Flashpoints: Is the US...participating in the destabilization...of Haiti?

[AP]

Calling JudyLynn:

This was tonight's show (Flashpoints is a radio show on Pacifica):

Thursday, February 12, 2004
Today on Flashpoints: Is the US actively participating in the destabilization of the duly-elected government of Haiti, which could lead to a bloodbath? And Distorted Morality, a brand new AK Press DVD featuring Noam Chomsky on the endless US war on Terror

http://www.flashpoints.net/

Here's the whole show: http://209.81.10.18:80/data/20040212-Thu1700.mp3

[burrowowl]

1. It wouldn't surprise me

The U$ has been doing it for over a century.

[TrogL]

2. The CBC mentioned this earlier

and put it down as a given.

[DuctapeFatwa]

3. Don't think of it like that. Think of it as bringing Democracy to

a simple childlike people who may whine, but secretly they appreciate a firm hand and respect you for it.

Like the Iraqis. And the Afghans.

Besides, who cares about Haiti. It's a very poor country.

[blackcat77]

4. If anything, we're IGNORING it

It looks awful to have a bloodthirsty dictator in our own backyard, but I guess Bush would rather just pretend he's not there than actually DO something about it.

[AP]

5. You should listen to the story. Aristide is the good guy. We're the bad ..

...guys.

[Judi Lynn]

7. Looks as if they are building the framework for their plan to get him, AP

Friday article:

(snip) U.S. voices discontent with Aristide
Christopher Marquis The New York Times Friday, February 13, 2004
Officials hint at support for Haitian leader's ouster, emboldening opponents

WASHINGTON As the Haitian crisis deepens, with violence flaring and President Jean- Bertrand Aristide locked in an impasse with opponents, the Bush administration has placed itself in the unusual position of saying it may accept the removal of a democratic government. The stance recalls the administration's initial response to the April 2002 coup attempt against another elected populist leader, President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela. American officials touched off an outcry by appearing to blame Chávez for the uprising and consulting with his would-be successors.
.
Richard Boucher, the State Department spokesman, said Tuesday that "reaching a political settlement will require some fairly thorough changes in the way Haiti is governed, and how the security situation is maintained." A senior State Department official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that the administration favored dialogue to ease Haiti's crisis but that it might support replacing Aristide, who has two years left in his term. "When we talk about undergoing change in the way Haiti is governed, I think that could indeed involve changes in Aristide's position," the official said.
.
Administration officials stopped short of calling for Aristide's resignation, but their remarks were seen as emboldening a widening and unwieldy opposition in Haiti - including former supporters, armed gangs, demobilized army members and political foes - that seeks his removal.
.
Officials contacted on Wednesday said the remarks were not intended to signal a change of policy or support for Aristide's resignation.
.
(snip/...)

http://www.iht.com/articles/129441.html

[Judi Lynn]

8. Second Friday Haiti article from the N.Y. Times

Haitian Leader's Allies Block Opposition Demonstration
By LYDIA POLGREEN

Published: February 13, 2004


ORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, Feb. 12 — Militant supporters of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide blocked a demonstration planned by civic opposition groups in the capital on Thursday, erecting barricades of flaming tires and throwing rocks at anyone who tried to breach their blockade.

Militants loyal to Mr. Aristide and his Lavalas party started gathering in the square late Wednesday night, and Thursday morning hundreds of them threw rocks, taunted and shouted at opposition protesters.

"With everything I have got I will fight them," said Willy Dumeria, 30, an Aristide loyalist who spent the night in the square where the opposition protesters were to gather.

As he spoke he pulled a sharpened steel rod from his trousers and brandished it. In his other hand he held a picture of Mr. Aristide.
(snip/...)

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/13/international/americas/13HAIT.html?th
(Free registration required)

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

I've got to find out more about the author, Lydia Polgreen, who is loading her imagery, using some startling language, designating Aristide's supporters as "militant," "taunting" the "civic opposition."

This sounds EXACTLY like propaganda.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On edit:
Apparently others think so, too:

(snip) Deconstructing the Myth of "Journalism."

Looking at the capricous writing of Lydia Polgreen

by Randall White

What follows is the complete text of the January 2nd New York Times article by Lydia Polgreen posted here for commentary under "Fair Use" laws.

