Posted on 03/14/2004 12:24:10 PM PST by BenLurkin
BANGUI, Central African Republic (AP) - A five-member delegation of U.S. and Jamaican officials met ousted Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide on Sunday in Central African Republic, the country where he sought exile two weeks ago. The delegation, which included Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., planned to escort Aristide to Jamaica, where he will meet with his family for several weeks before going into permanent exile somewhere else - possibly South Africa.
Sharon Hay-Webster, a representative of the Caribbean Community regional bloc who is leading the delegation, said Aristide was likely to leave before midnight Sunday after a meeting with Central African Republic President Francois Bozize.
Central African Republic officials, however, said the delegation could be delayed until Monday.
The delegation was met at the airport by Foreign Affairs minister Charles Wenezoui.
On Saturday, Waters said bringing Aristide to Jamaica was not a bid to reinstall him as Haiti's president. She called the mission "humanitarian."
Aristide fled Haiti on Feb. 29 as Haitian rebels were closing in on the capital, Port-au-Prince. He arrived March 1 in Bangui, where he has been staying in a presidential palace apartment.
AP-ES-03-14-04 1506EST
Things are going to get out of hand.
Maxine should have loaded the daughters on HER aircraft and escorted them to Ariside.
Jamaica, is a little too close to the scene of the crime if family reunions and protection are the goal, now if insurection and general mischief are the goal, it makes sense.
This can only lead to trouble, glad that french sgt with the "cool head" will be there to protect those "hair triggered" american peacekeepers.
Ousted? I thought Aristede resigned/stepped down/stood down out of fear for his life, yet claims he still is the President of Haiti.
Which is it AP?
And the RINOs in Congress should put a halt to Max Max's imitation of Jimmy Carter.
You are right. Bringing Aristede back to the Caribbean will only cause US Taxpayers unnecessary and avoidable expenses.
(Not to mention the loss of life bcause of a bunch of hoodlums and shakedown artistes.)
I wonder if Baby Doc with be there too?
I am reminded of the police captain in The Godfather whose job was to be with the mobster, the assumption being that if he were there, nobody would take a shot at the mobster. Waters is that police captain. With a US Congressman near Aristide, the belief goes, Aristide will be safe while he ducks in and out of Jamaica. He gets a load of cash; she gets a chunk.
But, that is one airplane that I'd rather not be on, either in to or out of Jamaica.
You may have the real angle on this , with Waters on his arm Aristide waltz's in picks up the cash and leaves the country.
The big question is, if Maxine is on a private or public junket.
Private she has to pass customs on her way back in.
Public, she lands on a gov't aircraft and she and her possibly cash filled luggage walk right into the country.
But it's a second chance for those Haitians who didn't get new television sets during the last riots.
Oh no! The Mad Max connection! Will there be another eruption in South Central when the TV standard goes all the way to digital?
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