Administration Denies Aristide Kidnapped

AP ^ | 1 hour, 32 minutes ago | DEB RIECHMANN

[cody32127]

WASHINGTON - The White House and Pentagon (news - web sites) on Monday dismissed allegations that Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide was kidnapped by U.S. forces eager for him to resign and flee into exile.

With U.S. military forces already on the ground in the Caribbean nation and more on the way, chief presidential spokesman Scott McClellan said, "It's nonsense, and conspiracy theories do nothing to help the Haitian people move forward to a better more free, more prosperous future."

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld also vehemently denied that Aristide had been forced out by the United States, and Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites) forcefully denied it as well, saying that Aristide boarded the plane willingly.

McClellan told reporters that Aristide left on his own free will. "We took steps to protect Mr. Aristide and his family so they would not be harmed as they departed Haiti," he said.

Rumsfeld, at a Pentagon news conference, said he was involved in the diplomatic flurry preceding Aristide's departure, and "the idea that someone was abducted is inconsistent with everything I saw."

"I don't believe that's true, that he's claiming that," Rumsfeld said. "I would be absolutely amazed if that were the case."

An African-American activist says Aristide told him on the phone Monday that he was kidnapped at gunpoint by American soldiers and ousted in a U.S. coup d'etat. Aristide said he was being held prisoner at the Renaissance Palace in Bangui, Central African Republic, said the activist, Randall Robinson.

McClellan said Aristide's aides had contacted the U.S. ambassador to Haiti on Saturday and asked if Aristide would be given protection by the United States if he resigned. The ambassador consulted with Washington, then called Aristide's aides and told them that if Aristide decided to resign, the United States "would facilitate his departure," McClellan said. "And we did."

He said the United States arranged for a plane to fly to Haiti to pick up Aristide. The aircraft arrived about 4:30 a.m., McClellan said. Aristide went to the airport in the company of his own personal security guards, the spokesman said.

Asked directly if Aristide left of his own free will, McClellan said, "Yes."

Powell said flatly, "He was not kidnapped," and criticized U.S. congressmen for saying that Aristide had been kidnapped without checking with the Bush administration first to see what the story was.

"He was not kidnapped. We did not force him on the airplane. He went on the plane willingly," Powell said.

The secretary said Aristide wrote a letter of resignation and only then did the United States bring an airplane to help him leave the country.

[cody32127]

This is a planned attack/Lie from Maxine Waters (D)California.

And the media dutifully reported as usual

The Democrats have LOST THIER MINDS!!

W drives them CRAZY for some reason, this is going to be the UGLYEST Election ever!! The race card will come out soon

[cripplecreek]

It's a stupid conspiracy theory. A little reasoned though shows this to be an idiotic claim. We could have simply done nothing and let the rebels remove him from power their way. (machete sounds likely)

[WarrenC]

But the Haitians want Aristide gone, right? So if he was physically removed by U.S. Marines, that's just what the Maxine Waters types have been wanting, right?

Sounds like effective problem management to me.

Ah, I get it - it was too effective -- not enough bloodshed to blame on the president.

[lilylangtree]

Too bad Aristide's people didn't kidnap him, put him on a flight, and shove him out the plane 40,000 feet without a parachute. Too bad Mugabe's people don't do Mugabe the same way. That would be two 3rd world countries with real cause for celebration.

[onedoug]

We should've taken back some his stolen US tax money in the process.

[discostu]

Who cares if he was kidnapped. Aristide is a big POS and we never should have propped him up in the first place. Since we put him back it was our right to take him back out again.

[anniegetyourgun]

Powell, Rummy, et al have just called Maxine a liar. And I believe them.

[bobo1]

I think that the administration is doing wrong is their response.

The ought to say without equivocation that Maxine Waters is a lying piece of donkey dung. That she is either on crack, or suffering severe unexplainable hallucinations.

The Pub's use kid gloves too often. I think that they ought to take them off and slap these idiots silly.

blessings, Bobo

[BigSkyFreeper]

The race card will come out soon

Maxine Waters' statement shows it already has.

[anniegetyourgun]

"I don't believe that's true, that he's claiming that," Rumsfeld said.

"Powell said flatly, "He was not kidnapped," and criticized U.S. congressmen for saying that Aristide had been kidnapped..."

[bobo1]

Whoops, what I should have said is this:

I think that what the administration is doing wrong is their response.

They ought to say without equivocation that Maxine Waters is a lying piece of donkey dung. That she is either on crack, or suffering severe unexplainable hallucinations.

The Pub's use "kid gloves" too often. I think that they ought to take them off and slap these idiots silly.

Sorry for the distortion of grammar. Posted before I read. Forgive an old man.

blessings, Bobo

[BigSkyFreeper]

Bill Clinton installed Aristides. That's why the Democrats are acting like they are. The Democrats haven't been angry that Aristides was a thug criminal. They've been angry that a Republican administration ended the reign of one of the Democrats puppet regimes.

[visagoth]

If Aristide has been 'kidnapped' - how is it that he able to use a cell phone and call all these people?

[BigSkyFreeper]

The Democrats should be glad he isn't dead or in jail.

[BigSkyFreeper]

Aristide should be glad the US Marines got to him first, because I can guarantee you that if the rebels had reached him first, he wouldn't be alive today.

[Danette]

Very good point. LOL

[hawkaw]

Why hasn't any of these stupid press people gone to Aristide and ask him what happened.

Also is there not a picture of him leaving on the plane and he was waving or something like that .. or is that another story.

hawk

[BigSkyFreeper]

The picture I've seen shows him waving to the crowd with a grin from ear to ear. It's as if he's thankful to be alive.

[hawkaw]

Well then why the hell is the media not spewing that all over the airwaves when Maxine 360 opens her mouth?

Oh I forgot - its a liberal media.

Not holding my breathe that the CBC will be bitch slapped by the media tonoght on the 3 main networks.

hawk

[BigSkyFreeper]

Speaking of the CBC, they're on CSPAN right now, in front of a UN microphone.