Aristide Bows to Pressure, Leaves Haiti

AP via C-SPAN

[leadpenny]

Host just said story broke on AP about 2 minutes ago.

[Johnny_Cipher]

Beats dying.

[leadpenny]

Aristide Bows to Pressure, Leaves Haiti
2 minutes ago


PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - President Jean-Bertrand Aristide left Haiti on Sunday, bowing to pressure from a rebellion at home and governments abroad, his Cabinet minister and close adviser Leslie Voltaire told The Associated Press.


AP Photo



At least three other sources confirmed the information, including diplomats and a security aide.


Voltaire said Aristide, Haiti's first democratically elected president in 200 years of independence, was flying to the Dominican Republic and would seek asylum in Morocco, Taiwan or Panama.


Aristide left as fighters in a popular rebellion that erupted on Feb. 5 came within 25 miles of Port-au-Prince, the capital, and threatened to attack unless he resigned.


France, Haiti's former colonizer, and the United States, which sent 20,000 troops to restore Aristide after a coup in 1994, had suggested he step down for the good of his Caribbean nation of 8 million people.

[mewzilla]

Did Haiti's money leave with him?

[PGalt]

Interesting.

[skip2myloo]

Not as stupid as I thought he was.

I guess he's headed to Geneva to pick up some money, then who knows where he'll go ??

Maybe he'll move in next door to Baby Doc, I think he's somewhere on the French Riviera.

Isn't that pretty much where all exiled Haitians end up ??

Then there was that "general" who was in charge for a while -- where is he today ??

[leadpenny]

Could you change the headline to the AP headline. Thanks.

[Simmy2.5]

When France said leave, you KNOW your time is up.

[leadpenny]

Aristide Bows to Pressure, Leaves Haiti
8 minutes ago

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - President Jean-Bertrand Aristide left Haiti on Sunday, bowing to pressure from a rebellion at home and governments abroad, his Cabinet minister and close adviser Leslie Voltaire told The Associated Press.

At least three other sources confirmed the information, including diplomats and a security aide.

An Associated Press reporter saw an unmarked white jet take off from Port-au-Prince's airport Sunday morning, and Voltaire said Aristide was on board along with his palace security chief Frantz Gabriel.

Shortly afterward, a convoy of cars pulled up to the tarmac alongside a second jet, but it was not clear who was on the plane.

Voltaire said Aristide, Haiti's first democratically elected president in 200 years of independence, was flying to the Dominican Republic and would seek asylum in Morocco, Taiwan or Panama.

Aristide left as fighters in a popular rebellion that erupted on Feb. 5 came within 25 miles of Port-au-Prince, the capital, and threatened to attack unless he resigned.

France, Haiti's former colonizer, and the United States, which sent 20,000 troops to restore Aristide after a coup in 1994, had suggested he step down for the good of his Caribbean nation of 8 million people.

It was not clear where Aristide's wife, Mildred Trouillot Aristide, was. The couple had sent their two daughters to Trouillot's mother in New York last week.

Canadian military police were at the airport, but they refused to say who was on the planes.

[tellw]

Aristide Bows to Pressure, Leaves Haiti

The Associated Press

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti

President Jean-Bertrand Aristide left Haiti on Sunday, bowing to pressure from a rebellion at home and governments abroad, his Cabinet minister and close adviser Leslie Voltaire told The Associated Press.

At least three other sources confirmed the information, including diplomats and a security aide.

An Associated Press reporter saw an unmarked white jet take off from Port-au-Prince's airport Sunday morning, and Voltaire said Aristide was on board along with his palace security chief Frantz Gabriel.

Shortly afterward, a convoy of cars pulled up to the tarmac alongside a second jet, but it was not clear who was on the plane.

Voltaire said Aristide, Haiti's first democratically elected president in 200 years of independence, was flying to the Dominican Republic and would seek asylum in Morocco, Taiwan or Panama.

Aristide left as fighters in a popular rebellion that erupted on Feb. 5 came within 25 miles of Port-au-Prince, the capital, and threatened to attack unless he resigned.

France, Haiti's former colonizer, and the United States, which sent 20,000 troops to restore Aristide after a coup in 1994, had suggested he step down for the good of his Caribbean nation of 8 million people.

It was not clear where Aristide's wife, Mildred Trouillot Aristide, was. The couple had sent their two daughters to Trouillot's mother in New York last week.

Canadian military police were at the airport, but they refused to say who was on the planes.

[livius]

Good! He'll probably go off to his admirers in South Africa.

[longtermmemmory]

Is this another victory for Bush?

yes.

This demonstrates an administration with a level of finese.

It must also burn the biscuts of the Clinton Officials who engineered Aristeed's placement. (Albright frustration?)

[livius]

After they wire him a few million from Switzerland, of course.

[tellw]

Is the U.S. going to dispatch more troops there now?

[libtoken]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3519821.stm

Embattled Aristide 'leaves Haiti'


Aristide: Under pressure from within and outside Haiti
Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide who been facing growing opposition to his rule is leaving the country, reports say.
Mr Aristide is said to be on his way to neighbouring Dominican Republic from where he will seek asylum, according to news agencies in Haiti.

His departure came as rebels who control much of the country neared the capital.

The US and France had called on him to step down for the good of the Haitian people.


An unmarked white jet took off from Port-au-Prince's airport early Sunday morning, the Associated Press reported.

(snip)

[Ophiucus]

From article: The couple had sent their two daughters to Trouillot's mother in New York last week.

Perhaps he's off to commiserate with Bubba and Hitlery in their New York digs.

[ChadGore]

Great news (I think)

[Simmy2.5]

Future senator of New York. :-P

[Catspaw]

Aristede's life expectancy was measured in hours if he stayed in Haiti.

Now what?

[leadpenny]

Steve Scully just read a statement from the WH. The WH welcomes his departure