Haiti's Lawyer: U.S. Is Arming Anti-Aristide Paramilitaries

[Chicago Democrat]

Haiti's lawyer: US Is Arming Anti-Aristide Paramilitaries, Calls For UN Peacekeepers
By Amy Goodman and Jeremy Scahill
Democracynow.org

The US lawyer representing the government of Haiti charged today that the US government is directly involved in a military coup attempt against the country's democratically elected President, Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Ira Kurzban, the Miami-based attorney who has served as General Counsel to the Haitian government since 1991, said that the paramilitaries fighting to overthrow Aristide are being backed by Washington.

"I believe that this is a group that is armed by, trained by, and employed by the intelligence services of the United States," Kurzban told the national radio and TV program Democracy Now!. "This is clearly a military operation, and it's a military coup."

"There's enough indications from our point of view, at least from my point of view, that the United States certainly knew what was coming about two weeks before this military operation started," Kurzban said. "The United States made contingency plans for Guantanamo."

(Snip)

Several of the paramilitary leaders now rampaging Haiti are men who were at the forefront of the US-backed campaign of terror during the 1991-94 coup against Aristide. Among the paramilitary figures now leading the current insurrection is Louis Jodel Chamblain, the former number 2 man in the FRAPH paramilitary death squad.

Rest at...

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/02/25/1613200

[Norquist Nemesis]

1. Here we go again.

Wheeeee!!! *sigh*

[maddezmom]

2. time warp

:(

[Zhade]

3. It's Venezuela all over again.

Wonder if the "opposition groups" have received any money from the misnamed National Endowment for Democracy?

[Columbia]

4. Any proof or just unsubstantiated allegations?

[htuttle]

5. They are far more than unsubstantiated allegations

I've been posting in numerous threads over the last 4 days, a number of links that indicate that the armed 'rebel' groups are under the control of a right-wing coalition in Haiti called 'Convergence Democratique'. Stan Goff, among others, states this.

The Convergence Democratique is funded by the International Republic Institute, which is a client of the N.E.D (National Endowment for Democracy). This is fairly above board, since the C.D. is in theory a political party, not a rebel group.

However, I do not have the sort of proof available to me that would convict someone in court, if that is what you were looking for. I do not know whether Mr. Aristide's government possesses that manner of 'proof'.

[bpilgrim]

6. Haiti - Who is Behind The Rebels? - Democracy Now!

Listen/Watch the February 25 episode of Democracy Now!

at

http://www.democracynow.org/streampage.pl

Real/or MP3 Video or Audio 60 min long.

Superb coverage both today and yesterday a must see!

more...
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x36828

[BiggJawn]

7. Every picture I have seen of armed rebels...

Shows them with American-made M1 Garrand rifles. sure, it's WWII technology, but a .30-06 will kill you just as dead as a 5.56 NATO.

[htuttle]

8. They've got much bigger guns than that

I've seen quite a bit of footage, and read numerous reports, about the rebels using truck-mounted machine guns ('technicals' as they are sometimes called), among other heavier weapons.

Kind of hard to get those at Kmart...

[Crachet2004]

22. It will kill you deader, and from further away...lol

But why in the hell are we in Haiti? I thought there was nothing there but impoverished people...and doesn't Aristide ALREADY work for us?

[lostnfound]

10. No proof but corroboration from Flashpoints; reporter on ground

http://www.flashpoints.net/index.html See Feb 24

http://www.kpfa.org/cgi-bin/gen-mpegurl.m3u?server=209.81.10.18&port=80&mount=/data/20040224-Tue1700.mp3">Audio

05:45 Haiti Crisis Worsens: Special Correspondent Kevin Pina gives another phone report from Port-Au-Prince where he spoke today with President Aristide; On the phone from Washington DC, Larry Birns, Executive Director of the Council on Hemishperic Affairs joins Dennis and Haiti Action Committee founder Pierre LaBossiere with updated information about the crisis and Washington's role in the turmoil. Today so-called opposition leaders rejected the international proposal for a peaceful resolution to the crisis; roads into the Capital are blocked; Rebels enter Port-De-Paix, but are expelled from Cap-Hatien. Washington continues its stall tactics, Powell awaits a political resolution before sending peace-keepers, and refuses even to allow the Haitian police force to purchase tear-gas and riot-control supplies. The French are prepared to help, but are looking for a signal from Washington. Media continue to blame Aristide for minor flaws in the legislative election in May, 2000 (before Aristide was even elected in November, 2000 by a huge majority) A half-million impoverished Haitians have taken to the streets in Port-Au-Prince in support of their popularly-elected President and their Constitution (see The Security Bugaboo section in COHAs Press Release. Pierre LaBossiere provides horrifying background on the convicted mass-murderers now terrorizing the country, including the Roboteau massacre of April 22,1994.

