"I Was Kidnaped"--Aristide

The Black World Today ^ | 3/1/04 | Herb Boyd

[antivenom]

I Was Kidnaped"--Aristide

"I was kidnaped by U.S. Marines and forced to leave Haiti," Jean-Bertrand Aristide told Congresswoman Maxine Waters in a phone call Monday morning from the Central African Republic. "I did not resign." Photo: President Aristide lofting flag during bicentennial celebration.

Waters said that Aristide told her that the U.S. "completed the coup and forced him out of office." Speaking to Amy Goodman on Democracy Now, Waters said that Aristide sounded angry and outraged about what had happened. "He said he and his wife were surrounded by military personnel and not allowed to make calls. ‘It's like being in jail, he said. He repeatedly said he was kidnaped against his will. This is a clear violation of international law."

These remarks by Aristide confirm earlier reports that he had been forcibly abducted. Photo: Maxine Waters in Haiti during bicentennial celebration. Photos by Herb Boyd.

Almost immediately after Aristide was removed, it was reported that a contingent of U.S. Marines were preparing to be deployed to Haiti as part of an international peace keeping force.

Even as Jean-Bertrand Aristide is no longer the president of Haiti, the circumstances surrounding his resignation or removal continue to be murky hours after a flight from his homeland to the Central African Republic.

The most alarming reports of Aristide's final hours in Haiti is that he was abducted by a contingent of U.S. Marines early Sunday morning and led from his home in handcuffs, according to reporter Kevin Pina during a special broadcast Sunday evening on the crisis in Haiti by Amy Goodman of WBAI-FM.

Pina based his account on reports from a palace guard and a cameraman of ABC-TV. In another report, a security guard at Aristide's home said that the Marines came and escorted him away at gunpoint. "He did not want to go," the security man told reporters.

Early Monday morning it was reported that Aristide and his wife, Mildred Trouillot, had indeed arrived in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, aboard an American 757 dispatched by the Pentagon.

Prior to the call from Aristide to Waters, Aristide's attorney, Ira Kursban, appearing on Democracy Now, Monday morning, said he had spoken to Aristide's wife shortly after their arrival. "She sounded okay and said they were doing all right," he said. There was no elaboration of the events leading up to their departure.

In a brief press conference in Bangui, Aristide said that in "overthrowing me they have cut down the tree of peace...the roots of democracy, but the tree will grow again."

Representatives Charles Rangel and Maxine Waters, who appeared with author Randall Robinson on the WBAI special, said that if Aristide was forcibly removed then it constituted an egregious violation of democratic principles. "He told me just the other day that he was determined to finish his term in office," Rangel said, "and he promised to call me if there was any change in plans. Why would someone resign if he was in fact fleeing?"

"He expressed the same promise to me," Waters said. "This is a terrible reversal of the State Department's position. You never heard the U.S. denouncing the opposition, never denounced the killers...armed with U.S. made weapons. If he was forcibly removed, then we need to immediately call for a Congressional hearing."

Waters and other members of the Congressional Black Caucus are terming the regime change a coup d'etat, which would bring the total to 33 in Haiti's 200-year history.

Robinson, founder and former executive director of the TransAfrica, said that the removal of Aristide was planned a long time ago. "The U.S. has done everything possible to assure that Aristide would not succeed," he began. "Two American security companies contacted to supply security for Aristide never materialized." He also noted that Haiti had been denied bilateral assistance and funding from other international sources.

Upon Aristide's resignation, Boniface Alexandre, chief justice of the Supreme Court, assume leadership of the transitional government. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Yvon Neptune continues in his position.

Despite Aristide's removal from power turmoil continues in the streets of Port-au-Prince. Guy Phillipe, one of the leaders of the insurgents, had promised that the violence would be abated once Aristide was removed. But in direct contradiction to the rebel's promise, the offices of the Mayors of Port-au-Prince and Petionville have been attacked and several people have been killed. There are reports of brutal reprisals against members of Aristide's Lavalas party.

Last Updated ( Monday, 01 March 2004 )

[antivenom]

This should get interesting....

[nuconvert]

Was he kidnaped? or Kidnapped?

[T Minus Four]

really

[oceanview]

i was fearful of this. they should have arranged for him to be taken by the mobs. dead men tell no tales.

[dirtboy]

Waters and other members of the Congressional Black Caucus are terming the regime change a coup d'etat

Looks like Maxine's been doing a few too many 360s again.

[nuconvert]

Seems he preferred kidnaped.

[Semi Civil Servant]

"I was kidnaped by U.S. Marines and forced to leave Haiti," Jean-Bertrand Aristide told Congresswoman Maxine Waters...