January 2, 2004

200 Years After Napoleon, Haiti Finds Little to Celebrate

By LYDIA POLGREEN
http://www.haitiaction.net/News/nytJan2lp.html

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

Also:

(snip) Kurzban letter to New York Times re: Polgreen article
Ms. Lydia Polgreen
New York Times
New York, New York

Dear Ms. Polgreen:

I write to you and your editors because of numerous factual errors contained in your story on the January 1st celebrations in Haiti marking the 200 anniversary of that country's independence. I assume that the factual errors arose from your lack of familiarity with the political situation in Haiti or because you have been provided a good deal of misinformation. The article that I will address below was published on Friday, January 2, 2004 in the International section of the New York Times.

First, your article states that: "Mr Aristide was re-elected to the presidency in voting that many observers said was flawed" and that as result "the country had been locked in political crisis." You further stated that: "The dispute led international donors to suspend $500 million in aid." These statements are inaccurate. Such erroneous statements regarding Haiti often arise from the common confusion between the May 2000 parliamentary elections and the November 2000 presidential election. In May, 2000, there were 30,000 candidates who ran for 7,500 positions ranging from mayors and department representatives to Senators and members of the lower chamber. Of the 7,500 elections, the Organization of American States challenged the methodology used in counting 8 senate seats. While the independent electoral council (called the "CEP" in Haiti) claimed that the methodology used in counting the victors in those elections had been used in previous elections, the OAS observers disagreed. The OAS report is clear that there were no credible allegations of wide spread fraud in the elections.

In any event, no responsible international organization or observers contended that Mr. Aristide's election which occurred in November, 2000 was invalid or tainted in any manner as you suggested in your article. I invite you to review the OAS reports. It was clear in November, 2000 that Mr. Aristide's election was not marred by fraud or allegations of impropriety. (snip)

The second error in your article is the claim that the international embargo was the result of Mr. Aristide's election. Again, this is erroneous. The international embargo began toward the end of Mr. Preval's term and had nothing to do with Mr. Aristide's election. Indeed, the United States government has repeatedly taken the position that Mr. Aristide is the democratically elected president of the nation. The embargo was continued under President Aristide's term under the claim that funds would not be released until a settlement was reached with the opposition, notwithstanding the fact that the seven senators had resigned. The embargo, which continues to exist today, and makes it impossible for the government to have any success in alleviating the poverty you address in your article, is therefore not in response to solving the political impasse. That impasse was solved when the senator's stepped down. Nor can the financial embargo be seriously linked to progress in making the country more democratic, because the World Bank, the United States, France and the European Union, who today refuse to provide any direct assistance to the Government of Haiti, provided financial assistance to the Duvaliers during their dictatorship, as well as the military governments that succeeded Duvalier. I leave it to your judgment and good sense as to the true reasons for the embargo. In any event, they are completely unrelated to President Aristide's election.
(snip)

http://www.peacehost.net/EPI-Calc/haiti3.htm

[AP]

14. This must be the reporter Waters said was a Duvalier crony.

And, you are the absolute best JL.

[Judi Lynn]

6. The pREsident trying to take down Aristide? You betcha.

We were apparently fond of Francois Duvalier, as we surely were determined to keep him in power, and he was a MONSTER, but our own monster:

(Quick trip to google)

(snip) Attempts to Overthrow Papa Doc Duvalier
Tracy Stacy
Spring, 1992

"Student Paper from my 1992 Haitian History course"

September 22, 1957 is a date which when mentioned brings memories of tyranny, oppression and terror to the minds of many people of Haitian descent. It is the day when Francois Duvalier, better known to most as Papa Doc, took the reigns of the Haitian government. Few could have foreseen the devastation that this elected dictator would bring to the masses of the Haitian population. Although Papa Doc was elected to the Presidential office for a non-renewable six year term, he extended his autocratic tenure for fourteen years. During the time period of 1957-1971, between 20,000 and 50,000 Haitians are said to have been murdered by Duvalier's government. An additional one-fifth of its population lives else-where in political or economic exile. An estimated 80% of Haitians employed in professional fields fled Haiti under this oppressive regime headed by a terrorist. The ramifications of this fleeing to technology and research, education and health care can not be over-estimated. Many of the problems faced by Haiti today can be traced back to the monstrous policies of Duvalierism.

