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Haiti Foreign Press Update 2/6

by AHP
1. Press fail to identify key players and timing in Gonaives opposition
2. UN Statement in response to Gonaives opposition violence
3. President Aristide inaugurates new public hospital/Receives diplomatic
delegation
4. Opposition rejects talks with Aristide... by Ottey and Charles, Miami
Herald
5. Rep. Waters: "Time for US to get tough with Apaid and the opposition in
Haiti."
Michelle Karshan, Foreign Press Liaison
National Palace, Haiti
Tel: (011509) 228-2058
Fax: (011509) 228-2171
Email: mkarshan [at] aol.com


Haiti: Foreign Press Liaison Update - February 6, 2004

1. Press fail to identify key players and timing in Gonaives opposition
2. UN Statement in response to Gonaives opposition violence
3. President Aristide inaugurates new public hospital/Receives diplomatic
delegation
4. Opposition rejects talks with Aristide... by Ottey and Charles, Miami
Herald
5. Rep. Waters: "Time for US to get tough with Apaid and the opposition in
Haiti."
6. Websites from the Government of Haiti
7. Recent articles of interest on the web

1. Press fail to identify key players in Gonaives opposition violence nor do
they examine timing of terrorist acts

Haiti's Secretary of State for Communications, Mario Dupuy, responded to this
week's extreme violence by the opposition in Gonaives explaining that these
are "terrorist acts undertaken by the armed wing of the opposition." Indeed,
immediately after the attack on the police station in Gonaives (which includes
destroying the national prison there, aiding the escape of prisoners, burning
of government buildings, homes and stores, murdering police and civilians,
setting people on fire) the leaders of the opposition in Port-au-Prince openly
praised the terrorist acts in Gonaives.

Journalist Scott Wilson, in his Washington Post article, "Armed Attacks
Increase Pressure on Haitian Leader, Groups Extend Reach Into Provincial Areas"
published November 18, 2003 (see link at end of this section) described the armed
branch of the opposition as follows: "Many of the participants are either
former members of Haiti's military, which was dissolved after the 1994 U.S.
invasion that restored Aristide to power following a military coup, or they
belonged to a paramilitary force that opposed the president's return. The groups
have increased the tempo of their attacks in recent months, and are showing signs
of coordinating military efforts around the country."

In that same November 2003 article, Prime Minister Yvon Neptune stated, "Our
information is that there are links between some elements of these armed
groups with the opposition on every level -- financial as well as the political
goal of ousting President Aristide," Neptune said. "We're trying to show that
this is all a pretext for not wanting to participate in elections."

In reporting on this week's atrocities in Gonaives, the foreign press, so
far, has continued to portray the opposition in Gonaives as former Aristide
supporters when in fact the former military, macoutes and FRAPH figure prominently
amongst them! Today's Associated Press article by Michael Norton does admit
the presence of former military in Gonaives but distances their involvement
from the high command of the terrorists as follows: "Former soldiers of Haiti's
disbanded army carrying heavy weapons patrolled the streets in support of the
uprising in Gonaives."

Charles Arthur, of Haiti Support Group London, and author of several books on
Haiti, challenged the perpetuation of this myth when he pointed out that
mainstream media are filing stories from/on the opposition violence in Gonaives
without a mention of Jean Tatoune!

Arthur explains, "At the end of January 2004, Tatoune [Jean Pierre aka
Tatoune] was named by the anti-Aristide Artibonite Resistance Front as the new
'departmental police director'. The Front, which unites followers of Tatoune and
followers of the murdered Raboteau leader, Amiot Metayer, also named Amiot's
brother, Butteur, as 'police inspector.' Bertrand Wilfort, aka Ti Will, as
'departmental police commissioner', and Winter Etienne as 'mayor' of Gonaives.
Tatoune has led many of the violent attacks on police in Gonaives since he escaped
from prison in August 2002 (along with Amiot Metayer and some 150 other
inmates of the city prison). Tatoune is a former FRAPH leader who was sentenced to
forced labour for life in 2000 for his participation in the 1994 Raboteau
massacre."

Tim Collie, in his February 6, 2004 Sun-Sentinel article, "Opposition
movements in Haiti threaten country's stability," did point out the various players
although his article fell short of connecting the dots. Collie revealed that, "…
another group known as the Motherless Army, composed of former army members,
has carried out assassinations of government officials and sacked villages."
Collie continues more specifically about the Gonaives situation, "Thursday's
uprising was led by a group formally known as the Cannibal Army, now renamed
the Artibonite Resistance Front. Based in the shanty town of Raboteau, they are
a hardcore mix of former Aristide supporters and elements of the FRAPH, a
paramilitary squad that menaced Haiti during the early 1990s, after Aristide was
overthrown during his first administration."

