Aristide Tells AP the U.S. Forced Him Out

AP ^ | ELIOTT C. McLAUGHLIN

[Roscoe Karns]

Mar 1, 7:41 PM (ET)

ATLANTA, Ga. (AP) - Jean-Bertrand Aristide said in a telephone interview Monday that he was "forced to leave" Haiti by U.S. military forces who said they would "start shooting and killing" if he refused.

Aristide was put in contact with The Associated Press by the Rev. Jesse Jackson following a news conference, where the civil rights leader called on Congress to investigate Aristide's ouster.

When asked if he left Haiti on his own, Aristide quickly answered: "No. I was forced to leave.

"They were telling me that if I don't leave they would start shooting, and be killing in a matter of time," Aristide said during the brief interview via speaker phone. He spoke with a thick Haitian accent, his voice obscured at times by a bad connection.

When asked who the agents were, he responded: "White American, white military.

"They came at night. ... There were too many. I couldn't count them," he added.

Aristide told reporters that he signed documents relinquishing power out of fear that violence would erupt in Haiti if he didn't comply with the demands of "American security agents."

Aristide said he was in his palace in Port-au-Prince when the military force arrived. He said he thought he was being taken to the Caribbean island of Antigua, but instead he has been exiled to the Central African Republic.

Aristide described the agents as "good, warm, nice," but added that he had no rights during his 20-hour flight to Africa.

Aristide's wife, Mildred, initiated Monday's telephone call, said Shelley Davis, a special assistant to Jackson. She said the reverend and the president's family have been close for about a decade.

Jackson said Congress should investigate whether the United States, specifically the CIA, had a role in the rebellion that led to Aristide's exile.

Jackson encouraged reporters to question where the rebels in Haiti got their guns and uniforms.

"Why would we immediately support an armed overthrow and not support a constitutionally elected government?" Jackson said.

Aristide, who fled Haiti under pressure from the rebels, his political opponents, the United States and France, arrived Monday in the Central African Republic, according to the country's state radio. He has claimed that he was abducted from Haiti by U.S. troops who accompanied him to Africa.

The White House, Pentagon and State Department have denied allegations that Aristide was kidnapped by U.S. forces eager for him to resign.

[Loyal Buckeye]

"If he thinks he's Mr. Popularity, let's take him back and tell him he can resume his office if he so desires.

Maybe Jesse would like to go along.

[Howlin]

where the civil rights leader called on Congress to investigate Aristide's ouster.

I, Howlin of FR, call on Congress to investigate Jesse Jackson's finances.

Has about as much force.

[cmsgop]

I think you are correct on that.

[McGavin999]

Hey Jessie! The french were the first to demand he step down, maybe you should ask them.

[Howlin]

Colin Powell says that this is a flat out lie. Aristide has his OWN personal security guards with him on the plane.

[BigSkyFreeper]

Aristide should be thankful the US Marines "kidnapped" him, sure beats being assassinated by the Haitian rebels.

[cyncooper]

You bet. I heard Powell and he was very direct.

Interesting how Jackson has inserted himself,hm?

[alloysteel]

So maybe the failed priest was "forced out", but it was not by the presence of US troops. Seems that most of the "force" was coming from a completely spontaneous uprising by the Haitians themselves. Aristide should consider himself fortunate to have escaped with his hide intact. Perhaps he had not realized just how much personal danger he was in.

[BigSkyFreeper]

Maybe get the IRS to "kidnap" his financial ledger.

[ozzymandus]

Gotta love those insane tinhorn 3rd world dictators, don'cha? At least you gotta love 'em if you're the black congressional caucus, DU, or some other anti-American treason club. I love the idea of sending him back, but we should send Maxine, Jesse, and Charlie with him, preferably shoving them out of a helicopter into a machete-wielding mob.

[randita]

If this is how it happened, he needs to shut his piehole. They most likely saved his life.

Now that he's out of danger, he's free to cause trouble for Bush in the African American community. He, no doubt, thought that we should have sent in massive forces to save his sorry behind and he's going to make Bush pay for not doing that.

[joonbug]

Then send Aristide back to Haiti and let him fend for himself there!

[OldFriend]

Hah, how brave to make false accusations from safety.

Fly back then and see what happens to you! Loser!

[Rome2000]

The USA wasn't taping their conversations with this zombie looking commie SOB?

Hard to believe they weren't.

Christ, my conversation with my bank or insurance company gets recorded.

Lets nip this in the bud or drop this red SOB out of a helicopter in front of DNC headquarters.

It's not like the result would be any worse.

[JimSEA]

I listened to this sack of sh!t on Lou Dobbs (CNN). He said that the Americans told him if he didn't leave, they would kill thousands. "It was a "coup d'etat" by modern means." He also wants to come the the United States to confur with his allies in the American government. Maxine and Charlie should have a wonderful time with this.

Too bad he enriched himself without ever helping the people who elected him one time. Papa Doc would have done a better job of holding to power, but I doubt he was a much better thief.

[hgro]

Good ole Jesse "I like to spit in the white folks soup" Jackson is a good friend of Aristide and has been for 10 years. Looks like Bill Clinton's spiritual adviser is good at picking losers as well as picking taxpayers pockets.

[Diddle E. Squat]

When asked who the agents were, he responded: "White American, white military.

Hey Aristide, when you are going to lie, try and be convincing. The US military integrated decades ago...

[Zeroisanumber]

Aristide is known for making..*ahem*...unusual comments.

[whereasandsoforth]

He lost me with the "white men-white military" crap. That don't compute.

[RightthinkinAmerican]

Aristide breaks the all-time record for turning on the US after we haul his butt out of danger. It took France forty years, took him a few hours. Makes him feel like a big man to blame us and claim he didn't step down out of cowardly fear. As is the current popular refrain - "it's the US's fault". We should have left him to the rebels. They wouldn't have found big enough pieces of him to bury.