The fact that Papa Doc was able to control the Haitian people by ruling with an iron fist policy and maintaining a large and viscous guard, known as the Ton Ton Macoutes, make it surprising that anyone would dare attempt to defy his orders and remove him from his coveted position. Although these attempts were generally unsuccessful and their leaders frequently met with death, they stand as testimony to the courageousness and spirit of the Haitian people. The first such invasion occurred on June 28, 1958, less than one year after the Haiti Elections placed Papa Doc in power. Eight men comprised the group of rebels. Three ex-deputy sheriffs from Miami, Florida and Buffalo, New York, joined by mercenaries and former mulatto officers landed near Montrouis which is approximately forty miles north of Port-au-Prince. As they were unloading their weapons, a local chief section arrived. The rebels shot the policeman and commandeered his jeep. On their way to the capital the jeep broke down. Posing as tourists, the group flagged down a tap tap (taxi bus), and hijacked it. Although this seems unbelievable, arrival by tap tap was not expected by the army and actually worked to the invaders advantage. They were able to drive into the Dessalines barracks and disarm the sleepy soldiers before the military became aware of their presence. Unfortunately for the rebels, the weapons which they had expected to be stored at the barracks had been moved to the palace. Meanwhile, Duvalier who had no idea that only eight men were involved in the invasion, prepared to flee the country via of the Columbian embassy. As dawn broke the rebels sent a mulatto officer who was being held hostage out to buy cigarettes and the number of invaders was quickly revealed to the authorities. Duvalier ordered troops to storm the barracks. Consequently, all eight men were killed.

On August 12, 1959 another attempt to rid Haiti of Papa Doc was made. This group was led by Creole speaking Henri d' Anton was comprised of Cuban guerrillas and Haitian exiles. The invaders came ashore Haitian land at Les Irois, the southern most tip of the country. The initial reaction in Port-au-Prince was panic. With the help of U.S. marines and a full scale mobilization of Haitian military forces, the invaders were either captured or killed. By August 22, it was all over.
(snip)

http://www.webster.edu/~corbetre/haiti/history/duvaliers/overthrow.htm

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

HAITI: A crisis made in the United States

Roberto Jorquera & Neville Spencer

On January 1, Haiti marked the 200th anniversary of its independence — the first black republic in the world. Yet the celebrations were overshadowed by protests against the government of Jean Bertrand Aristide, part of a surge of demonstrations that started in September. The crisis that Haiti is facing is, however, not simply due to the policies of the Aristide government, but is partly a consequence of US policies. (snip)

Although the protests are significant, many suspect that we are seeing a big business media/US government campaign similar to that which paved the way for the attempted military coup against the left-populist president of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, in April 2002.

The sizes of opposition demonstrations as they have appeared in the big business and international media have been inflated, while large pro-government rallies have been almost ignored. This has been coupled with attempts to paint Aristide as a brutal dictator, despite having been elected by a significant majority.

Even though popular opposition to Aristide is likely to have grown in the face of his government’s neoliberal policies, it is not clear whether this shift is so significant that he would not win another election were one held now.

The impression given by the media of an overwhelming popular rejection of Aristide by the Haitian people is likely to be wishful thinking or, as in Venezuela, part of a deliberate campaign on the part of the US government and Haitian big business. If Lavalas can be forced out of government, it is the forces, like the Democratic Convergence, that they would most like to see in power in Haiti.
(snip/)

http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/2004/570/570p18.htm

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

Makes you wonder what future purpose some of our "visionaries" have for Haiti. It's so small and so poor, and those citizens had the nerve to overthrow the slave owners! They probably got on the bad side of some of our own slave-owning "business" people all those years ago, don't you imagine? Couldn't have them controlling their own destiny, after all.

Thank you, AP, for the information imparted here. The pattern is getting more familiar now, isn't it?

[Snappy]

9. Colon Powell on C-Span

He said that the US is not attempting to make a regime change there. He is such a liar I now don't believe anything he says anymore.

[UpInArms]

10. here's some very interesting reading

from a year ago

http://www.blackcommentator.com/36/36_guest_commentator.html

If we were given the full story from the streets of the Port au Prince our impression of the Lavalas protestors' erecting burning barricades would be quite different. On November 22nd the Lavalas protestors demands were simple, allow President Aristide to fulfill his five year term in office and put an end to what they deemed "a campaign to destabilize democracy" in Haiti. "Let all those who would take our freedom away know that we are willing to spill our blood to defend our democratic rights. Aristide was elected for five years and we are going to make certain he stays for five years," exclaimed 25 year-old Jean Baptiste in the poor slum of Bel Air. A woman demonstrating in the poor slum of Cite Soleil explained, "I came out here today to stop the Convergence and the American government from destroying our democracy and taking our president away from us again."