In response to the murderous violence and anarchy in Gonaives, Haiti's
President of the Senate, Yvon Feuillé, asked is this what the opposition meant by a
"social contract." He was referring to the "social contract" of the "civil
society" group led by US citizen and Haiti factory owner, Andy Apaid. Robert
Fatton, a University of Virginia professor and political analyst on Haiti, in
Collie's article, wonders, "If what is happening in Gonaives is the opposition's
vision for Haiti, then the future is pretty grim indeed." Fatton goes on to
conclude that, "These are not democrats by any means - they don't have a
political philosophy other than power and money."

This week's attack on the Gonaives police station came on the heals of two
days of talks with the Caricom delegation in Haiti, who met with both sides in
an effort to move the process forward towards elections. Also, last week
President Aristide committed to continue the government's disarmament campaign
(last year the government of Haiti made it clear that this would be applied across
the board, regardless of class, political affiliation, or place of
residence). Further, the Gonaives attacks follow several positive editorials
appearing
in leading newspapers in the United States, all supporting Haiti's
constitutional government and it's democratic electoral process. The opposition also
became outraged this week by President Aristide's interview on CNN in which he
stated for the world that he would complete his presidential mandate of five
years and discussed the democratic principle of "one man, one vote."

Ira Kurzban, Haiti's General Counsel, views the Gonaives attack as a
diversionary tactic. When Caricom finished up their two days of talks in Haiti, it
was well established that the opposition had told Caricom that they would not
negotiate while Aristide is still in office. Kurzban explains, "I believe that
the incident in Gonaives was timed purposely to downplay CARICOM and the
opposition's non-response. For those of us who have been involved in this for many
years we are aware of the timing of such events to distract the "public" from
the real story."

For more on the opposition in Gonaives, see November 18, 2003 Washington
Post,
Armed Attacks Increase Pressure on Haitian Leader, Groups Extend Reach Into
Provincial Areas
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&
contentId=A54194-2003Nov17¬Found=true

2. UN Statement in response to Gonaives opposition violence

Press Release
SG/SM/9148
Feb 6 2004

SECRETARY-GENERAL 'DEEPLY CONCERNED' ABOUT INCREASING

VIOLENCE IN HAITI

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for
Secretary-General Kofi Annan:

The Secretary-General has been closely following the situation in Haiti and
is deeply concerned about the increasing violence. Yesterday's events in the
city of Gonaives constitute a further escalation in the violence that is
affecting the country.

The Secretary-General regrets the loss of life and calls upon all Haitians to
resolve their differences peacefully and through constitutional means. He
underlines his full support for the efforts of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)
in seeking a solution to the current political impasse as well as the
continuing work of the Organization of American States (OAS) Special Mission in
Haiti.

3. President Aristide inaugurates new public hospital. Receives diplomatic
delegation for bicentennial gathering.

February 6, 2004, President Aristide received several ambassadors who are
accredited to Haiti but reside in Cuba. These ambassadors are from African
countries, as well as from Switzerland. The delegation visited Haiti as part of the
continuing bicentennial celebration. Following their meeting in the National
Palace, they attended the inauguration of a new hospital built by the
government of Haiti located on Delmas 33.

In celebration of Haitian-Cuban cooperation day, Cuban representatives also
attended. As part of that cooperation Cuba has doctors residing in Haiti to
offer support and training to Haiti's health delivery system, particularly
outside of Haiti's capital where doctors are scarce. President Aristide, the
First Lady, the Minister of Health, and many others, presided over this
inauguration today. President Aristide, in his speech there, declared that, "We are
in
solidarity with all people seeking healthcare."

The hospital, named the University Hospital of Peace, is part of the State
University hospital system, and will provide care primarily to the large Delmas
area which spans from Cite Soleil to Petionville.

The hospital, built according to international standards, provides 200 beds,

The opening of this hospital follows the construction of primary and high
schools throughout the country, the construction of several housing developments
(Fleuriot, Mont Fleury, Quartier 2004, La Saline, ONAVILLE), the construction
of close to sixty public parks, and the completion of major thoroughfares. The
construction of this hospital was financed solely by Haiti's public treasury.
This is the second largest public hospital constructed, since the building of
the State University Hospital in Port-au-Prince during the American
occupation in the early 1900s.

The hospital which has 200 beds, will provide the following services:
Medicine, Surgery, OBGYN, Pediatrics.

Additionally, the hospital has four rooms for operations, and a service for
sterilization, an emergency department, out patient clinics, a pharmacy, a
radiology department, a laboratory, a morgue with autopsies rooms, a cafeteria,
sleeping quartiers for doctors, classrooms. a library, an area designated for
ambulances, the entry is handicap accessible, and has a backup power system in
case of blackouts, a large water reservoir system. (based on a National Palace
press release)

4. Opposition rejects talks with Aristide, Caribbean Community leaders end a
two-day mission to Haiti, saying President Jean-Bertrand Aristide and his
foes remain far apart, by Michael A. W. Ottey and Jacqueline Charles, Feb. 6,
2004, Miami Herald

PORT-AU-PRINCE -- Hopes for reaching a peaceful settlement to Haiti's
simmering crisis appeared dashed Thursday after key opposition leaders said they
would refuse to negotiate with President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.A mission from the
Caribbean Community (CARICOM), headed by Bahamian Foreign Minister Fred
Mitchell and CARICOM Assistant Secretary General Colin Granderson wound up a
two-day mediating visit with Aristide and his foes miles apart.A majority of
opposition members aren't willing to budge from their stance that Aristide resign,
according to Haitians who met with the CARICOM delegates, while Aristide is
insisting that he will serve the rest of his term, which runs until 2006.''We are
willing to negotiate through which door he leaves the palace,'' said Evans
Paul, leader of the Democratic Convergence, ``through the front door or the back
door.''`A LIAR'Paul called Aristide ''a liar'' who can't be trusted to meet
any of the conditions for a peaceful settlement. ``Aristide has zero
credibility. If we negotiate with Aristide, we lose our credibility.''Leaders of the
15-nation CARICOM, which includes Haiti, have been shuttling between the two sides
for several days now in search of some agreement to end the crisis and almost
daily street protests that have killed some 50 people.CARICOM officials said
Thursday they will nevertheless continue the mediation effort and will
dispatch yet another delegation to Haiti in coming weeks.Kenneth Murray Cook, the
Canadian ambassador to Haiti and a participant in the talks, said his country is
ready to step in and back the CARICOM process but would not back sanctions --
an option raised by one CARICOM leader.

ACTIVE ROLE
''Canada continues to play an active role in the process,'' Cook told The
Herald. ``CARICOM leaders have made it clear, and Canada supports them in this,
that economic sanctions would be an inappropriate tool to use to seek to
influence events in Haiti as it would be the people of Haiti who would
suffer.''Victor Benoit, a leading opposition member, said he was not optimistic
about the
CARICOM initiative because its leaders will soon realize that Aristide talks
from both sides of his mouth.While Aristide was meeting with CARICOM leaders in
Kingston, Jamaica, last week, Benoit alleged, ``his private army was wreaking
havoc in Cap-Haitien.''Aristide pledged to implement ''confidence-building''
measures following the Jamaica meeting. But he had promised the Organization of
American States to take those same steps two years ago during the hemispheric
body's lengthy initiative to bring political calm to Haiti.Today, many of the
steps have not been implemented even though the framework for doing so still
exists, said Luigi Einaudi, assistant secretary general of the OAS.Einaudi
said the OAS' special mission in Haiti already has 25 technicians on the ground
who monitor the situation, everything from security concerns to demonstrations
to the police. But it needs more help if chaos is to be avoided, he
added.''The crisis in Haiti is extremely severe, and there is a real chance it will
not
be solved peacefully and democratically. We have been working on it for some
time. We can use all the help we can get,'' he told The Herald.

MORAL AUTHORITY
While CARICOM does not have the financial power to force a resolution to the
impasse -- OAS officials estimate it will cost $70 million to $100 million to
pay for the security and other measures needed to resolve the crisis -- it
does bring to the table a political and moral authority that Caribbean leaders
hope will go a long way for both the opposition and government.''The important
thing about the CARICOM initiative is that in the search for a solution, it
directly involves a group of prime ministers who are experienced, tough political
hands with long records of being able to rule their countries well and who
have resisted the totalitarian temptation.'' Einaudi said.

5. Congresswoman Maxine Waters: "Time for United States to get tough with
Andre Apaid and the opposition in Haiti." The Haiti Bulletin, What You Need to
Know About the Region's Youngest Democracy, February 2004

"Haiti's opposition will just have to participate in elections like every
other opposition in every other country."

Congresswoman Maxine Waters is Co-Chair of the House Democratic Steering
Committee, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, and the House Committee on
Financial Services. Following the 2000 U.S. presidential election fiasco,
Congresswoman Waters was named Chair of the Democratic Caucus Special Committee on
Electoral Reform. Prior to being elected to the United States Congress in
1990, Congresswoman Waters served in the California State Assembly for 14 years,
where she rose to the powerful post of Democratic Caucus Chair. She has been
a key leader in the presidential races of Edward Kennedy, Jesse Jackson, and
Bill Clinton. She was a leader in the anti-apartheid movement in the United
States, was a key figure in Congressional efforts to restore democracy to Haiti
in 1994, and continues to be a no-holds barred voice for justice and democracy
at home and abroad. In this interview she talks to Hazel Ross-Robinson about
U.S. Haiti policy.

HRR: When last were you in Haiti, and what were your impressions?

CW: I was last in Haiti in January to be a part of the celebration of Haiti's
Bicentennial. I was there for five days, and I got a pretty good picture of
the situation. I believe that the opposition in Haiti is trying to foment a
coup d'etat. They claim that they are staging peaceful protests, but that is
not what they are actually doing. It is my impression that the opposition, led
by Andy Apaid, is simply involved in a power grab. They want to place a
council of their choosing in charge of the government and the country, instead of
accepting the will of the people and respecting Haiti's democratically elected
president. And they want to make sure that the governing council represents
only their interests as members of Haiti's bourgeoisie. They want their
group, "the elite", to totally control Haiti. The opposition's protests are
becoming increasingly violent and the United States Government, my government, is
not providing the required leadership. It is not meeting its responsibility to
help de-escalate the crisis in Haiti. The situation there is serious.

HRR: January 1 was the 200th anniversary of the Haitian Revolution. Leading
European and North American print and electronic journalists have been
telling their readers and viewers that there "is nothing to celebrate in Haiti."
Others outside of the media have been attempting to convince members of the
African diaspora that unrest in Haiti makes this "not the time to celebrate the
Haitian Revolution." Comments?

CW: I find any argument that discourages the commemoration - and indeed the
celebration - of the Haitian Revolution to be absolutely mistaken. How can
anyone expect a people who fought not only for their freedom, but for the
freedom of us all not to be remembered, honored, and celebrated? And the Haitians
did not only fight, they won! Most significantly did not defeat a minor,
insignificant foe. They defeated Napoleon, France, at the peak of their military,
economic, and political powers. As a result Haiti became a shining example
that inspired, not only Africans throughout the Americas, but others throughout
the central and south America to break free from Europe's stranglehold.

We must understand that this "nothing to celebrate" talk is consistent with
the longstanding attitudes of those who never supported the Haitian people, and
never wanted Haiti to be owned by Africans. It is consistent with those who
have always had their hands deep in the Haitian economy, and who are
determined to deny the Haitian people pride in themselves and pride in their
spectacular history.

I am just so pleased that President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, Prime
Minister Christie of the Bahamas, the Foreign Minister of Benin, and all the other
delegations from Suriname, Korea, Taiwan, and other countries came to Haiti to
stand with President Aristide and the Haitian people on Janaury 1.

And I am very pleased that I was able to be with the Haitian people as they
celebrated this phenomenal, unprecedented, and unsurpassed accomplishment by
black people for black people.

The celebrations turned out beautifully - untruths told by the international
media notwithstanding. I was a personal witness to the hundreds of thousands
of Haitians who turned out to cheer and show their support for their president
on January 1, but the international media was not truthful when they reported
on what happened in Haiti that day.

I am just so proud that President Aristide refused to be intimidated by the
opposition.
They had threatened to assassinate him, they said they would overthrow his
government, they demanded that he back down and stay away, but he did what he
had to do. And he and his people celebrated Haiti's glorious accomplishments
and its magical, unsurpassed history. It was a wonderful occasion.

You know, the State Department had advised those planning to travel to Haiti
around the time of the Bicentennial not to do so. I, for one, was told by
State that it was too dangerous for me to go to Haiti. And just one week before
the Bicentennial celebrations, a delegation of my congressional colleagues was
packed and ready to travel to Haiti when they were discouraged by the U.S.
Government from doing so. So they cancelled their trip. As you know, those of
us who did go were absolutely astounded by what we saw. We had been told that
there would be absolute tumult - of course there were some protests while we
were there, but nothing like we had been told there would be. We had been led
to believe that it would be difficult getting to our hotels, that driving
through the streets would be difficult, that there would be road blocks, that we
were getting into a terrifying situation. We got there and asked ourselves,
"What were they talking about?"