[Loonman]

9. Yeah, whatever, dude

Covering up for Aristide's gross incompetence and negligence in the management of his country.

[htuttle]

11. You keep using that word 'democracy'

I do not think it means what you think it means.

Elections mean nothing to you, do they?

[Loonman]

13. If they're rigged, they mean nothing

Aristide is a cad and a scoundrel. He keeps his people in poverty, and if you speak out against him you get arrested or killed.


Talk to some Haitians and discover what really goes on in Haiti instead of the "we're all happy island people living in a democratic Utopia" crapola.

[Darranar]

27. He does not "keep his people in poverty"...

under tremendous pressure from the US and the World Bank (at this point basically indistinguishable) he has enacted a few neoliberal "reforms" that have resulted in continued poverty and misery.

The fraudulent elections were in the legislative branch. Aristide himself won with 92% of the vote; there almost no evidence beyond the accusations of the opposition that this election was fraudulent.

[lostnfound]

12. Armed coups are NOT defensible.

Haiti will be saddled with a bloody tyrant, almost certainly, and the Washington neocons will welcome him with open arms.

[Loonman]

14. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss

Aristide lost his way after his first four years, now he does not want to give up power.

[lostnfound]

16. If so, how about regime change via an ELECTION instead?

The "opposition" party has sweatshop owners at the forefront. The OPPOSITION is http://www.haiti-info.com/article.php3?id_article=442,refusing to hold elections>.

The burden of proof is on the guys with the guns and the US government who supports them. We are clearly NOT getting both sides of the story from our media.

[Chicago Democrat]

17. Your Moral Relativism is Distressing

Aristide is the lawfully elected President. He has over one year left in his term. Are you suggesting that armed rebellion is ok just because his popularity has declined?

What is right about the US arming Aristides opposition via the Dominican army? Does democracy mean the guy with the biggest guns gets to kill whomever he wants?

[Loonman]

18. Conjecture and hyperbole

It has not been proven that the US is arming his opposition.

If you believe Aristide was lawfully elected in 2000, you probably believe Bush was, too.

Aristide has been in power for 14 years. He does not want to give up power.

Have you spoken to any Haitians about life under Aristide or are you just taking the party line word?

Aristide is far, far from the benevolent leader you believe he is.

[CBHagman]

19. Factual errors in your post.

You claim that Aristide has been in power for 14 years. You're more than stretching things. Did you forget Preval? Did you forget the coup of 1991?

Aristide has been elected twice, once 1990 and once in 2000. Preval came in between.

[Loonman]

21. Forgot Preval

I get mostly all of my info from Haitian immigrants....

[Chicago Democrat]

20. I've listened to both sides

and made up my own mind. As you have obviously made up yours.

I don't think Aristide is benevolent or good. Just an elected president in a "Democracy" only a few miles from our coast. I also think the Bush administration has cut him off for ideological reasons. Bush through the CIA via the Dominican army helped create this fake rebellion by giving heavy weapons to well known criminals and paramilitaries. These paramilitaries are working for the group of 184, who represent the 184 families that own everything in Haiti.

Please explain to me why these 184 families and the FRAPH rebels have the right to kill Aristide and overthrough his government. If you disagree with any of the specific facts I've raised, lets talk about them specifically.

You say Aristide is a killer too. In the US we put impeach bad Presidents and put them on trial, like Clinton remember. No killing involved! We hold elections in Democracies to throw bad presidents out of office. Why should Haiti be held to any less of a standard?

[Bandit]

23. You don't know what you are talking about

Aristide was elected in 1988 for a five year term. Their constitution says you can't serve for more than one term consecutively. He was forced out after three years of his term by a coup. He came to America and rented a small apartment in Washington DC until Clinton came into p[power and Aristide convinced him to help restore Democracy in Haiti. Clinton forced the War Lord in power at the time a police Chief to leave and restored Aristide to the Presidency with the condition that he follow constitutional authority. Aristide did just that. after finishing the remainder of his term which was two years Haiti had an election and Rene' Preval was elected to a five year term. After Preval's term was up the people overwhelmingly wanted Aristide back. He was elected by over 70% of the popular vote. Aristide is a highly educated man who speaks six languages fluently. He has not built any large Palace's or built up a huge Army or amassed any WMDs or done anything that the US finds objectionable. He has been solidly for the people. Granted the huge majority of the people are poor peasants. Now since Bush* has come to power the same thugs that caused the problems before are back at it again and they have the blessings of the Bush* administration. They are the wealthy elite and white. They feel since they have most of the resources they should have the say in how those resources should be used. Democracy says otherwise but since when did Democracy matter to the elite like Bush*. Aristide and the majority are black. The ones causing the problems are white and filthy rich. Aristide has followed law at every single opportunity. He stepped down when he was supposed to and a proper democratic transfer of power came about. Aristide is a very proper man and deserves better.

[Loonman]

24. Have you spoken to any people from Haiti?

If not, perhaps you should.

[Darranar]

28. Concerning Aristide's supporters, I found this article interesting...

Haitians who back Aristide

[Darranar]

29. The rebels are considerably worse...

Aristide is no angel, but from what I can see, the rebels and the regime many of them want to reinstate are considerably worse than he is...

I found the following two HRW articles interesting when it comes to the human rights abuses of both sides:

Haiti: Rebel Leaders History of Abuses Raises Fears

Haiti: Recycled Soldiers and Paramilitaries on the March

The best hope, I think, is international intervention to end the violence, followed by free, inspected elections. Aristide, IMO, will likely pull through, but he has seemed willing in the past to cut back on human rights abuses, and with real control of his police forces (which may have been lacking; the rebel leader was a former police official who committed human rights abuses, and I doubt he was a regime loyalist even then) some real improvement may be made.

The last thing we need is a return of the regime Clinton deposed in 1994. That, I fear, is what a successful coup might bring.

[Judi Lynn]

30. Guy Phillipe was trained by U.S. forces in Equador. How sad.

He was just mentioned the other day in a thread at D.U.

From the last of these three articles you provided on this thread:

(snip) The leader of the insurrectionary forces, Guy Philippe, age thirty-five, trained by the United States as an army officer in Ecuador. He was integrated into the new Haitian National Police in 1995 and his first command post was in Ouanaminthe, on the northern border with the Dominican Republic. Later, in about 1997 to 1999, he served as police chief for Delmas, a large urban district on the north side of the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area. During his tenure there, the UN/OAS International Civilian Mission learned that dozens of suspected gang members were summarily executed, mainly by police under the command of Inspector Berthony Bazile, Philippe’s deputy. (snip)

These articles provide us with a lot of information we need. It's simply heartbreaking knowing _Bush is trying to turn Haiti over to true murderers like this who have been fashioned over the years by our own CIA, and SOA, etc.

God forbid Haiti should be allowed to keep its own elected President until the end of his official term, and a President who was returned to finish his Presidency by Bill Clinton should be given a fair chance to accomplish it. This is carrying our radical right-wing extremism just a little too far.

On edit: Thanks for the great articles, two of them from Human Rights Watch. Really helpful.

[Darranar]

31. Yes, I noticed that too...

as well as the point they made in regard to US apathy towards punishing these human rights abuses.

Also taking into account French calls for Aristide's resignation and the junk about a "transitional unity government" (aka government on US terms, democracy can be skipped), I think it's pretty clear where US and Western sympathies lie in this conflict...

[lostnfound]

15. 20,000 M16s from US to patrol 223 mile border = 1 every 20 yards??

That's how many M16s were given by the US to the Dominican Republic to "patrol the border" with Haiti. Haiti doesn't even have an army.

If anyone believes the Bush administration ISN'T behind this, you must have just fallen off the turnip cart.

[daleo]

25. I don't doubt there could be U.S. involvement

At the very least there would have to be 'silence is consent' from the U.S. government. I just don't understand the reasons. Haiti doesn't have much in the way of natural resources that the U.S. needs (that I am aware of), and they hardly represent any significant 'ideological threat'. All I can imagine is control of the drug trade or a 'trash the Clinton legacy' mindset.

Can anyone enlighten me on the other possible motives?

[Athame]

26. From the interview with Mildred Aristide on Democracy Now

yesterday. Gripping, BTW. The first lady of Haiti mentioned several times the help they were getting from Cuba--not in this rebellion so much as with schools, doctors, agriculture. And I wondered whether THAT is not the reason for *shrub to instigate the opposition.

I know very little about Haiti, except for what I have been reading through links here the past few weeks. Perhaps others can speak to this. :shrug: