Bush, officials blasted for Haiti policy

Washington Times ^ | 3/04/04 | Brian DeBose

[kattracks]

House Democrats yesterday hammered State Department officials on their policies in Haiti and some accused the Bush administration of conspiring with opposition forces to oust Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

Democrats on the House International Relations Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere called the administration's "inaction leading to Mr. Aristide's resignation" an affront to democracy and denounced the negotiation process.

[squidly]

but we must support democratically elected representatives," said Rep. Robert Menendez

Indeed we must. Highly questionable whether Mr. Aristide fits that description. I think not. Besides, as I see it, we installed him, we can remove him.

[dead]

This is just about the losingest idea McAuliffe's come up with so far.

They're now going to try to slam Bush for not interferring with another country's internal strife?

They're going to try to fault him for not sending in enough US troops to keep a scumbag leftist murdering dictator in control of his people?!!?

Man, they are bereft.

[america-rules]

They saved the guys life. He would have been dead in a few hours if we didn't get him out !

[Salvey]

Haiti: a real sure-fire, hot-button election issue (not). The RATS are slowly choking on their own vomit.

[squidly]

He would have been dead in a few hours if we didn't get him out !

We did have the option of committing our troops to defending his regime, but that seems less desirable to me than what happened.

[kattracks]

...but we must support democratically elected representatives," said Rep. Robert Menendez

But I thought the Dims said we couldn't "interfere" anywhere without the UN's permission.

[squidly]

That's the real irony, that this was a UN sanctioned operation, and I believe the French actually have more troops in Haiti now than we do, and they're still griping. You just can't please some people.

[GeronL]

First they call him racist for not wanting to send troops....

[MarkM]

Mr. Aristide won a real election back in 91. But he behaved like a thug in office and his own people (Haitians) pushed him out. Then Clinton put him back in power. He stole the foreign aid Clinton gave him. He had a phony ballot-box stuffing election in 2000. And he abused power since then. He was a thug, a dictator. The Dems are evil (or nuts) to support this guy.

[Always Right]

"Let's be clear, we don't get to choose who represents another country — we may like them, we may hate them — but we must support democratically elected representatives," said Rep. Robert Menendez, New Jersey Democrat and ranking member on the subcommittee.

Hitler was Democratically elected....what kind of friggin logic is that??

[endthematrix]

Re: Bush as racist.

"Receiving applause for his comments, Mandela said Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair are "undermining" past work of the United Nations. "They do not care. Is it because the secretary-general of the United Nations is now a black man?" said Mandela, referring to Kofi Annan, who is from Ghana."

[endthematrix]

Let's be honest and more current. In Chille during the 1970's Salvador Allende was democratically elected and with some help from Uncle Sam they soon had Pinochet.

[SCWard]

I guess the Rats will be outraged if we do not prop up the rapidly crumbling "democratic" regimes in Venezuela and Iran, too.

Americans should never support:
1] stolen elections;
2] politicians whose policies have proven detrimental to their society, and need to be removed by the people, [at the ballot box, if possible];
3] politicians who seek to disarm their constituents.

Apparantly, Washington Rats support all the above,
and not just in other countries.

Its kinda scary.

[Bonaparte]

Rep. Barbara Lee, California Democrat, who boasted yesterday that she could not wait to question administration officials, said Mr. Noriega's testimony strengthened her belief that Mr. Aristide's "ouster" was the plan all along. "It is very clear to me, Mister Noriega, that we have been involved in destabilizing and undermining the government of Haiti for the past three years," Mrs. Lee said.

What would this farce be without Barbara Lee, the communist successor of Ron Dellums who failed in her attempt to help Russian communists take control of Grenada?

[Qwinn]

Yes... and? While I'm not going to try and whitewash what was done during Pinochet's rule, look at where Chile is now - the most prosperous free market nation in South America. Allende was turning Chile into another communist cesspool.

Qwinn

[FreedomPoster]

>>In Chille during the 1970's Salvador Allende was democratically elected and with some help from Uncle Sam they soon had Pinochet.

I guess you prefer to leave out the part about Allende's Cuban and Soviet advisors and the fact that it was looking like they were headed into a "one man, one vote, one time" Cold War situation where a ComBloc-assisted takeover was in the works.

[leadpenny]

Yesterday, I was listening to this hearing Live on C-SPAN Radio during my drive home from work. I wanted to continue when I turned on the TV. The House and Senate were in session so C-SPAN1 and 2 were occupied. If you get a chance to see a replay of this session, don't miss it. It is pure theater.

Pierre Paquiot, president of the State University of Haiti, appeared before the committee in a wheelchair to tell his story of how his knees were broken by thugs under the control of Mr. Aristide.

Mr. Paquiot's testimony was riveting and very emotional.

At one point Rep Sheila "We landed men on Mars" Jackson-Lee asked Asst. Sec. Roger F. Noriega if he had ever feared for his life and he answered in the affirmative. When pressed, he said he didn't want to talk about it. Lee continued to press and Noriega told her, "That's none of your business!"

Who said politics isn't any fun?

[endthematrix]

PLEASE don't get me wrong! I favor the overthrow! I hate the international confuse-speak coming from D.C. Bush should not think this Haitian issue is egg on his face but a badge. If (and this can be a safe bet) the CIA was involved with the rebel cause to overthrow Aristide, It can be strong crusade (dare I say that word) against anti-US forces growing south. Yes?

[meenie]

An ideal solution would have been to let the rebels have him. End of story.