US faces mounting international fury over Aristide's 'forced' exit

[papau]

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=498045


US faces mounting international fury over Aristide's 'forced' exit
By Andrew Gumbel
05 March 2004


South Africa added its voice last night to a growing international chorus questioning the circumstances surrounding Jean-Bertrand Aristide's departure from Haiti and demanded an investigation into allegations that the US forcibly removed a democratically elected president from office.

In a thinly veiled attack on the Bush administration, South Africa's Foreign Affairs Minister, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, said that if Mr Aristide had been prised from power against his will, it would have "serious consequences and ramifications for the respect of the rule of law and democracy the world over".

The issue, fuelled by direct accusations by Mr Aristide that he was, in effect, kidnapped and hustled into exile in the Central African Republic under conditions that he likened to imprisonment, has once again thrust a spotlight on the Bush administration's conduct of foreign policy and risks becoming a liability for President Bush as he begins his re-election campaign.

The Bush administration has denied kidnapping or forcing Mr Aristide from office at gunpoint, claiming he sought safe passage out of the country under US escort. But the appearance of at least some degree of coercion, has prompted angry responses from President Bush's domestic critics and some international bodies.

The 15-nation Caribbean Community, Caricom, has refused to contribute troops to the peace-keeping force taking up positions in Haiti. It called for an investigation into Mr Aristide's removal from power to be conducted by the United Nations or other similar international body.<snip>

[Tinoire]

1. May this bring Bush and the liars around him DOWN!

President Francois Bozize and Prime Minister Celestin Gaombalet were not in the capital. Bozize has said in a statement that the impoverished country -- struggling financially and starved of international recognition after a coup nearly a year ago toppled elected president Ange-Felix Patasse -- had "agreed to give refuge to the former president of the world's first black republic, Haiti," at the request of Gabonese President Omar Bongo.

((that for the few Bush apologists here pretending Aristide asked for asylum and blah blah blah))

http://allafrica.com/stories/200403050457.html

Down with BUSH! Him and his cabal can't even keep track of their lies on this one.

[malachi]

9. Another job well done by Team Chimp!

[RoadRunner]

2. The Bush regime has nothing but contempt for democracy.

They rig elections, disenfranchise legitimate voters, overthrow democratically elected governments, and then laugh about it. Their arrogance will be their downfall.

[Just Me]

3. Seems to me that a genuine "coalition of the willing" is growing,...

,...in opposition to the evil shenanigans of our own brutal regime. And, that coalition could do some serious economic damage if they so choose to do so. It's not like we have the military resources to utilize force against all these countries at the same time.

[never cry wolf]

10. I was thinking along the same lines

Just suppose this admin didn't have the track record they do for pre-emptive strikes and falsehoods, not to mention alienating the world body. Maybe the Haiti coup could have gone more smoothly, despite it's transparent illegalities. Very few countries will cut these guys ANY slack any more and everything that happens is rightly viewed with a suspicious eye. At least by the part of the world not exposed to the US media, anyway.

[young_at_heart]

4. Colin Powell said it was ludicrous (the kidnapping story)

He chastised those who reported it to the media...."They should have talked to us first".

[Just Me]

6. He was simply saving his own ass,...

,...particularly after being questioned about USAID which falls directly within his jurisdiction. He sold his soul to the neocon regime quite sometime ago. My naive belief in his honor and credibility was just that,...naive.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

7. Colin Powell...

to have his mouth washed out for telling such lies.

Whatever small amount of respect and belief I ever had in him has been has been forever damaged.

I hope the Haiti situation brings Bush down.

[NashVegas]

5. Damn, It's Back to the Allende Plan Now

Hey, we tried to let him live, really we did!

[genius]

8. Good. Bush may have trouble overthowing Chavez

That was next on his agenda.