From two highly reliable sources. (/sarcasm)

[Ragirl]

Rumsfeld is saying he "doesn't believe that this is true", and "I don't believe this" when asked about the allegations of kidnapping.

[Reelect President Dubya]

Was he kidnaped? or Kidnapped?

Either spelling works.

From Merriam-Webster

[mrs tiggywinkle]

**"I was kidnaped by U.S. Marines and forced to leave Haiti," Jean-Bertrand Aristide told Congresswoman Maxine Waters in a phone call Monday morning from the Central African Republic. "I did not resign." Photo: President Aristide lofting flag during bicentennial celebration. **

Kidnaped? Sounds like spell check was needed by the article's author.

I'm sure Aristide found a soft shoulder in Waters. Perhaps Jackson-Lee, The Rev Jackson, Al Sharpton and others can create a support group.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Maxine Waters? Must've gotten an "out to lunch" message when he first dialed Cynthia McKinney.

[mountaineer]

What a crock of hillary.

[nuconvert]

Oooh. Touchy.

Both are acceptable spellings....

[Consort]

Was he kidnaped? or Kidnapped?

Maybe both if he was grabbed by the back of the neck and forcibly put on the plane.

[george wythe]

Typical malarkey from the Congressional Black Caucus.

Maxine Watters and her cohorts have never met a Marxist leader they didn't like. Even Castro's bloody regime is OK with them.

Aristide was elected on fraudulent "elections" never certified by any international body, he was an utter failure handling Haiti's economic and social problems, and he had unleashed his brownshirt militia (chimere) to terrorize the peaceful opposition.

[mrs tiggywinkle]

hmfph. ya learn something new every day. I prefer *kidnapped* and since that's what is on my computer spell check program, I'm sticking with it. :o)

[inkling]

He was only in power because the Marines installed him in the early '90s. It's hard for me to trust the word of a guy who praises the "necklacing" of his political opponents. (FYI, necklacing is placing a car tire around a person's neck, filling it with kerosene and torching them. Charming guy, Aristide.)

[antivenom]

Here is her letter to Colon Powell on Feb 24...

       
Tuesday, 24 February 2004
I appreciate your continuing attention to the crisis in Haiti.  Nonetheless, I am concerned that the State Department is failing to provide the public with a fair and balanced explanation of the reasons that meaningful negotiations have yet to occur.
February 20, 2004
The Honorable Colin Powell
Secretary of State
Department of State

2201 C Street, NW, Room 7261
Washington, DC  20520


Dear Secretary Powell:

I appreciate your continuing attention to the crisis in Haiti. Nonetheless, I am concerned that the State Department is failing to provide the public with a fair and balanced explanation of the reasons that meaningful negotiations have yet to occur.

When are you going to inform the press and the public that it is Andre Apaid, the leader of the opposition, who has failed to accept the CARICOM proposal as the basis for negotiations to end this crisis? As you know, the United States, France, Canada, the nations of the Caribbean Community, the Organization of American States and President Jean-Bertrand Aristide all have accepted the CARICOM proposal as the basis for negotiations.

Andre Apaid has repeatedly rejected President Aristide's offer to negotiate, and he continues to refuse to participate in any negotiations whatsoever to resolve this crisis. How can the President of Haiti be expected to resolve differences with an opposition whose leader will not even negotiate with him?

Despite President Aristide's acceptance of the CARICOM proposal, recent statements from State Department representatives have left the misleading impression that President Aristide is the obstacle to negotiations. I urge the State Department to correct the record and tell the press and the public the truth, namely, that Andre Apaid's intransigence is the reason that negotiations have not gone forward.

                                                Sincerely,

                                                Maxine Water
                                                Member of Congress

 

MW:ks

cc:     His Excellency Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations. His Excellency César Gaviria, the Secretary General of the OAS
         The Honorable Michael Kergin, Ambassador of Canada
         The Honorable Jean-David Levitte, Ambassador of France
         The Heads of State of CARICOM
         The Ambassadors of CARICOM
         The Members of the Congressional Black Caucus


         The Honorable Ron Dellums
         Rev. Jesse Jackson
         Mr. Randall Robinson
         Ms. Hazel Ross-Robinson
         Electronic and print media
 

[Howlin]

Almost immediately after Aristide was removed, it was reported that a contingent of U.S. Marines were preparing to be deployed to Haiti as part of an international peace keeping force.

Aristide Bows to Pressure, Leaves Haiti
			Posted by leadpenny On News/Activism 02/29/2004 7:07:59 AM EST with 129 comments
500 US Marines Ordered to Haiti
			Posted by Robe On News/Activism 02/29/2004 1:13:47 PM EST with 49 comments FOX NEWS ^ | 02/29/04 | Self
Liars. Check out those times! But the reporters at Rumsfeld's press conference are going for it big time!

