Aristide Again Says He Was Kidnapped from Haiti

Reuters ^ | 03/06/04 | Patricia Zengerle

[Pokey78]

MIAMI (Reuters) - Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide says his departure from his country was a "kidnapping" as heavily armed "white men" surrounded the National Palace, according to a statement released on Saturday.

"During the night of the 28th of February 2004, there was a coup d'etat. One could say that it was a geopolitical kidnapping. I can clearly say that it was terrorism disguised as diplomacy," Aristide said in the statement, a transcript of a Friday radio address "to the Haitian People and the World" delivered by cellular telephone to a California radio station.

The United States has repeatedly dismissed Aristide's contentions that he was kidnapped when he left Haiti on Feb. 29. The Bush administration blames the crisis in Haiti on Aristide, who was restored to power a decade earlier by 20,000 U.S. troops after his ouster in a military coup.

A former slum priest, Aristide lost public support during his presidency amid charges of corruption, failure to alleviate Haiti's desperate poverty and election fraud.

But he remains fiercely popular in Haiti's slums, from which tens of thousands of supporters emerged on Friday to call for his return to Haiti and denounce the United States.

Aristide said U.S. military personnel in Port-au-Prince came to the palace before dawn on Sunday and told him "the foreigners" and armed gangs leading a month-long revolt were near the capital and "already in position to open fire."

He said the Americans also said his security detail would have to fight to the death and that 25 more guards hired from the United States had been barred from coming to Haiti.

"There was going to be a bloodbath because we were already under an illegal foreign occupation which was ready to drop bodies on the ground, to spill blood, and then kidnap me dead or alive," he said.

Aristide said in the statement that he agreed to go to avoid a bloodbath, was forced to sign his letter of resignation and did not know he was going to the Central African Republic until shortly before landing there.

He urged his supporters to stand together under the Haitian constitution. "... we also know that back home there are people who understand the game, but will not give up because if they give up, instead of finding peace, we will find death."

Authorities in the Central African Republic, where Aristide is in exile, have voiced concern about Aristide's inflammatory comments about the United States since arriving in its capital Bangui.

[BikePacker]

It would be a bit more believable if he said he was surrounded by heavily armed white colonialists, intent upon the destruction of the Black Race.

[per loin]

Saving Aristide was not a good idea. We should have let the machete crew get to him. It's the Haitian way.

[stevem]

Saving Aristide was not a good idea. We should have let the machete crew get to him. It's the Haitian way.

Perhaps they should offer to return him.

[GreenHornet]

Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide says his departure from his country was a "kidnapping" as heavily armed "white men" surrounded the National Palace, according to a statement released on Saturday.

He also said something about a young girl named Tawana being mistreated by those same heavily armed white men.

[Welsh Rabbit]

Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide says his departure from his country was a "kidnapping" as heavily armed "white men" surrounded the National Palace, according to a statement released on Saturday.

So go home and be killed by "black men"...

[Blood of Tyrants]

Freaking ingrate. Save his worthless hide and all you get id criticism. I say get those same buncf of "white men" who "kidnapped" him and grab his scrawny butt and haul it back to the most crime ridden, impoverished part of Haiti and see how long he lasts.

[per loin]

Nope. Now that we have troops in the country, we are the responsible authority. Not a smart move on our part.

[jwalsh07]

Must be a world wide dementia, we same sex Americans claiming they are married.

[VOA]

Aristide Again Says He Was Kidnapped from Haiti

"Again" must mean nobody believes it besides The Rev. Jackson, Maxine Waters,
and a few member of the Black Caucus.
Or cares.

[Constitutional Patriot]

We should have let the rebels dismember him and feed him to himself...

Typical marxist. Why did we go to such lengths to preserve this turd?

[ex-Texan]

Aristide is a liar and U.S. news media lines up to lick this hog swill. His bodyguard made a statement this morning about how Aristide was not shoved out by the U.S.

If I were in the White House, I would have justlet him be chopped up by angry Haitian mobs. He is probably spouting off now because the Clintons told him to squeel like a pig.

[SandRat]

He was long ago kidnapped from reality along with the entire Congressional Black Caucus.

[blam]

"Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide says his departure from his country was a "kidnapping" as heavily armed "white men" surrounded the National Palace, according to a statement released on Saturday."

He's playing the race card thinking that Jesse, Maxine and the CBC can save him.

[mewzilla]

The CBC needs to explain where all that taxpayer money we sent down there went...

[Calvin Locke]

Saving Aristide was not a good idea.

Yes...and no. It was a US Adminstration that put him, make that restored him, to power.

OTOH, I could go along with Bush saying he would wait for the UN to give the okay...and lay the resulting humanitarian disaster at Kofi's feet.

[XXXXX88XXXXX]

He was the Clinton's boy. We should have shipped him off to take asylum in Chappequa.

[Calvin Locke]

The CBC needs to explain where all that taxpayer money we sent down there went...

Mad Max would be screaming racism and the fawning press amplify and repeat the false and ludicrous charge in lieu of accountability.

[Ohioan]

He also said something about a young girl named Tawana being mistreated by those same heavily armed white men

You are confusing your demagogues.

[mewzilla]

Goody. If someone starts checking into her campaign finances, bet she screams even louder...