Bush Hides White House's Complicity in Haiti (Daily Mis-lead)

[maggrwaggr]

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THE DAILY MIS-LEAD
http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1140667&l=20234
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Bush Hides White House's Complicity in Haiti

President Bush and his Administration this week "denied encouraged rebel Haitian forces and helped push President Jean-Bertrand Aristide from power." However, while Bush said we need a "renewed commitment to democracy and freedom in this hemisphere," a careful look at the White House's behavior shows that the Administration actively took the side of an armed band of "death-squad veterans and convicted murderers" against a government that had been democratically elected three times.

While Secretary of State Colin Powell initially rebuked the rebels and rejected "a proposition that says the elected president must be forced out of office by thugs," the Administration soon said a solution in Haiti "could indeed involve changes in Aristide's position." Then the White House issued a "harsh statement that placed much of the blame on the Haitian president for the deadly crisis" and refused to help defend the presidential palace, effectively forcing Aristide out.

Militarily, the Administration's complicity in the coup was even more obvious. As armed gangs surrounded the Haitian capital, Powell made clear that "there is frankly no enthusiasm" for "sending in military or police forces to put down the violence" - a signal to the rebels to continue their insurgency. This alone might not have been proof of complicity considering it was a reiteration of the president's clear position that intervention in Haiti was not a "worthwhile" mission because it was "a nation-building mission" that "cost us billions." But then, at almost the moment Aristide was deposed, the President reversed his hands-off Haiti policy and ordered 2,000 U.S. Marines to secure the island.

Now, with exiled Haitian dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc'' Duvalier planning a return to the island, the Administration is facing questions about why it supported the overthrow of a government that even Vice President Cheney admitted yesterday was "democratically elected." Though Aristide certainly had a problematic record, the Administration's policies could result in the restoration of an exiled dictator "accused of human rights violations, mass killings and stealing at least $120 million from Haiti's national treasury."

[salinen]

1. Actually

human rights violations, mass killings and stealing at least $120 million, are slightly under the requirements to be a puppet ruler by Bushco standards, but they're going to let the underachiever slide this time.

[htuttle]

2. Legacy admission

Due to his Dad's long service....

Just like Shrub.

[Say_What]

3. Is it my imagation or is this thing really ballooning

please say it's so... :)

[eablair3]

4. it's shouldn't surprise me, but it still does that the media ..

I have to admit that I am still surprised and amazed that the corporate mass media is hardly covering this story, and when they do it is SO slanted in support of Bush. I know I shouldn't be surprised, but I am.

I mean you have the democratically elected President of another country stating that he was kidnapped in the middle of the night by armed US military; flown on a US plane to some place in the middle of Africa where he is under guard; after briefly making a few phone calls, has his phone access cut off; no media can visit him or interview him; the "rebels" are in actuality criminal thugs who have brand new American weapons and camouflage gear and clothing; the US is allowing them to roam the streets at anytime while telling Aristide supporters to stay at home and stay scarce.

And, the US media is not covering this story at all. The PResident of the US kidnaps another country's democractically elected leader and is holding him under guard in another country ... and the media just has on Martha Stewart, Jayson Williams, the democratic election primaries, John Kerry, Michael Jackson .... nothing on the alleged kidnapping of the Haitian President and the overthrow of that government.

Amazing. Really makes one think. Gives one a lot more clarity.

[TolstoyAndy]

6. Still surprising - they're SO LAZY

Chicago Tribune's just been reprinting the BushCo denials as if they were fact.

Will any reporter bring up the fact that if what Aristide says is true, then of course Bush (Powell) would say it's a lie?

Will any reporter point out what was posted here by listeners to Pacifica, that Aristide's housekeeper said the same thing?

Oh, but if it was in an Australian paper (via Agence France-Presse), it's just lies to make America look bad.

(I'd give you a link, but I cleared my history today - it was the Sydney Morning Herald - smh.au)

So now making Bush look bad = making America look bad?

[Say_What]

7. Amazing isn't it? I listen mostly to KPFA and watch FSTV and Link

when I do watch tv, which is seldom. I can't frigg'n stand the entertainment news on the corporate media channels, but KPFA, along with Kevin Pina in Haiti, are doing a great job reporting this. A special from 4-6 tonight again on Haiti where folks are guaranteed to learn a lot more than watching the idiot news channels that US sheeple watch and don't even have the brain matter it takes to question if what they're hearing is true.

http://www.kpfa.org/schedule/

[DoYouEverWonder]

5. Once again

Bu$h comes down on the side of the terrorists?

