is (or is not) a democracy. If a government does not comply with the demands of the US then it will be replaced with a government of the US' choosing.
So Jamaica takes a principled stand hoping that the world will notice what is going on - rule as a US puppet, or be thrown on the trash heap of history. Unfortunately, most of the world that has been the victim of imperial forces already knows this. It is imperial nations that seem to not know, or to not care.
Posted by rowan at March 26, 2004 06:33 AM | TrackBack | Printable Version | [eMail this article!] |Something that is of real interest is what the IMF has done to Jamica, I am looking for my referecnes now and will forward.
Posted by: Bill Whitlatch at March 26, 2004 12:00 PMThere's a very well-done documentary on what the IMF has done to Jamaica called "Life and Debt". We watched it in my Globalization class because it so clearly illustrates how the IMF, World Bank, and free trade policies impact smaller countries.
Posted by: Emily at March 28, 2004 12:55 PMI second the documentary - I use it in my classes sometimes as well.
Posted by: rowan at March 28, 2004 07:16 PMOne would have to question what on earth the US government is proposing to do with Aristide when he would be hypothetically remanded to us. What is our government's interest in Aristide? Is it silencing we are hoping to accomplish?
I'm remembering back to the deposed that we harbored here safely in the US: Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos, the Shah of Iran ... two immediate examples of dictatorial governors who we gave sanctuary to. But Aristide doesn't have millions to sink into our economy ... therefore I find our administration's sudden interest in Haitian politics (and what, restitution?) newfound and hypocritical.
Posted by: Pamela at March 28, 2004 09:33 PM