Aristide Bows to Pressure, Leaves Haiti

AP via C-SPAN

[leadpenny]

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

[sonofatpatcher2]

Will he be a guest of the Beloved Former DemocRATic Installed heads of State Wing of the Clinton Library?

Is so, will Her Ankleship bake him some cookies?

[anniegetyourgun]

You'd better believe it is. And now the issue of Aristide creates a problem for those lib/dems going on Sunday talk shows to bash the Prez.....

[leadpenny]

There is obviously a vacuum. I hope we have warned countries in the area to stay out.

[river rat]

Actually, this is bad news...

He and many of his supporters really needed to be destroyed..

Now, this bastard will enlist the assistance of all communists, white hating, America hating clymers around the world, many of America's Democrats and all of the "renowned" Congressional Black Caucus, demanding restoration to his "throne".....

You can count on it....
You can also count on Haiti being poorer since he must have left with enough money to see to his "needs"...

The rebels blew it.....
It's a tough lesson of life - that sometimes, love of humanity - and a desire for improvement, requires that you destroy folks like Aristide...It gives "closure" and warns copycats....

Semper Fi

[ChadGore]

Re: Now what?

Castro invades and calls it a 'revolution' ??

[FreedomPoster]

Both Benjamins.

[Johnny_Cipher]

Now what?

I guess he spends Haiti's treasury. A Starbucks latte and a couple of biscotti at least.

[Catspaw]

The Castro factor was one of my concerns....and none of the rebel factions seems to be good guys.

What a mess.

[mewzilla]

He should've been made to leave in a barrel. Any money he's got belongs to the Haitian people.

[tkathy]

IMHO when a US ship appears, and a strong White House says tells him to get out, he gets out. This could be a direct result of the Iraq war, with libya, etc., shaping up. Go GWB!!!

[Dustoff45]

Glad to hear it! I was in Haiti in October with a medical mission team. We witnessed terrible poverty everywhere. The streets reeked of septic bacteria. The rains brought a brief refreshing.

It was about the 6th or 7th day until I finally saw a uniformed police presence on the street, other than those at the airport. Until then I had lost count of the number of police vehicles parked at the side of the road, disabled, often on blocks, obviously in high need of repair.

Even in that, there was a calm and peace in the air. I walked around in the evening in Port au Prince sensing more at peace than evenings I have walked around downtown D.C.

A few times out walking, I would notice the glare of TV sets from various homes. Always, it was Aristide at a podium. The governmental infrastructure seemed nonexistent. Everyone is pretty much on their own.

The answer for Haiti is beginning to florish in their churches. A couple of blocks from where our team was staying, there was a Church of God congregation. Some of our team went to visit and found a church of 10,000 people, a local pastor, all existing without outside finances.

Each morning and evening presented itself with flocks of well-groomed Haitians streaming to the meeting. Soon the sound of their corporate praise and worship would flood the neighborhoods.

We found many people in Haiti that have embraced totally the message of Jesus, and have turned from the former ways of Voodoo. I have been encouraged since I witnessed the church on the move alive in Haiti.

[Truth29]

I think you are on the right track. He may go somewhere to rally his international supporters and see if the dems win in the US and then Kerry could restore him to power.

[AlbionGirl]

Post title has a kind of 'Elvis has left the building' kind of feel to it.

If I'm not mistaken, this is what he did the last time the natives got restless. And then of course Jimmy Carter was sent in with his posse, eventually affording Aristede (sp?) his ticket back home.

I could be wrong, but the last scene I remember from this Carter peanut-western, is Carter walking off into the sunset with the dictator who had forced Aristede's exit, wishing him a good life in his new exiled existence.

[Lockbar]

"Hold on Honey, let me finish packing my bags!"

[alrea]

Did Haiti's money leave with him?

It is rumored that he took all $200,000. with him from the thriving, diverse and highly tolerant island paradise.

[dennisw]

Undoubtedly stashed away plenty for luxurious retirement where I live, South Florida. Weston in Broward County is where he'll retire (my guess)

[leadpenny]

Thank you for your perspective and your service. My son was there in 94 with an Engineer Bn. out of Carson. He's now in Ranger School as a 2LT.

WORWAC 66-11 (two tours, also)

[Catspaw]

He'll settle in either south Florida or NYC. Right now, he's just getting outta Dodge.

[leadpenny]

I've asked the mod to change to title to the AP headline but that was my first thought, "He has left the building."

[dennisw]

May I ask, how much vegetation and trees did you see in Haiti? In city and countryside? I keep seeing stories that Haiti is 90% stripped of vegetation, an eco-nightmare, and old roots are dug up for firewood.