Through These Trees, I See Haiti's Murderous Army Reborn

[Tinoire]

Through These Trees, I See Haiti's Murderous Army Reborn

First Person, Jean Charles Moise,
Pacific News Service, Mar 12, 2004

Editor's Note: A mayor from northern Haiti currently in hiding says that the Haitian army is back in force, shooting people and burning homes. How could this happen, he asks -- and where are they getting the all the heavy weaponry?

CAP HAITIAN, Haiti--I am the mayor of Milo, a district of about 50,000 people near Cap Haitian. When I was elected nine years ago, at the age of 28, I was the youngest to serve in that office in Haiti's modern history. I've traveled in the United States on speaking tours, telling Americans about how we were building democracy in Haiti under the Aristide government. In late February my district came under attack by anti-Aristide forces and I fled for my life. From where I am now -- hiding in the woods -- I see the old Haitian army is back. Those they don't kill, they lock up in containers, because they burned down the jails. The kind of containers you put on ships.

<snip>

The journalists are in Port-au-Prince, but here in the north no one is reporting what's going on, that the former Haitian military is killing people. They are killing about 50 people a day in Cap Haitian. It's happening not just in the northern department but also in the central plateau, in the Artibone region.

Can you imagine that on Monday at 2 p.m. the former military declared a curfew that would start at 4 p.m.? The peasants, many of them are poor and do not have a radio, so how could they hear of this curfew? So what happened at 4 p.m.? The former military took to the streets and anyone they saw on the streets they shot. This is the kind of stuff that is going on. Can you imagine this?

<snip>

One has to ask, why is all of this happening? Is this because we used to have only 10 public high schools but now we have over 150? Is it because we made a democracy where people could go in the streets, protest, and be free to say whatever they want? Is it because black people in the country now, people who were poor and always kept out of the political life of the country, they have come out and have been participating in democracy? Is that why they have unleashed this terror on us? Is that what we are paying for?

<snip>

I cannot understand how a group of disbanded military has access to such sophisticated equipment and heavy weaponry. They have two helicopters and they have two airplanes. They use the helicopter to transport their troops and they use them at night with spotlights to look for people in hiding. They are in the air and they have their troops on the ground.

<snip>

http://news.pacificnews.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=aa16f14906179637bcdc408755cce7e5

[DuctapeFatwa]

1. I'm not at all sure expanding the crusade to the caribbean will produce

the results the regime hopes for. Then again, I could be wrong about what it hopes for..

[DoYouEverWonder]

2. We need to find out

where all these American made weapons are coming from. Haiti has been under a trade and arms embargo for over a decade. So whoever is supplying these weapons is breaking the law. Why do I get the feeling that someone in Bu$hCo has the receipts?

[punpirate]

3. I have no doubt that Latortue or his eventual replacement...

... will demand that the Haitian military be formally reinstated, and that Haiti will need U.S. military aid. Shortly thereafter, the Dominican Republic will claim an unfair advantage accruing to Haiti, and they will demand U.S. military aid, as well.

Who benefits from that? U.S. military arms manufacturers....

[beanball]

4. The return of the ton ton mercout.

Shrub can use them in Iraq.( I hope mercout is spelled correctly).

[KG]

5. and to think there were those on DU claiming Aristede was the bad guy.

hope they're happy with the real criminals in power there now.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

6. With Aristide's return...

to the region (Jamaica), it will be VERY interesting to see how the press and the WH responds.