U.S. Marine Shot, Wounded in Haiti

[eablair3]

Posted on Mon, Mar. 15, 2004

U.S. Marine Shot, Wounded in Haiti

Associated Press


PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - A U.S. Marine was shot and wounded in the Haitian capital, the first American peacekeeping casualty since the ouster of the Caribbean nation's president two weeks ago, Staff Sgt. Timothy Edwards told The Associated Press on Monday.

The Marine was patrolling the Belair neighborhood, a stronghold of ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, around 9:35 p.m. when he was shot in the left arm, Edwards said. The weapon was believed to be a small-caliber pistol, and the injury is not life-threatening, he said.

Anger has been brewing among residents in the neighborhood since Marines - under fire - shot and killed two men on Friday. The Marines said the two were gunmen, but no weapons were recovered. Residents said those killed were neither militants nor armed, and that one was playing basketball. Several people were wounded in the fierce but brief firefight.


snip

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/consumer_news/8191066.htm?1c

[bemildred]

1. Your link is screwed.

Lot's of trouble keeping the story straight here:

Was he "ousted" or did he "resign"?

How was there a "fierce but brief firefight" if no weapons
were recovered? Was it no the dead guys that had the guns,
or were there no guns? Were there any expended bullets maybe?

[Moderator]

2. kick

for the later morning crowd

[plurality]

3. The empire is falling

Wonder how the new dark ages will play out.

[DoYouEverWonder]

4. When Clinton restored Aristide to power in 1993

he and Wesley Clark succeeded without losing one American soldier. The same thing in Kosovo.

Too bad this misadministration doesn't care about their troops and puts them into situations where they are not properly prepared or even have some idea of a plan. I hate to say this, but I expect there will be many more loses before these bums are removed from power.

[eablair3]

5. NY Times - 10 hours later

I see the NY Times finally has a story up on this at least 10 hours later.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/15/international/americas/15CND-HAIT.html

from the article:

Mr. Lucas said the incident took place on Sunday night and that the marine was hit by small arms fire.

Haiti's population is heavily armed, a legacy of Mr. Aristide's practice of giving guns to gangs of youths who had served to bolster Haiti's weak and demoralized police force.

__________

anyone know the basis for this statement in the NY Times? That Aristide had a "practice of giving guns to gangs of youths who had served to bolster Haiti's weak and demoralized police force"??

I have a hard time believing that without seeing or hearing some evidence and perhaps some context.