Marines Receive Mixed Reaction in Haiti

[eablair3]

Marines Receive Mixed Reaction in Haiti
Fri Mar 5,12:40 AM ET

By MARK STEVENSON and PAISLEY DODDS, Associated Press Writers

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - U.S. Marines trained their rifles down gritty streets and into a teeming market as they patrolled the Haitian capital with other peacekeepers Thursday, drawing smiles and a few angry words, but no resistance.

Hatred is still simmering among various factions nearly a week after President Jean-Bertrand Aristide was ousted in a rebellion that left at least 130 people dead, with new killings discovered outside Port-au-Prince.

...

"I feel much safer now the Marines are here," said Frantz Labissiere, 44. "I wouldn't be here if the Marines weren't here."

But not everyone shared his view. As the convoy passed an angry knot of people, one youth shouted: "You took our president — now you're taking our country!"

Others held up photographs of Aristide, who fled the country Sunday as rebels neared the outskirts of the capital and the United States and former colonial ruler France pressed him to resign.

...

"People are still angry" at Aristide's departure, said Marie-Claude Augustine, 46. "Just because we have tanks patrolling, it doesn't make things better. The rebels need to just go and so do the Americans."

snip

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=589&e=1&u=/ap/20040305/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/haiti

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surprise, surprise, .... not all Haitians are "hailing" the American soldiers as earlier reported. you can bet a hot keg is simmering, now that word is getting out there that Aristide did not willingly and freely resign and was whisked away by U.S. soldiers and kidnapped, to use his words. Yes, the American soldiers must be highly thought of there.

[I AM SPARTACUS]

1. the word for Aristide's forced departure is "coup'd-napped"...

...I saw firsthand how welcomed the American forces were in '94-'95...the same is NOT true today, adn it's not likely to become true, no matter what Rovian propaganda tells Amurhikkkans...

[Zhade]

2. Are we going to see yet another resistance movement against US troops?

NT!

[Judi Lynn]

3. The slideshow of Haiti photos available in the article is horrendous

Unbearable. You will see, however, a lot of photos of people carrying a framed photo of Aristide, pro-Aristide graffitti on walls, people kissing an outdoor photo of Aristide, marching in groups openly supporting the kidnapped leader, etc., etc.

Interesting, considering he had been taken away, and there were still many heavily armed right-wing monsters. You'd have to say the people protesting the kidnapping of their ELECTED leader were courageous, to say the least.

From the article:

"The suggestion that President Aristide may have been forced out of office, if true, will have serious consequences and ramifications for the respect of the rule of law and democracy the world over," South African Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said in a statement.

The the 15-nation Caribbean Community said Wednesday that the circumstances of his departure were suspicious and should be investigated by an independent international investigation.

State Department spokesman Richard Boucher brushed aside criticism. "It's time to look forward. It's time to focus on what we can all do for the people of Haiti."
(snip)

Hell of a great _Bush disciple.

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I Am Spartacus: It's been beyond interesting learning you are so well aware of the country of Haiti. This time must be so frustrating for you, it would seem.

Thanks for posting your observations for the rest of us.

[I AM SPARTACUS]

4. I have Haitians themselves to thank for your compliment...

Chen gueyen kat pye, me kap mache yon seul wout...

A dog has four legs, but can only walk in one direction...