Without the press reporting the reasons behind Lavalas protests in Haiti we are not given enough to understand their true significance and meaning. Instead, we are left to freely associate the violent image of mindless protestors burning tires in the streets for Aristide and Lavalas. This image is less than flattering when combined with the constant barrage of other negative stories that lead the reader to the moral conclusion that this is a government that deserves to fall. While there has been violence committed by some claiming association with Lavalas, the reality is far more complex than the black and white versions trumpeted in the mainstream press. As one Lavalas militant put it, "It would be the equivalent of accusing President Bush for having responsibility for every murder committed by a registered Republican in the United States. The only difference is that when you read these things about President Aristide in the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal people believe it without question."

Taken as a whole, one can argue that U.S. press coverage of events in Haiti has tended to be slanted against Aristide and Lavalas while showing preference towards the "opposition" and that famous Bush notion of "regime change." Article after article focuses solely on the negatives of the current government to the exclusion of anything remotely positive. Most U.S. reporters and their editors seem to suffer from an allergic reaction to anything that might probe beyond a simplistic image portrayed of Lavalas. A prominent U.S. journalist, recently working in Haiti, once said of his editors, "Hey, I am sorry but they are not interested in positive stories about Lavalas. I wrote it, submitted it and they told me they were not interested." What was the story? It told of how the government expropriated the former mansion of a notorious Duvalierist drug dealer and assassin named Lionel Wooley, a.k.a. "Ti Je," and worked with a local grassroots organization to convert it into a school for the poorest children in the township of Petion-Ville. The school now serves over 160 of the area's poorest children and tries not to turn down any child whose parents cannot afford to pay. With the torture chamber under the swimming pool sealed forever, the school stands as a beautiful symbol of transforming a gruesome legacy of the past into hope for the future for Haiti's youngest and poorest citizens. Yet you will never read about it in the mainstream media.

...lots more...

[Judi Lynn]

11. Superior article. We need this kind of information, desperately.

We're completely misled without it!

From the article:

(snip) I couldn't help but think there might be something to this comparison as I remembered that Ambassador Otto Reich, President Bush's Envoy for Western Hemisphere Initiatives, had arrived in Haiti the same week bombs began falling on Iraq. Reich came as part of a delegation representing the Organization of American States and the Caribbean Community Council with the intention of brokering an agreement between the Haitian government and the Washington-backed "opposition" to Lavalas. Otto Reich is a known quantity when it comes to controlling the press and manipulating events to achieve U.S. foreign policy objectives in Latin America and the Caribbean.
(snip)

I'm saving this personally to reread slowly, and to pass on.

Thank you so much.

[UpInArms]

12. you're welcome, JudiLyn

as I read through the thread, all I could think was that we should remember who is in charge of "SA and Western Hemispheric" policy - Otto Reich.

Just google in his name in conjunction with whichever country is in turmoil and look for independent writers. They have nothing to lose by telling the truth and the mainstream press will always cheerfully print whatever propaganda this mal-administration gives it.

[Matilda]

13. Scoop have a very detailed background article.

Takes a bit of reading to get through it, but worth the effort.

Here's the link:

http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0401/S00118.htm

[bloom]

15. thanks for the link

from Voice of America News-

" Some Democrats in Congress are urging the Bush administration to take stronger action to deal with the deteriorating situation in Haiti. In a lengthy news conference, members of the Congressional Black Caucus criticized the administration saying it has failed to pay enough attention to the political, economic and humanitarian crisis in Haiti.

Congresswoman Barbara Lee, who co-chairs the Haiti Task Force in the Black Caucus, which represents African-American lawmakers in Congress, says the administration "has not been on the side of democracy in Haiti. As a result of their lack of support for a democratically elected president, I believe and many believe that they are aiding and abetting the violence in Haiti."


http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=0DC43A5D-9BB0-4AAB-83DF21F7BAE132AD&Title=Some%20Democrats%20Urge%20Bush%20Administration%20to%20Take%20Stronger%20Action%20on%20Haiti&db=current

[Suspicious]

16. Thanks

to all in this thread for the information-packed links. I have been seeking out information on Haiti - specifically, links to any evidence of U.S. involvement in the current unrest and attempts to overthrow Aristide - for a while now, and you people have delivered a gold mine all in one thread! (I am acquainted with someone who just adopted two Haitian orphans.)

The Reich information, alone, will keep me reading for weeks.

[Judi Lynn]

17. Please see new links on your G.D. thread, A.P.

Very interesting discovering a new name we've not been told, a CIA-supported guy in Haiti, "Emanuel Constant."

Thanks.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=1116625&mesg_id=1116625