REPORTS OF BOAT HIJACKED FROM HAITI: intercepted offshore Florida by Coast Guard... Developing...

Drudge ^ | Feb. 25, 2004

[FairOpinion]

REPORTS OF BOAT HIJACKED FROM HAITI: intercepted offshore Florida by Coast Guard... Developing...

[FairOpinion]

This is all there is. But I read earlier reports of someone seeing a diver near a Coast Guard boat. I don't know if they are related.

[FairOpinion]

On second thought, it's probably just some refugees, and doesn't deserve "breaking news" status.

[spodefly]

BOAT HIJACKED FROM HAITI: intercepted offshore Florida by Coast Guard...

Filled with "undocumented workers" no doubt.

[george wythe]

Local news says about 7 people hijacked a freighter from Panama and commandeered it to Miami.

Seven is still a small number..

According to news reports, the US is setting up a refugee camp in Gitmo for the Haitians, and I don't know which course of the following two options will be better for the US.

One, don't intervene in Haiti, send our Coast Guard to intercept Haitian boat people, and feed/shelter thousands of refugees in Gitmo for a long time. Or

Two, send a few hundred Marines, secure Haiti, install a national unity government, and invite Caribbean troops from the West Indian islands to police Haiti until free elections are held.

I'm leaning toward option 2, but I don't have all the facts of a cost-benefit study. I wish the US government makes a rational decision.

[kcamtx]

this just in.............The Government of France is pleading with the Pentagon to send the entire U S Military Airlift Command to France to ship all French land, sea, and air forces to Haiti for immediate surrender.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

earlier reports of someone seeing a diver near a Coast Guard boat.

Wasn't that in Hawaii?

[HAL9000]

Option two sounds good. Francophone police officers can be sent from Martinique and Guadeloupe. CARICOM could be useful too.

[umgud]

What is the population of Haiti and how big of a refugee exodus might we see? BTW, I'd rather hold the refugees somewhere and repatriate them when the the situ stabilizes than to admit them into the US.

[JustPiper]

Bush Rebuffs Aristide, Warns Haitians

Feb 25, 2:57 PM (ET)

By Steve Holland
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush on Wednesday rebuffed Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide's appeal for immediate security assistance to head off a rebel advance and warned Haitians not to flee to the United States.

http://news.myway.com/top/article/id/79744|top|02-25-2004::15:07|reuters.html

[umgud]

OK, I was lazy in asking Haiti's population.....so I looked it up; a tad over 7 million people.

[george wythe]

Freighter Reportedly Hijacked Off South Florida Coast

The Coast Guard has been called in to assist following the apparent hijacking of a Panamanian freighter.

Two Coast Guard boats and a helicopter have responded to reports that the 250-foot freighter was taken over by 17 or more men, some of whom were reportedly armed. There was no word has to what kind of weapons those on board are using.

The freighter Margot was about 8 miles east of Government Cut when the Coast Guard was made aware of the possibility of a hijacking.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission is sending their sea-version of a SWAT team to assist the Coast Guard.

There is no official word yet from the Coast Guard regarding the situation.

Early reports are that the hijackers are Haitian migrants.

Just after 5 p.m., there were reports based on radio traffic that the captain was saying the migrants on board had laid down their arms on the crew had regained control of the freighter.

Watch Local 10 for more on this developing story.

[FairOpinion]

"BTW, I'd rather hold the refugees somewhere and repatriate them when the the situ stabilizes than to admit them into the US."

==

That's exactly what Bush is doing.

"Speaking in the White House Oval Office, he also said he had instructed the U.S. Coast Guard to "turn back any refugee" from Haiti who seeks to land on U.S. shores."

Bush Rebuffs Aristide, Warns Haitians
http://news.myway.com/top/article/id/79744|top|02-25-2004::15:07|reuters.html


I also read they are readying space for them at Guantanamo ( NOT in the prison with the terrorists)

[george wythe]

Hijacked freighter 10 miles off Miami

[FairOpinion]

earlier reports of someone seeing a diver near a Coast Guard boat.

Wasn't that in Hawaii?

===

Yes it was. Note to self: stop, read, think, before hitting "send".

[george wythe]

Haitian Rebels Hijack Cargo Ship

The Coast Guard are preparing to board a cargo ship that was hijacked from Haiti in the last 48 hours.

The Captain and crew forced to come to the US.

There are 17 people aboard. At last check, the vessel is south of Stiltsville.

US Authorities have instructed the vessel to come up to an anchorage off Government Cut.

Some of the people aboard the vessel were armed with a shotgun and pistol and have since relinquished their weapons.

[JustPiper]

Yep! Two completely different coasts

[Ramius]

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission is sending their sea-version of a SWAT team to assist the Coast Guard.

Say *what*?

[george wythe]

Hijacked freighter

[JustPiper]

Bump! So it was refugee's or pirates?