Security Council Calls for Haiti Election

[Rose Siding]

UNITED NATIONS -- The U.N. Security Council called on Haiti's transitional government Wednesday to ensure free elections this year and urged international donors to deliver the $1 billion in aid they promised for the western hemisphere's poorest country.
...
The Security Council urged Haiti's interim government to create a panel to address the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of all armed groups into society "without delay," but it cautioned that any compensation to former fighters "should be part of a comprehensive and durable solution."

Roger Noriega, U.S. assistant secretary of state for the Western Hemisphere, said the government and the international community should work together on a comprehensive program that would include "all irregular armed groups in Haiti."

A national dialogue is an important step toward free and fair elections this fall and ultimately to national reconciliation, Noriega said.

Noriega said the United States had spent over $113 million to help Haiti in 2004 -- "accounting for approximately half of the international community's donations" -- and expects to spend well over $150 million in 2005.

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-haiti,0,668487.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines

[htuttle]

1. "spent over $113 million to help Haiti in 2004"

No doubt the lion's share of that was the N.E.D. funding that was sent to the criminals who forced Aristide out. I can almost guarantee the Haitian government saw very little of it.

[SmokingJacket]

2. Hmmm... you'd think if the US were really interested in free elections

in Haiti, they'd actually have had respect for their DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED leader!!

Oh, well.

Is all this democracy talk really about democracy, or is it about installing Bush's cronies? I wonder!