Haiti Update

Haiti Update
May 11, 2004
By Patrick Young


Two days ago, 20 marines stormed the house of a Haitian supporter of Aristide around midnight. there is little doubt about who did the deed, as we (Journalist Kevin Pina and Community Alliance correspondent Patrick Young) have still photos, digital video of the following:

The doors of the house (heavy steel, like most in Haiti ) blown inward.. A pickup in the patio area, with the bed exploded, and the tailgate destroyed, along with the back window. Virtually all of the secondary doors of the house (the ones when just past the external "moat" of about 15 feet concrete wall, i.e. the doors of the house) blown apart. Virtually every room of the house was full of shattered glass and chaos. Shotgun holes through the roof as the assailants fired into the ceiling to terrorize the residents.

However, the most "interesting" piece of evidence? US Army issue triggers for the c4 or c5 explosives, in standard olive drab green, with standard US instructions in yellow. Three were recovered from the blast, along with some white apparatuses, and connecting wire.

We have this evidence in our possession, after we took numerous photos on numerous cameras. it is available for anyone to see, to examine, etc.

11 people were taken away. Ten were released after questioning, but a 69 year old woman, Annette Auguste, is being held incommunicado at the Haitian prison in Port Au Prince. After visiting the prison, and talking with the officer in charge, we were told we could not see her until we had further authorization. A speedy trip to the Bureau of Prison and an interview with one of the chiefs of the system also proved fruitless.

Ms. Auguste is a know supporter of President Jean Bertrand Aristide, and a topic of truly silly slander as of late, including the fact that she is a voodoo priestess (although she, like many Haitian's, does believe in her native religion, which is "Vodun" aka voodoo) and that she sacrifices children, and bathed deposed president Aristide in blood as (?) good luck in the 2000 elections, or to ensure the defeat of George Bush, or ....

The vital part of this info is as follows: US marines are here as PEACEKEEPERS, not to become de facto armed persecutors of supporters of the former regime. Furthermore, Ms. Auguste is not being held as a normal Haitian prison. She is being held in a special section of the Haitian prison system taken over by the US military. She has been denied visitation by the International press, in fact she appears to have been denied the basic rights inherent in the Haitian Constitution.

As incredible as this sounds, my personal calls to media outlets in the US have so far shown no one even knows the story.

Yes, a three story house is blown apart (actually inward), a family is in their home sleeping while plastic explosives and concussion grenades are tapped into and around their home, the family dog was decapitated by the lone Creole speaking soldier, the people were not only invaded, but had black sacks put over their heads and forced to the floor by the shouted commands of the home invaders, US military ordnance is found on the scene, documented by photos and video, and this HASN'T MADE THE NEWS?

There will be more to follow. I would assume by this time tomorrow the staff at public radio will be airing the story, as the two authors (Kevin Pina and a young lawyer from the Bay Area) pound the keyboard and double check their sources.

Live from Port au Prince

Patrick Young
International correspondent
Community Alliance Magazine
Fresno Ca
http://www.fresnoalliance.com/home