[Peace-discuss] Fwd: [ANSWER] Oppose Bush's Coup in Haiti

Mon Mar 1 12:09:57 CST 2004

Here's one view of what has transpired in Haiti. The situation seems 
akin to that which occurred in Venezuela, when Chavez was said to have 
resigned. Now, Aristide is said to have resigned and the NYT quotes 
from his letter of resignation. On the other hand, interviews aired on 
"Democracy Now"  imply that he did not resign, but rather was forced 
out, even "kidnapped". Since the media to which we have access are 
largely in cahoots with the U.S. (and French) administration, it is 
well to be skeptical about present reports; we'll have to let the dust 
settle to find out the "truth". In view of the characters who led the 
insurgency, former disbanded military, many acknowledged to have 
committed human rights violations in former régimes, and the waiting 
game played by the U.S. , I tend to believe that what we have here is 
another U.S. inspired coup.

Notwithstanding how bad or good Aristide was, it is clear that he was 
up against U.S. administrations, who since 1994 strangled the country 
economically. He clearly has been demonized; to what extent he deserves 
blame for what has happened is a matter that needs unbiased evaluation, 
--hard to come by.

MKB

Begin forwarded message:

> From: "A.N.S.W.E.R." <answer at action-mail.org>
> Date: February 29, 2004 11:34:11 PM CST
> To: ANSWER.general at organizerweb.com
> Subject: [ANSWER] Oppose Bush's Coup in Haiti
> Reply-To: answer at action-mail.org
>
> OPPOSE BUSH'S COUP IN HAITI
>
> The A.N.S.W.E.R. (Act Now to Stop War & End Racism) Coalition condemns 
> the U.S.-led coup carried out today against the elected president of 
> Haiti, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, as well as the U.S. occupation of that 
> country. U.S. marines have entered Haiti tonight (February 29).
>
> Whether President Aristide was actually kidnapped by U.S. forces, as 
> some sources have reported, or was just presented with 'an offer he 
> couldn't refuse,' there is no question that Washington played the 
> decisive role in this regime change. The coup in Haiti is reminiscent 
> of similar deadly CIA operations in Iran, Guatemala, the Congo, Chile 
> and numerous other countries in the last half-century.
>
> The removal of President Aristide follows more than a century of U.S. 
> intervention in Haiti, and years of destabilization designed to bring 
> about the destruction of the Aristide government. This negation of 
> Haiti's democracy and sovereignty by the U.S. comes as the country is 
> marking its 200th anniversary of independence which followed the 
> heroic revolt against slavery and the creation of the first free Black 
> republic in the Western Hemisphere.
>
> Since the election of Aristide to a second term in late 2000 with 92% 
> of the vote, Washington has maintained economic sanctions against the 
> poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Sanctions have had the 
> intended effect of wearing down the people and popular support for the 
> Aristide government by denying food, medicine and other necessities of 
> life to the population. Haiti's poverty today is a direct result of 
> centuries of slavery and exploitation for the benefit of corporate 
> interests in France and the U.S.
>
> In addition, the U.S. has extended financial and political support to 
> the so-called "Democratic Convergence," the right-wing opposition. 
> According to a story in today's Miami Herald, State Department 
> spokesman Richard Boucher said today that the U.S. "facilitated" 
> Aristide's departure. Ira Kurzban, an Aristide spokesman in Miami, 
> said he believed "U.S. intelligence agencies were involved in the 
> ouster. ... This was a major operation by the intelligence agencies of 
> the U.S."
>
> Congressperson Charles Rangel, a member of the Congressional Black 
> Caucus, said that the U.S. government is "just as much as part of this 
> coup d'etat as the rebels, looters or anyone else." (ABC's "This 
> Week," Feb. 29, 2004)
>
> According to Reuters, U.S. civil rights leader Jesse Jackson called 
> Aristide's resignation an "American-assisted coup," and U.S. Rep. 
> Maxine Waters, a California Democrat, demanded to know where the 
> Haitian leader was being taken one day after he told her "he would 
> rather die than leave." "When I last talked to him (Aristide) 
> yesterday, he was not going to leave. He said he would rather die than 
> leave. And then I wake up this morning and I find out that my 
> government has landed at his home with Marines. How did they get him 
> to leave? What did they do? And where is he?" Waters said in an 
> interview with CNN.
>
> The Bush Administration has arrogantly and illegally embarked on a 
> policy of "regime change" in Afghanistan, Iraq, Haiti and elsewhere. 
> On March 20, the first anniversary of the start of the unprovoked war 
> of aggression against Iraq, people around the world will take to the 
> streets in massive numbers. We will demand: Bring the Troops Home Now 
> and End Occupation from Iraq to Palestine and Everywhere. We will also 
> be marching to oppose the criminal role of the Bush administration in 
> ousting the first democratically elected government in Haiti's 
> history.
>
> * * * * * * * * * *
>
> PLANS ARE UNDERWAY FOR EMERGENCY DEMONSTRATIONS:
> *San Francisco - Monday, March 1, 5 pm, Powell & Market
> *New York City - Tuesday, March 2, 4:30 to 6 pm, Times Square to the UN
>
> * * * * * * * * * *
>
> To read the background statement on Haiti issued by the A.N.S.W.E.R. 
> Coalition on February 11, go to
> http://www.internationalanswer.org/news/update/021104haiti.html
>
> On Friday, February 27, a press conference on the U.S. role in the 
> Haitian crisis was held in Washington DC. For a report, photographs 
> and the UPI article, go to
> http://www.internationalanswer.org/news/update/022804haiti.html
>
> ---------------------------
>
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