[Fenris6]

Yah - I thought he devolved into a socialist tyrant?

Kidnapping's too good for him.

[antivenom]

Just reporting the news hows I finds it...(lil step and fetchit-ism included)

[Criminal Number 18F]

[randall] Robinson, founder and former executive director of the TransAfrica, said that the removal of Aristide was planned a long time ago. "The U.S. has done everything possible to assure that Aristide would not succeed," he began. "Two American security companies contacted to supply security for Aristide never materialized."

That one I can explain. Money promised by Aristide's people to pay the security officers never materialized. Well, it materialized somewhere -- probably in one of Aristide's Swiss accounts.

I dunno where the Central African Republic gets off taking in Haitian refugees. It's right up there on the failed-state list itself.

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F

[Howlin]

Reporters are saying that Maxine Brown is claiming that Aristide was lead away in handcuffs.

Rumsfeld says no.

He said that they had a letter of resignation IN HAND before they sent anybody anywhere.

The blacks are going to make this an issue.

[Catspaw]

Aristede was kidnapped? Okay, send him back to Haiti. We can make book on how long he lasts.

[antivenom]

The whole reason of Maxine Waters meddling in this...this is going to be the NEXT issue the Dems are going to use to "show GW as being a failure at foreign issues"...

The Dems are pulling the classic...rile up the homos...now rile up the blacks...well orchestrated...

[oceanview]

indeed. why didn't Powell just allow the mobs to get to him? why take a political hit over a sewer like Haiti?

[P8riot]

Well I think the kidnapping charge is BS, but we did have 50 Marines on the ground in Haiti for over a week.

[Catspaw]

OOoooo, Maxine Waters is on the phone line to CNN. This is going to be GOOOOOD.

[leadpenny]

Watching CNN also. Why, I don't know.

[LibWhacker]

Well, I suggest we make the man happy and parachute him back in there then.

[Catspaw]

Maxine is saying that the reporter lied when the reporter said Aristede was in handcuffs. She said she got a call from Aristede's wife. The wife said that they were told that if they didn't leave now, they'd die and a number of Haitians would die as well.

[shezza]

Exactly. We've sure been throwing a lot of money his way and sending our fine soldiers to help his regime in hundreds of humanitarian missions for a country who "has done everything possible to assure that Aristide would not succeed." Sheesh! "Bite the hand that feeds you" is their mantra.

[antivenom]

And wasn't there French and Canadian troops there too? I think we need to get a timeline sketched up and the deployment of troops...this is getting interesting...

[leadpenny]

I'll have to admit, the CNN host is asking all the right questions for the idiot from California.

[Howlin]

Got it now! Thanks.

[antivenom]

OHHHH blame the sttooopid wife scenario getting lined up to explain Maxine's jumping the gun problem.

I had heard that she supposedly "spoke with him"...now we be hearing that the "Wife is involved in the telling of the story"???

BWAAHAAHAAHAAAAAAA

[Howlin]

Wow, she's making some HUGE ACCUSATIONS here!

[antivenom]

Keep the rest of us informed.....

[leadpenny]

"Noriega is known as a Haiti hater."

[Travis McGee]

What an ingrate. The Marines should have tossed him to the mobs to be necklaced with a burning tire instead. Then at least he'd shut up.

[antivenom]

W H A T

[hchutch]

It's pretty much all Aristide can do.

I'm more worried at how Venezuela will play out.

[Howlin]

Somebody needs to call her a flat out liar.

There is no way on earth Bush and Powell would have had any part of that; they would have known it would get out. They are NOT that dumb.

[oceanview]

Maxine? she is a total lunatic.

But why the administration couldn't have seen this coming, I don't know. The only way Aristede should have left the country was in a body bag.

[international american]

"The blacks are going to make this an issue."

Nobody cares about Haiti...it has been corrupt for so long, it is analogous to worrying about Mugabe.Every leader who gets in power financially rapes the country.Remember Baby Doc?:) Waters is a flake.

[Howlin]

She is saying that the Marines went in and took him out -- and that it has been planned for a long time by "Noreiga," some guy at the Defense Department -- who she says is a Haiti hater and was on the staff of Jesse Helms.

She basically said that it was a coup!

[leadpenny]

Like the old saying, "They ain't that stupid and they ain't that smart!"

[Travis McGee]

I suspect that the Central African Empire is where the D-boys de-planed Aristede and company involuntarily from a CIA Gulfstream.

It's a long way from there to anywhere, and by the time he gets there (where ever) the power shift in Haiti will be done.

Pretty cool, IMO.

[dagnabbit]

Perhaps Jackson-Lee, The Rev Jackson, Al Sharpton and others can create a support group.

I'm all for it - if that would somehow get them all to move to the Central African Republic.