Bush Warns Haitians Against Fleeing to U.S.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush warned Haitians on Wednesday against trying to flee to the United States and said he would support an international security force but only once a political deal was reached between Haiti's embattled government and advancing rebels.

Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide has appealed for international help for his outgunned police, but Bush was insistent that peacekeepers only be sent once a political settlement was reached.

The United States has been criticized for doing too little to staunch the chaos in the poorest nation in the Americas. U.S. officials have emphasized negotiation and said security forces should be sent only after violence abates. Critics fear waiting for a peace deal will allow more chaos.

"Incident to a political settlement, we will encourage the international community to provide a security presence," Bush told reporters.

He said such a force was being discussed with U.S. allies, but gave no details. The first item of business, he said, "is to work on a political solution."

Canada, a key U.S. ally in the crisis, has said it would be "madness" to send reinforcements now because of the violence, while France has been noncommittal.

Hopes for a political settlement soon are in doubt because opposition politicians rejected a power-sharing deal on Tuesday that Aristide had already agreed on. "We still hope to be able to achieve a political settlement between the current government and the rebels," Bush said.

Speaking in the White House Oval Office, he also said he had instructed the U.S. Coast Guard to "turn back any refugee" from Haiti who seeks to land on U.S. shores.

Aristide had said on Tuesday that "we may have more Haitians leaving by boat to Florida," apparently trying to touch on U.S. fears of a repeat of the early 1990s when thousands of Haitians fled political violence and tried to reach America.

"We will have a robust presence with an effective strategy. and so we strongly encourage the Haitian people to stay home as we work to effect a peaceful solution to this problem," Bush said.

There appeared to be little sympathy in the U.S. Congress to send in U.S. troops to keep Aristide from falling.

"What the United States does not want to do is to simply prop up the status quo in an anti-democratic government led by Mr. Aristide...What the United States wants to see in Haiti is all of the political parties continuing in a profound and serious dialogue," said Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, a Florida Republican.

Florida Republican Rep. Mark Foley said the countries involved in trying to arrange a deal were saying behind the scenes that "we will not send people to that nation if it is under the intention of propping up Aristide's government."

He said the United States would be a part of or lend support to an eventual multilateral force.

Washington believes it still has time to hammer out a peace deal with the Haiti opposition despite its rejection of a U.S.-backed power-sharing plan, and despite the pressure rebels are exerting by vowing to attack the capital Port-Au-Prince, State Department officials said

Well, color me geographically challenged. Yes it is The Dominican Republic.

IF the DRs are gonna shot everyone trying to jump the border, then our Coast Guard had better be ready with the nets to scoop up the boaters trying to get to Miami.

He doesn't have a whole lotta credibility on such issues anymore, does he.

Plus he has left himself open to charges of inconsistency at best, prejudice at worst.

IF the DRs are gonna shot everyone trying to jump the border, then our Coast Guard had better be ready with the nets to scoop up the boaters trying to get to Miami.

I've noticed that the US is setting up a refugee camp in Gitmo for the Haitians, and I don't know which course will be better for the US.

One, don't intervene in Haiti, send our Coast Guard to intercept Haitian boat people, and feed/shelter thousands of refugees in Gitmo for a long time. Or

Two, send a few hundred Marines, secure Haiti, install a national unity government, and invite Caribbean troops from the West Indian islands to police Haiti until free elections are held.

I'm leaning toward option 2, but I don't have all the facts of a cost-benefit study. I wish the US government makes a rational decision.

I suppose I should say something is better than nothing. I suppose I should be happy that he is taking a stance. Why am I not getting warm fuzzies then? Bush doesn't realize that he can lose this election.

Personally, I am starting to lean in support of the rebels, but that is because Aristide practices voodoo.

Besides, the Haitians are just exercising their 2nd Ammendment Right (I know it's a USA thing) to over throw dictators.

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