[maggrwaggr]

8. That's because Bushco is a terrorist organization

responsible for the deaths of thousands.

How many people are being killed in Haiti? Anyone know? What about the people who were trying to escape and were sent back? Have they been killed?

[Judi Lynn]

9. As little as any of them care for investigating Bush's Haitian coup

they still have time to probe "Baby Doc" Duvalier for his views on a triumphant return to a country he and his dad and mom savaged. This comes from one of the links listed at the bottom of your posted article:

The deposed dictator said he requested a diplomatic passport several weeks ago and is in constant contact with people in Haiti. Accused of human rights violations, mass killings and stealing at least $120 million from the national treasury, Duvalier fled to France in 1986, 15 years after replacing his dead father, Francois ``Papa Doc'' Duvalier.

``I think I'm getting close and that I will soon have the opportunity to go back to my country,'' he said.

Duvalier also said he was not involved with the rebels who helped force Aristide out of office Sunday.

He applauded the ``prompt action of the international community,'' welcomed the presence of U.S. Marines and said the country should stabilize quickly.
(snip/...)

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/caribbean/sfl-32haitibabydoc,0,7984340.story?coll=sfla-news-caribbean

[Judi Lynn]

10. Some erie impressions loom in this article

Aristide Backers Blame US for Ouster

by Bryan Bender , Boston Globe
March 1st, 2004

(snip)
...Critics of the Bush administration accused the United States of collusion, giving the rebel opposition a chance to veto a proposal last week to participate in power sharing and squeezing the Aristide government in recent years. They said Washington helped remove a leader whom it helped regain power a decade ago but with whom it steadily lost favor.

Chief supporters of Aristide made more pointed accusations. They contended that the rebellion was orchestrated by US military and intelligence officials and planned over several years to topple Aristide.

A senior US military official acknowledged that some American weapons sold to the neighboring Dominican Republic last year may have ended up in the hands of opposition forces in Haiti, but stressed that they were not provided as part of some covert US activity and could have been acquired from the Dominican military.

The Central Intelligence Agency declined to respond to questions yesterday whether it had any role in Haiti.
(snip/...)

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/caribbean/sfl-32haitibabydoc,0,7984340.story?coll=sfla-news-caribbean

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

It's coming soon, don't forget:

March 20: The World Still Says No to War
More Than 150 Protests Now Planned
World Social Forum Backs March 20 Global Day of Protest
Over 400 Groups Endorse Call to Action

Momentum is building around the world for the Global Day of Action against War and Occupation on March 20, the one-year anniversary of the U.S. bombing and invasion of Iraq.

On that day, people on every continent will take to the streets to say YES to peace and NO to pre-emptive war and occupation. Joining with growing numbers of military families and soldiers, we will call for an end to the occupation of Iraq and Bush’s militaristic foreign policies, and highlight the linkages between the occupations of Iraq and Palestine. March 20 will be the first time the world's "other superpower," as The New York Times described us, will take center stage since February 15, when more than 15 million people across the globe expressed their opposition to Bush's looming war on Iraq.

The March 20 Global Day of Action has been endorsed by the Global Assembly of the Anti-War Movement, the World Social Forum, and the 3rd Hemispheric Forum Against the FTAA. A vast and diverse array of organizations worldwide are hard at work mobilizing for the day.

In the United States, there will be a massive protest in New York City plus dozens of local and regional demonstrations across the country, including a major protest in Fayetteville, NC, the home of Fort Bragg.
(snip/...)

http://www.unitedforpeace.org/article.php?list=sub&sub=45

[Tinoire]

12. And I'll assume, lol,

A senior US military official acknowledged that some American weapons sold to the neighboring Dominican Republic last year may have ended up in the hands of opposition forces in Haiti, but stressed that they were not provided as part of some covert US activity and could have been acquired from the Dominican military.

That perhaps Guy Philippe and the other FRAPH rebels just happened to have ended up training with US Special Forces in Equador, just happened to have shiny new US BDUs and just happened to have been hallucinating when he admitted they were getting direction from Washington.

[librechik]

11. Satan's assignment for Shrub: Undo any good anywhere done by Clinton

or anyone else.

Shame.