Posted on 10/04/2004 12:45:15 PM PDT by pabianice
Haiti Slides Further Into Disorder
Haiti has boiled over again. For the last four days, supporters of deposed (for corruption) president Aristide have attacked police in several areas. The fighting has left at least fourteen dead. The violence began on September, with demonstrations demanding the return of Jean-Bertrand Aristide. On October 1st, three policemen were killed and beheaded, with the killers saying they were emulating the “resistance” in Iraq.
Such is the power of media. Supporters of a deposed, and corrupt, ruler in Iraq inspire wannabes in Haiti. This led to the arrest of three pro-Aristide politicians on October 2nd. That generated more violence by pro-Aristide gangs.
The civil disorder that caused the elected, but corrupt and unpopular president Jean-Bertrand Aristide to flee last February, never really ended. Aristide still has supporters, and the anti-Aristide groups have not been able to form a stable government. The 3,000 foreign peacekeepers can barely keep a lid on things in the poverty stricken nation of eight million. A hurricane earlier in the month killed nearly 2,000 people and further impoverished several hundred thousand.
Foreign aid is a major source of income, and whoever controls the government tries to stay in power by doling out foreign aid to supporters down to the village and neighborhood level, in order to stay in power. But Aristide had little support from the business community, who were usually cut in on the traditional foreign aid corruption. So the business community financed anti-Aristide gangs, if only to protect themselves from extortion by pro-Aristide gangs.
Peacekeepers won’t solve Haiti’s problems. A solution will have to go a lot deeper.
Haiti is just another French success story.
Send Maxine W. over and keep her there till all is calm.
mc
John Kerry will have another 9/11 IF he is our President. Terrorists will have a field day with him. He's an idiot.
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