WikiLeaks points to US meddling in Haiti

[EFerrari]

Source: The Guardian

WikiLeaks points to US meddling in Haiti
Kim Ives

US embassy cables reveal how anxious the US was to enlist Brazil to keep the deposed Jean-Bertrand Aristide out of Haiti

Minustah's commander, Brazilian Army General Urano Teixeira da Matta Bacellar, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, 2005. In January 2006, Bacellar was found shot dead on his balcony, after what his government described first as a 'firearm accident' and then as 'suicide'. Bacellar had earlier resisted calls to use his UN peacekeeping force to crack down on pro-Aristide rebels. Photograph: AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos

Confidential US diplomatic cables from 2005 and 2006 released this week by WikiLeaks reveal Washington's well-known obsession to keep exiled former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide out of Haiti and Haitian affairs. (On Thursday, Aristide issued a public letter in which he reiterated "my readiness to leave today, tomorrow, at any time" from South Africa for Haiti, because the Haitian people "have never stopped calling for my return" and "for medical reasons", concerning his eyes.)

In a 8 June 2005 meeting of US Ambassador to Brazil John Danilovich, joined by his political counsellor (usually, the local CIA station chief), with then President Lula da Silva's international affairs adviser Marco Aurelio Garcia, we learn that:

"Ambassador and PolCouns ... stressed continued US G insistence that all efforts must be made to keep Aristide from returning to Haiti or influencing the political process … increasingly concerned about a major deterioration in security, especially in Port au Prince."




Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2011/jan/21/haiti-wikileaks?CMP=twt_gu

[sabrina 1]

1. The U.S. has destroyed that poor country.

I would not be surprised if they are responsible for the return of the dictator, Baby Doc, to see if they can use their 'Shock Doctrine' (thank you Naomi} tactic to take advantage of the suffering and shock of the people to restore a dictator they feel far more comfortable with.

Aristedes is the rightful leader of that country. It is shameful that the Bush administration kidnapped a democratically elected leader, popular with his people, causing the deaths of over 5,000 Haitians, and that now, this administration is continuing those criminal policies by refusing to allow those people to run their own country with the leader they chose.

[EFerrari]

3. This same reporter, Kim Ives, pointed out on Amy's show that Haiti

is the only occupied country in this hemisphere.

[sabrina 1]

59. Yes, occupied for close to a century.

And this is what an occupied country looks like ~

It is way past time for the Western Colonial powers to leave Haiti.

[rfranklin]

4. We have a long and shameful history of meddling in Haiti...

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
United States occupation of Haiti
Part of the Banana Wars

Cpt. Smedley Butler, Sgt. Ross Iams and Pvt. Samuel Gross entering Fort Riviere during the battle in 1915.
Date July 28, 1915 - August 1, 1934
Location Haiti
Result United States victory, Cacos defeated, Haiti occupied.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Haiti Portal
v · d · e
The United States occupation of Haiti began on July 28, 1915, when 330 US Marines landed at Port-au-Prince on the authority of then President of the United States Woodrow Wilson to safeguard the interests of US corporations. It ended on August 1, 1934, after Franklin D. Roosevelt reaffirmed an August 1933 disengagement agreement. The last contingent of U.S. Marines departed on August 15, 1934 after a formal transfer of authority to the Garde.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_occupation_of_Haiti

[Sonoman]

9. Check this out...

http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/RIE402A.html

[sabrina 1]

45. Aristede sealed his fate when he let his plans to end the

CIA connected drug trade in Haiti be known.

Jesse Helms, what a surprise to find him in the middle of it all.

Thanks for the link. There are people here who apparently believe that the U.S. is innocent of what has become of that country. I hope that more information is revealed publicly so that the American people will finally wake up and learn the history of their own country in terms of their actions in so many countries, always on the side of the bad guys.

