Posted on 02/24/2004 8:32:01 AM PST by HAL9000
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- President Jean-Bertrand Aristide says international community must come to Haiti's aid to prevent thousands of deaths and a wave of boat people
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Aristide makes impassioned appeal for international community to help Haiti; warns there could be thousands of deaths, wave of boat people
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) -- President Jean-Bertrand Aristide made an impassioned appealf or the international community to come urgently to Haiti's aid, warning there could thousands of deaths of rebels carry out their threat to attack the capital, and a wave of boat people.
It sounded like a call for a military intervention, though that was not immediately clear and the news conference was continuing.
"Should those killers come to Port-au-Prince, you may have thousands of people who may be killed," Aristide said.
"We need the presence of the international community as soon as possible."
Aristide warns more Haitians will become boat people, says rebels attacking Port-de-Paix
MICHAEL NORTON
Associated Press WriterPORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) --President Jean-Bertrand Aristide appealed Tuesday for the world to come to Haiti's aid, warning that thousands of deaths and a wave of boat people could result from political chaos.
"Should those killers come to Port-au-Prince, you may have thousands of people who may be killed," Aristide said. "We need the presence of the international community as soon as possible."
Also Tuesday, rebel leader Guy Philippe told The Associated Press he does not want to install a military dictatorship but is seeking to re-establish the army that was disbanded after ousting Aristide in 1991.
With the rebels threatening to attack the capital of Port-au-Prince, the United States tried to broker a last-ditch peace plan that did not require Aristide to resign. Opposition politicians were weighing the plan, after being persuaded by Secretary of State Colin Powell to delay their formal response to 5 p.m. Tuesday.
At a news conference in Port-au-Prince, Aristide made an emotional call for Haitians to stay in the country, instead of fleeing to Florida, so that they can vote in new elections.
"The criminals and terrorists went to the north, to Port-de-Paix, and burned private and public buses, killing people," Aristide said.
"Unfortunately many brothers and sisters in Port-de-Paix will not come down to Port-au-Prince; they will take to the sea, they will become boat people."
Q A follow-up on Haiti -- in particular, the boat people. The President said on November 7, 2002, that the immigration laws ought to be the same for Haitians and everybody else, except the Cubans, and the difference, of course, is that we don't send people back to Cuba because they're going to be persecuted.
Well, what more proof do you need --
MR. McCLELLAN: April, I think you're referring to a different situation. At that time it was involving a specific --
Q Cubans versus Haitians and the boat people --
MR. McCLELLAN: -- it was involving a specific incident. And, yes, the President's remarks there stand. But the migration policy of the United States is very clear, and we have made it very clear that we have a plan in place to stop any boats and we will return people to their country of origin.
President Bush must appoint special envoy William J. Clinton and rush him to Hate He ASAP! He sould be accompanied by a Congressional Liason, say the Junior Senator from NY.
Their one year mission is to re-establish law and order and report back to President Bush and the Congress on April 1, 2005.
(no foolin' huh!)
Missed key points...
"Help me out or else I'm make sure there are waves of HIV/AIDS infected boat people to mess with your communities and burden your medical facilities."
Mr. Clintoon is no longer living at this address.
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