HRR: Haiti's Group of 184, headed by Andre Apaid, is demanding that
President Aristide step down. They say that their anti-Aristide demonstrations prove
that Aristide should go. What is your reaction?

CW: Andre Apaid is absolutely outrageous. He is power hungry. He knows
that Haiti has been undermined for years. He knows that Haiti has been denied
important resources - to which they were absolutely entitled. And he is
exploiting these weaknesses when he foments these protests. This is a naked power
grab and we need to find out more about who this Andre Apaid is.

They tell me that he wants to be president of Haiti, but it is alleged that
he is a U.S. citizen, by birth. That complicates things. I have been told
that his family has been in Haiti for a number of years now and that he
reportedly owns some 15 factories there. At any rate, we need to know more.

Where are the resources coming from to organize and publicize these
demonstrations? Are funds coming from Europe? They say that powerful sources in the
United States - including senators - have been providing funding.
Why is Andre Apaid continuing his ridiculous quest to remove Haiti's
constitutionally elected president? Why is the opposition committed to tumult and
havoc instead of agreeing to participate in the elections that President Aristide
has been calling for?

HRR: I wanted to ask you about that. Aristide says that elections are the
only way forward. The opposition refuses to go to the polls. What is the
appropriate United States response to this impasse?

CW: This is one of the things that really bother me about the US role in
Haiti. We do not publicly identify and expose the obstacles being placed in the
path of democracy by the opposition in Haiti. The United States should be
adamant in supporting democracy in Haiti. We should say to the opposition - "You
have the right to protests, but you do not have the right to provoke the
police and try to create crises. And you most certainly do not have the right to
stay out of elections and then blame Aristide. You are the ones who have
prevented the elections from going forward."

The United States should take the lead in ensuring that the world community
of nations understands that it is because of the opposition that there have
been no elections in Haiti.

HRR: The Jamaican media have quoted Prime Minister Patterson as saying that
Caricom might consider imposing sanctions on President Aristide.

CW: I have undertaken a thorough review of Caricom's proposal. I think that
Caricom is attempting to make it clear to all involved that they are going to
be tough because there has to be a solution to the crisis in Haiti. I think
that Caricom is sending a message to everybody that they mean business.

Caricom has also made it very clear that they expect the international
community to meet its obligations to Haiti by providing the resources that will be
required to implement the demands that they (the international community) are
making of this government. That is very important. And then, of course,
Caricom is standing firm on the importance of Haiti's constitutionally elected
president completing his 5-year term as specified by the Haitian Constitution. The
opposition is going to have to participate in elections like every other
opposition party in every other country. So I saw the sanctions reference simply
as a means of serving notice to everyone that Caricom wants and expects
results.

HRR: Any other comments, insights, recommendations?

CW: Caricom is offering all sides the opportunity to de-escalate this
crisis. The United States is now in the position where they must recognize that
Caricom Heads of State are involved in this effort and they (the US) can not
coddle the opposition holding out on elections any more.

Caricom's mediation efforts will expose the United States' position in all of
this, and I pointed this out in my most recent conversations with the State
Department, today. I stressed that simply by observing the way that the
Government of Haiti has conducted itself during Caricom's mediation efforts, and
contrasting this with the way that the opposition has conducted itself (refusing
to even be in the same room as Aristide, rejecting any form of negotiations,
rejecting elections, demanding Aristide's resignation, etc) makes it very clear
where the problem is in Haiti.

The United States needs to get tough with Andre Apaid and the opposition.
They need to let him know that attempting to close down Haiti by urging banks
and other institutions to close is no substitute for elections. The Haitian
voter has to be allowed to speak. Demonstrations are no substitute for the
ballot box. Aristide has embraced the Caricom proposal. Everybody else is
supporting the Caricom proposal. Andre Apaid and his opposition are simply going
to have to get in line. The United States is going to have to condemn what
the opposition is doing. It is time for us to get tough.

HRR: Thank you.

6. Websites from the Government of Haiti:
National Palace http://www.palaisnational.info
L'Union Newspaper http://journallunion.com/
Ministry of Foreign Affairs http://www.maehaitiinfo.org/
Haiti's Embassy to US http://www.haiti.org
Haiti's National Television (watch the daily news!) http://www.tnhaiti.org/

7. