Aristide Warns Of 'Thousands Killed' If Haiti Rebels Capture Capital

The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 2-25-2004 | Marcus Warren

[blam]

Aristide warns of 'thousands killed' if Haiti rebels capture capital

By Marcus Warren in Saint-Marc
(Filed: 25/02/2004)

A small group of elite police and a bottleneck in the landscape are all that can stop Haiti's rebels marching on the capital. Insurgents determined to overthrow President Jean-Bertrand Aristide have swept through the north but must next force their way through a twisting valley against their toughest opposition so far on the road to Port-au-Prince.

President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who is under threat from rebels

Mr Aristide pleaded for international help last night, predicting mass slaughter if the rebels were not stopped. "Should those killers come to Port-au-Prince, you may have thousands killed," he said. "We need the international community as soon as possible."

Parts of the presidential guard and paramilitary forces seemed ready to stand their ground on the road to the capital. They claimed to have repulsed a rebel attack into a nearby village on Monday evening. Police deployed in Saint-Marc looked much tougher than the panic-stricken local officers the rebels have put to flight elsewhere.

Forces loyal to the president have blocked the road north to the rebel strongholds, cutting the country in two. Apart from the risk of meeting real resistance, the other potential check to the rebels' ambitions is an attempt by an American missionary to mediate between the two sides.

Terry Snow, the head of Youth with a Mission, has sent his 20 foreign staff home and is determined to make a last-ditch effort to stop the violence, though without being drawn into the row over how to run the volatile Caribbean country.

Mr Snow, a local resident for 13 years, warned of the bloodletting if his efforts failed. It would be "like nothing I've ever seen", he said.

[cyborg]

Why am I thinking of Robert Mugabe and Castro right now?

[blam]

"Why am I thinking of Robert Mugabe and Castro right now?"

Birds of feather?

[cyborg]

Yeah I guess :(

[river rat]

The Haitians are doing EXACTLY as they should, when subjected to the corrupt administrations that have been the hallmark of Aristide....

Note to Rebels:
When you capture Aristide -- Kill him, or Peanut Breath Carter, the Congressional Black Caucas or the U.N. will demand that you restore this communist ex-priest to power...

Kill him and be done with him.....
Nations in Africa --- take note, of how it's done.

Semper Fi

[expatpat]

Hopefully, Aristide will cut and run very soon. I'm sure Peanuts Carter will let him stay with him and Rosie.

[Dog Gone]

There's a reason why Bush isn't sending troops. Aristede is a Jimmy Carter commie.

I'm a little surprised that France isn't sending troops to protect him, though. This is working out fine, as far as I can tell, with relatively little bloodshed.

[Simmy2.5]

France did talk about sending troops into Haiti. Though at the moment, that movement seems to be going no where. Maybe France is afraid of backlash (recolonization, violating the Marshall Plan [though for all intent and purpose, we are not enforcing it in the first place [however, it would mean that a European power would be back in the New World [excluding Cuba and USSR since USSR never controlled Cuba]).

Whatever happens, its becoming apparent that Aristide will soon be gone.

[rllngrk33]

...recolonization, violating the Marshall Plan...

I think you mean the Monroe Doctrine. The Marshall Plan was about rebuilding Europe after WWII.

[Dog Gone]

I think you're meaning to refer to the Monroe Doctrine, not the Marshall Plan.

Nevertheless, your point is valid. We don't want any European troops anywhere in OUR hemisphere. The damn Cubans are irritant enough.

[Simmy2.5]

Whoops. You're right. Got those two policies confused. :-/

[GeronL]

Americans have no dog in this fight.

Lets hope this spreads to Cuba, Zimbabwe, Iran, Syria, China....

[GeronL]

We need several months of UN committee hearings

[Simmy2.5]

By that time, Aristide will be gone...

On second thought, Good Idea!

[GeronL]

The UN will hold months and months of hearings before deciding whether or not the Security Council should discuss this. Possibly they can expect military aid by 2007

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[Mark]

We need to give this serious consideration, like Kerry and other libs felt concerning Iraq. We need to study, debate, poll, then check with NATO for further study, then discuss the situation with France, Germany, Russia, and then the UN, where after 20 or so resolutions are passed we can then do something- maybe sanctions as a first step. Of course by then we will all have passed on and the problem would have taken care of itself.

[Future Snake Eater]

Aristide Warns Of 'Thousands Killed' If Haiti Rebels Capture Capital

Translation: "Help! Heeeeeelp! They're coming for me! Cliiiiintoooooon! AHHHHHH!"

[CathyRyan]

Aristide was an abortion waiting to happen. And normally I do not approve of abortion.

[backhoe]

-Haiti, descending into chaos again--