[marasinghe]

51. you're absolutely correct. and it's not just the usa.

ever since napoleon deceived Toussaint into traveling to paris, under a flag of truce, for peace talks, then imprisoning him until his death, the west has been screwing with the Haitian struggle for independence and freedom from slavery. the UN is the latest tool they're using to harass this pathetic country & its people - for their audacity in throwing out their colonial slave-masters.

why else would the french government offer asylum to a murdering scumbag like jean claude duvalier, and keep him on ice until the time was right to throw him back into the hell-brew - when baby doc should have been jailed for life in the Hague, like slobodan milosevic.

the UN, with much fanfare, collected something like ten billion dollars in aid, for helping Haiti in the aftermath of its earthquake. one year later, all the Haitians have got, are a cholera epidemic, the same miserable refugee camps they've been occupying for a year, and - literally - mud pies to fill their bellies; while UN peacekeeping soldiers spread cholera & prostitute their children, Haitian women get gang-raped within their refugee camps, and their elected leader, aristide, is forced to live in exile, thousands of miles away.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toussaint_Louverture
http://www.historywiz.org/toussaint.htm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8596080.stm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-12125810
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11943902
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6195830.stm
http://news.discovery.com/human/haiti-cholera-epidemic-linked-un.html
http://open.salon.com/blog/judy_mandelbaum/2010/01/18/this_side_of_starvation_the_mud_pies_of_haiti

[sabrina 1]

54. Excellent question:

why else would the french government offer asylum to a murdering scumbag like jean claude duvalier, and keep him on ice until the time was right to throw him back into the hell-brew - when baby doc should have been jailed for life in the Hague, like slobodan milosevic.

I've wondered about that for a long time. I know I would not want someone like that living in my neighborhood.

And yes, where did all the money go that was collected as we watched CNN et al every night for weeks and weeks? I was worried about that money the minute I saw Clinton and Bush were involved. Whenever there's a large amount of money being collected, you will find Bush/Clinton travelling around together.

When I think of the years I spent defending Clinton against Bush supporters, only to find out he is practically one of that criminal family. You can be judged by the company you keep. I just wish I had known how fond of him the Bushes were before I wasted any time defending him.

But, what DID happen to all that money? From now on if I am going to donate to any disaster, I will find a family who actually has been a victim of the disaster and send the money to them personally. There has been no accounting of that money that I am aware of.

[EFerrari]

60. I think it's being used to build maquiladoras.

This is being reported as "rebuilding" when new sweatshops are being built with some token housing.

http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2011/news/international/1101/gallery.Reviving_Haiti_Manufacturing/index.html

[Bacchus39]

6. like you said yesterday, we should leave and let South American nations "take over"

although, I wouldn't be very optimistic on the results. The DR would absolutely panic I imagine.

[sabrina 1]

48. Take over the role of helping the democratically elected leaders

restore their country from the devastation of the occupation and the natural disasters it has suffered.

The Western empires have helped to keep that country in a state of oppression and do not belong there, their occupation and support for dictators has caused untold misery for those people.

Latin American countries have far more in common with Haiti and have been helping but their aid is restricted by the meddling Colonialists as always.

Put it this, it could not be worse for them than it has been since their country was first occupied by Global Colonial powers. The U.S. has business to take care of right here and should get their troops and NGOS, the CIA and mercenaries out of other people's countries. This country is falling apart and needs help.

[defendandprotect]

7. +1000% -- proving over and again how US imperialism is threated by democracy....

We've destroyed Haiti many times over --

Agree re Jean-Bertrand Aristide

Jean-Bertrand Aristide - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Early life...|First...|Opposition...|Second...Jean-Bertrand Aristide is a Haitian politician and former priest who served as Haiti's first democratically elected president. An exponent of liberation theology, he was appointed to a...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Bertrand_Aristide - Cached

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Sonoman]

10. The US booted Aristede because of cocaine.

He was going to flip Haiti towards the Cali cartel and take the deal away from Medellin, who have long been the darlings of CIA.

Here's a bit of info.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/RIE402A.html

Sonoman

[Bacchus39]

11. actually, I think the US diplomat told him US troops were not there to protect him

so if he stayed his life would be in jeopardy.

p.s. Aristide's security was a private US based company paid for by the US government.

[EFerrari]

17. He and his wife were escorted onto a plane by force

and they were dumped in Central Africa which was controlled by the French. US, France and Canada were all involved in this. Maxine Waters, Randall Robinson flew there to rescue the Aristides, Amy Goodman went with them, iirc.

[Bacchus39]

20. yes, they were taken to the Central African Republic

and Aristide went because it was clear the US was not sending troops to protect Aristide. the troops were sent ot protect the embassy initially. after Aristide left, the international force moved in for peace keeping.

the US rescued Aristide from certain death. that's a good thing.

[EFerrari]

21. No, the US trained the paras that they claimed were going to kill Aristide.

Check the links I put up for the other poster.

[Bacchus39]

23. no need, Aristide had US trained and paid security too

the US withdrew the security detail for their own safety and would not send troops to "protect Aristide" like he wanted.

he was a dead man. the US rescued him.

[EFerrari]

25. There were US troops and Canadian troops and no, they were not "withdrawn"

for their own safety. Aristide was shown to a plane which was boarded by himself, his wife, and a "security detail".

You're free to recount Donald Rumsfeld's version of this event but it's not accurate and we have first hand accounts that show it for the lie it is.

[Bacchus39]

27. provide info that US and Canadian troops were there

other than those that are always there who guard the embassy compounds. I've heard this claim before and never seen any evidence.

[EFerrari]

28. I've already directed you to the links I posted for The Wraith.

Forget about the argument and just check them out and see what you think.

[dipsydoodle]

34. According to this

"President Aristide said that he had been lied to by the U.S. ambassador, who assured him that he was being taken to a press conference to talk with international and Haitian media. He was instead forced onto a plane and taken out of the country in a U.S. coup d'etat," according to Flounders.

http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/43a/665.html

Well I never - a US Ambassador lying. :sarcasm:

:hi:

[EFerrari]

37. Haiti is being turned into a militarized work camp and the American media

is reporting it as "rebuilding":

caitlinbk caitlin klevorick
by USEmbassyHaiti
Rebuilding #Haiti's economy via @SKastenbaumCNN Note: up to 65,000 jobs in industrial park and USG bldg 5,000 houses http://t.co/zNFRWCd
21 Jan Favorite Retweet Reply

80% of Haiti's workforce used to be farmers. That was before Clinton jiggered the tarrifs to allow American rice to be dumped there cheaply.

[sabrina 1]

46. Maxine Waters would disagree with you. She was in Congress

on the day of the Coup demanding action be taken to stop it and to return Aristede to Haiti.

Everyone knows what happened that day because thankfully most of it was recorded as it happened. I remember it well, as I'm sure people around the world do. The only people denying the kidnapping were the usual suspects, the Bush gang of criminals and their allies.

I don't know where you are getting your information from, but it is massively incorrect to say the least.

[struggle4progress]

52. It's instructive to examine some parallels:

Aristide was the first democratically-elected President of Haiti. He was immediately ousted during the reign of Bush I, returned in in 1994, and was re-elected President in 2000.

Patassé was the first democratically-elected President of the Central African Republic; he was ousted by Bozizé's military coup in 2003.

Aristide was ousted again in 2004 and was flown overnight to the CAR. During the interruption of his first term, he spent time in Venezuela and the US. Why deport him to the CAR, so far away?

[EFerrari]

15. Um, no. Aristide was kidnapped and there are witnesses including

Maxine Waters.

BookTV segment, An Unbroken Agony
http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/Unbr

Aristide and the Endless Revolution
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5U8zQ8x3hI

[Bacchus39]

18. Maxine Waters was not there, and the CBC were begging Bush to "do something"

its not what they had in mind of course.

[EFerrari]

19. Maxine Waters flew to Central Africa to pick up the Aristides

where they had been dumped. So yes, she is a witness.

[Bacchus39]

22. no she wasn't

here is what you said: "Aristide was kidnapped and there are witnesses including
Maxine Waters."

and now you just admitted that she flew to CAR. she wasn't in Haiti with Aristide. she is not a witness to "kidnapping".

[EFerrari]

24. She found the Aristides where they had been dumped by their kidnappers.

Yes, she is a witness and so is Randall Robinson, no matter how you try to twist it.

Good grief.

[Bacchus39]

26. you'll say anytthing just like your claim that Brazil wanted to sell Ven planes. but check this:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4381511/ns/world_news/

Jackson, lawmakers seek Bush action on Haiti


The Rev. Jesse Jackson joined members of Congress and state lawmakers on Thursday calling for the Bush administration to intervene in the worsening rebellion in Haiti. Jackson, like the members of the Congressional Black Caucus who stormed the White House on Wednesday, put the situation in dire terms.

“Unless something happens immediately, the president could be killed in our own hemisphere,” Jackson said while visiting Tripoli, Libya, referring to President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who is under pressure to step down. “We must not allow that to happen to that democracy. We must give the best troops to Haiti to protect the president’s compound.”

A dozen leaders of Miami’s Haitian-American community, including state lawmakers, held a news conference Thursday demanding that President Bush allow Haitians temporary protective status until the situation in their Caribbean nation stabilizes.

“You cannot send people to a country that’s dysfunctional,” state Rep. Phillip Brutus said Thursday. “If you send refugees right now, the government will not be able to receive them, process them or resettle them, because the government is trying to survive on its own.



the second paragraph quoted from Jesse Jackson is almost identical to what the US State guy said to Aristide: go or you will be killed.

Aristide and the CBC wanted Bush to send to troops to protect him. Bush snookered them, of course.

p.s. visiting someone in exile is not witnessing a kidnapping. thats like saying if your neighbor's house is robbed and you go over to comfort them, you were a witness to the robbery.

lol

[EFerrari]

29. Congressmember Waters Contradicts Col. Wilkerson on U.S. Role in Haiti: "It Was a Coup D’Etat

On Tuesday’s Democracy Now!, Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson–Colin Powell’s chief of staff from 2002 to 2005–defended the US role in Haiti during the overthrow of democratically-elected President Jean Bertrand Aristide. We speak with Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) and Brian Concannon of the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti.

http://www.democracynow.org/2005/11/23/congressmember_waters_contradicts_col_wilkerson_on

[EFerrari]

30. The Haiti Coup One Year Later: A Look Back at the U.S. Role in the Overthrow of Aristide

On the first anniversary of the coup in Haiti, we look back at Democracy Now!'s exclusive broadcast when President Jean-Bertrand Aristide went on camera for the first time to charge the U.S. kidnapped him and overthrew his government. We also broadcast the interview of his bodyguard Franz Gabriel who describes the events surrounding Aristide's ouster.

http://www.democracynow.org/2005/2/28/the_haiti_coup_one_year_later

[EFerrari]

31. Witnesses: U.S. Special Forces Trained and Armed Haitian Anti-Aristide Paramilitaries in D.R.

As Colin Powell returns from his one-day visit to Haiti, we speak with criminal justice professor Dr. Luis Barrios about his trip to the Dominican Republic where he says lawyers, journalists, and Dominican soldiers all claim 200 U.S. Special Forces were in the country to train the so-called Haitian rebel forces before going into Haiti to depose Aristide.

http://www.democracynow.org/2004/4/7/witnesses_u_s_special_forces_trained

[EFerrari]

32. EXCLUSIVE: Condoleezza Rice Threatens Jamaica Over Aristide

Randall Robinson, who accompanied Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide on his historic return trip back to the Caribbean, reveals that National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice is telling the Jamaican government if Aristide is not immediately expelled from the country and anything happens to American forces in Haiti, consequences would be exacted against Jamaica in full force by the U.S.

http://www.democracynow.org/2004/3/25/exclusive_condoleezza_rice_threatens_jamaica_over

[ProudDad]

53. You'll say anything to impeach Aristide

Jessie Jackson wasn't a "witness" to anything either...

The coup was plotted with the support of the U.S. of Fucking A.

and Aristide was kidnapped by the U.S. of Fucking A.

[Bacchus39]

56. I have no objection whatsoever with Aristide returning and running the country again

if that is what Haitians so choose. and the US pulling all aid out too. let the cards fall where they may. I also would be very pessimistic about the results.

[sabrina 1]

47. There were witnesses, including Aristedes himself and his wife

Look, there is no doubt about it, so I don't know why you are struggling so hard to dispute the facts that the whole world knows and witnessed through Aristedes own reports as the coup was taking place.

And as has already been said, the many witnesses who have since reported what they saw.

[sabrina 1]

36. You lost credibility when you repeat Bush lies,

which you just did either wittingly, or most likely unwittingly.

Aristede was the duly elected president of Haiti ousted in a coup with the backing of Bush Sr. first, reinstated by Clinton, then kidnapped and removed illegally by agents working with the U.S. government and forcibly removed from his rightful position.

He has been prevented from returning by the colonial powers who have been meddling in Haiti's business since its inception.

Baby Doc, brutal dictator, criminal, thief, torturer and all round human rights abuser had no problem landing in the country. While orders are in place to prevent Aristedes from returning.

We'll see if the dictator is prosecuted, clearly he had no fear of that when he arrived.

As most of the European press has stated, logically, there is no way Baby Doc left France for Haiti without the knowledge of the French Govt. And there is no way the French Govt would not report that knowledge to the U.S.

The position of the U.S. if it had Haiti's best interests in mind right now should be to make a statement condemning the return of Baby Doc and in fact, helping to send him to the Hague, where he belongs. But there has been no such statement from the U.S.

[molly77]

38. Arristede was kidnapped by the US and not allowed to return. That was even in MSM.

[naaman fletcher]

63. yep. nt.

[gateley]

2. We think we own the fucking world. nt

[Sonoman]

16. Here's an interesting tidbit, gateley

http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/RIE402A.html

I thought that you might find this interesting

Sonoman

[Sonoman]

5. It's all about coke...

http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/RIE402A.html

[EFerrari]

12. Also partly about setting up Haiti as a maquiladora economy.

And, of course, to keep control of the island, and eventually, about oil.

[Peace Patriot]

13. Wow! Thanks for that info!

I figured that "Baby Doc" got re-recruited, but I wasn't sure why. I thought it was just to do the Colombia- and Honduran-style "cleansing" of trade unionists, community activists, human rights workers, teachers, leftist leaders, advocates of the poor majority--to decapitate the leadership, preparatory to U.S. "free trade for the rich" and enfoldment of Haiti into the Pentagon's "Southern Command." They got wind that Aristide was planning to return and got "Baby Doc" off his fat ass and on a plane, to be there FIRST (guaranteed bloodshed; no peaceful transition and the guy with the death squads wins).

But I didn't know about the cocaine trade, which adds a whole new dimension to CIA/U.S. corporate/war profiteer motives:

"It was a day before the scheduled return of Haiti’s exiled president Jean Betrand Aristide, and it was clear that the October 30, 1993 deadline for a return to democratic rule in the western hemisphere’s poorest nation could not occur. Aristide, a Roman Catholic priest who had been elected nearly three years before with 70 percent of the vote in Haiti’s first free election, was speaking to a packed session of the United Nations General Assembly.

"In a dramatic move, Aristide told the diplomats that the military government of Haiti had to yield the power that was to end Haiti’s role in the drug trade, a trade financed by Colombia’s Cali cartel, that had exploded in the months following the coup. Aristide told the UN that each year Haiti is the transit point for nearly 50 tons of cocaine worth more than a billion dollars, providing Haiti’s military rulers with $200 million in profits.

Aristide’s electrifying accusations opened the floodgate of even more sinister revelations. Massachusetts senator John Kerry heads a subcommittee concerned with international terrorism and drug trafficking that turned up collusion between the CIA and drug traffickers during the late 1980s’ Iran Contra hearings"

(MORE)

http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/RIE402A.html
("Haiti's Nightmare")

[goforit]

55. Yes it is and Aristede had too big a share compared to GWB.

[DeSwiss]

14. Oil. Oil. Oil. -- It's All About The OIL.

It's always all about http://open.salon.com/blog/ezili_danto/2009/10/13/oil_in_haiti_-_economic_reasons_for_the_unus_occupation">US greed and avarice. We can't allow the Haitians to govern themselves and to help them pull themselves from the morass. We can't provide REAL aid and support because that would likely strengthen them and make them begin to believe in their own self-sufficiency. Then they wouldn't need US.

So we "Monroe Doctrine" everyone else out of the way, and tell the world of how we'll take it from here. And then we send down a couple of former Presidents for photo ops, to demonstrate just how serious we are about "solving" all this. And then we stand back and wait for it all to fall in on itself. Waiting for the invitation. To just take over -- for us.

There is evidence that the United States found oil in Haiti decades ago and due to the geopolitical circumstances and big business interests of that era made the decision to keep Haitian oil in reserve for when Middle Eastern oil had dried up. This is detailed by Dr. Georges Michel in an article dated March 27, 2004 outlining the history of oil explorations and oil reserves in Haiti and in the research of Dr. Ginette and Daniel Mathurin.

There is also good evidence that these very same big US oil companies and their inter-related monopolies of engineering and defense contractors made plans, decades ago, to use Haiti's deep water ports either for oil refineries or to develop oil tank farm sites or depots where crude oil could be stored and later transferred to small tankers to serve U.S. and Caribbean ports. This is detailed in a paper about the Dunn Plantation at Fort Liberte in Haiti.

Ezili's HLLN underlines these two papers on Haiti's oil resources and the works of Dr. Ginette and Daniel Mathurin in order to provide a view one will not find in the mainstream media nor anywhere else as to the economic and strategic reasons the US has constructed its fifth largest embassy in the world - fifth only besides the US embassy in China, Iraq, Afghanistan and Germany - in tiny Haiti, post the 2004 Haiti Bush regime change.

The facts outlined in the Dunn Plantation and Georges Michel papers, considered together, reasonably unveil part of the hidden reasons UN Special Envoy to Haiti, Bill Clinton, is giving the UN occupation a facelift so that its troops stay in Haiti for the duration. http://open.salon.com/blog/ezili_danto/2009/10/13/oil_in_haiti_-_economic_reasons_for_the_unus_occupation">link

Because it's all about the OIL. The ENERGY. The MONEY. And the POWER that all this OIL will bring.

- Why else would we be pretending to care about Haiti???

K&R

[Judi Lynn]

33. So the US pressured the Brazillian Minustah commander Bacellar to smash pro-Arisitide

rebels, he resisted, then he inexplicably suicided, in the midst of his book-reading moment on his balconey.

From the great Guardian article you've posted:

i]When Duddy asked who might be in this group, the only name Fernandez suggested was that of former soldier and police chief Guy Philippe, the Haitian anti-Aristide "rebel" leader in 2004. A former Dominican general, Nobles Espejo, told a March 2004 fact-finding delegation (on which I travelled) that Philippe's contras had been armed by the US. Philippe had staged guerrilla raids and then invaded Haiti from the Dominican Republic under Fernandez's predecessor, Hipòlito Mejia.

Guy Philippe was a monstrous figure in the assault on Haiti, after arriving with his forces from the D.R.

He has been a real U.S. pet resource for years and years, hasn't he? From one quick search:

Early 1990s: Haitian Trained by US Haitian Guy Philippe is trained by US Special Forces in Ecuador.

1995: Philippe Joins Haiti Police Guy Philippe joins the new Haitian National Police and is posted at Ouanamithe near Haiti’s northern border with the Dominican Republic.

1997-1999: Police Allegedly Commit Massacres in Port-au-Prince Guy Philippe serves as police chief in the Port-au-Prince suburb of Delmas. According to Human Rights Watch, “dozens of suspected gang members… summarily executed, mainly by police under the command of Inspector Berthony Bazile, Philippe’s deputy.” Philippe will later deny the allegation in an interview with the Miami Herald.

October 18, 2000: Haitian Prime Minister Says Coup Preparations Underway The prime minister of Haiti says that Guy Philippe and others are planning to overthrow the Aristide government. Philippe and the other plotters flee across the Dominican border before they can be arrested.

(2001-2004): US Trains Anti-Aristide Army in Dominican Republic The United States Government funds and trains a 600-member paramilitary army of anti-Aristide Haitians in the Dominican Republic with the authorization of the country’s president, Hipolito Mejia. The funds—totaling $1.2 milllion—are directed through the International Republican Institute (IRI) on the pretext of encouraging democracy in Haiti. In order to evade attention, the paramilitary soldiers appear at their training sessions dressed in the uniforms of the Dominican Republic national police. The training—provided by some 200 members of the US Special Forces—takes place in the Dominican villages of Neiba, San Cristobal, San Isidro, Hatillo, Haina, and others. Most of the training takes place on property owned by the Dominican Republic Government. Technical training, conducted once a month, takes place in a Santo Domingo hotel through the IRI. Among the Hatians that take part in the program are known human rights violators including Guy Philippe and Louis-Jodel Chamblain.

February 2003: International Republican Institute Representative Meets Haitian Rebel Leader Stanley Lucas, who is the point man in Haiti for the Republican-dominated International Republican Institute (IRI) based in the Dominican Republic, meets with Haitian rebel Guy Philippe and his men. Three months later the group will cross into Haiti and attack a hydroelectric power plant. Lucas has long ties to the Haitian military (see Early May 2003). After the toppling of Aristide’s government 12 months later, it will be learned that the group had been funded and trained through the IRI (see (2001-2004)).

Early May 2003: US Trained Rebels Attack Power Plant in Haiti A group of at least 20 paramilitary soldiers—trained and funded by the US (see (2001-2004)) —cross into Haiti from the neighboring Dominican Republic and attack a hydroelectric power plant on Haiti’s central plateau. Shortly after the attack, Dominican authorities, at the behest of the Haitian government, arrest five men, including Guy Philippe, in connection with the paramilitary operation. But they are quickly released by the Dominicans who say there is no evidence of their involvement in the attack. Philippe is interviewed by the Associated Press afterwards and asked what he is doing in the Dominican. Philippe, who mentions to the reporter that he would support a coup against Aristide, refuses to “say how he makes a living or what he does to spend his time in the Dominican Republic.” Less than one year later, Philippe will participate in the overthrow of the Aristide government. On the same day the five men are detained, Haitian authorities raid the Port-au-Prince residence of mayoral candidate Judith Roy of the Democratic Convergence opposition. The Haitians claim to find “assault weapons, ammunitions, and plans to attack the National Palace and Aristide’s suburban residence.” The Haitian government contends that Roy is close to Philippe.

(March 15, 2004): Paramilitary Leader Shot for Refusing to Kill Opponent’s Supporters Guy Philippe orders 30-year-old anti-Aristide paramilitary leader, “Ti Gary,” to “go into the La Savanne neighborhood and kill Lavalas supporters.” When Ti Gary refuses, Philippe’s deputy shoots him with a shotgun in the leg.

More:
http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=guy_philippe

There's so much, much more to be learned about this US-backed, government-serving, brutal, bloody mercenary.

Thank you, EFerrari, for following this story so well. This article is clearly very important.

[bongbong]

35. Big fat DUH on that

If anybody still thinks the USA doesn't try to run everything in this hemisphere (and most of the other hemisphere), I've got some bridges and beachfront land in sight of BP oil rigs to sell you.

[molly77]

39. Arristeed should be allowed to go back home to Haitti.

The country is devastated. bill clinton and george bush sr. should release the funds donated to Haitti. and then stay out of their politics. Ours too.

[xchrom]

40. still. -- US still meddling in haiti. nt

[EFerrari]

41. This is what the State Department spokesman tweeted the other night:

PJCrowley Philip J. Crowley
We do not doubt President Aristide's desire to help the people of Haiti. But today #Haiti needs to focus on its future, not its past.
19 Jan Favorite Retweet Reply

As if the State Department or the Clintons, for that matter, have ever spoken for Haiti or ever had Haiti's interests at heart.

[xchrom]

43. all this concern for the 'past' -- with baby doc there.

:eyes:

[sabrina 1]

49. They are keeping Aristide out because he would not be a

puppet for them. And the people loved him.

What right does the U.S. have to interfere in the business of every country on the planet? And always on the side of dictators.

So, Baby Doc is not the past? Do they think he has a desire to help the people of Haiti too?

Haiti, like this country, needs very much to focus on its past and to prosecute those who commit crimes against it.

But I know, we are all for 'moving forward' and covering up the crimes of our friends and allies.

[EFerrari]

50. There were Haitian freemen fighting with us against the British

at the Battle of Savannah, hundreds of them. This is how we pay their grandchildren back. Sad.

[seafan]

42. Some illuminating history with regard to US meddling in Haiti:

From DU research from 2006, with a hat tip to our very own renowned Octafish:

Aristide told me the Generals ran Dope, Inc. on Haiti. Personally.

Coup in Haiti


Which brings us to today via EFerrari:

WikiLeaks points to US meddling in Haiti, January 21, 2011


But we're not supposed to notice what our government is doing.

Now, Baby Doc is back. Coincidence?

[EFerrari]

44. Imo, we are watching a crime in progress.

If we are forced to watch, we can at least call it by its name.

[rabs]

57. Speaking of big-time meddling ...

By BEN FOX and JONATHAN M. KATZ, Associated Press Ben Fox And Jonathan M. Katz, Associated Press –

Fri Jan 21, 4:52 pm ET
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – The U.S. State Department said Friday it revoked the visas of about a dozen Haitian officials, increasing pressure on the government to drop its favored candidate from the presidential runoff in favor of a popular contender who is warning of renewed protests if he is not on the ballot.

Revoking visas that let prominent Haitians enter the United States is the latest step in an escalating effort to persuade Haiti's government to accept international monitors' finding that Michel Martelly rightfully belongs on the second-round ballot

Martelly has adopted a combative stance and urged his supporters to take to the streets peacefully if the electoral council does not allow him to run against top vote-getter Mirlande Manigat in the runoff, in place of Jude Celestin. Demonstrations in December shut down all Haiti's major cities for days, hampering earthquake reconstruction and efforts to halt a cholera outbreak that has killed nearly 4,000 people.

"We are ready to fight for justice for everyone," Martelly said at a news conference while surrounded by bodyguards. "We won't accept an electoral coup."

---- snip ----

But an international team of experts from the Organization of American States found problems with the count. Its calculation indicated Martelly, a singer known as "Sweet Mickey," beat Celestin and should be in the runoff. The U.S. and other foreign forces have been pushing the government to accept that ruling.

------ snip -----

But State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley stressed to reporters that the U.S. wants to see the Haitian government accept the OAS recommendations.

"To the extent that there are individuals who are connected with episodes of violence or corruption, you know, WE WILL NOT HISITATE TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION," he said. (CAPS MINE)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110121/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/cb_haiti_election

[EFerrari]

58. Right in our faces.

:grr:

[defendandprotect]

61. kick for Haiti -- and WikiLeaks!

[Kurovski]

62. K&R. (nt)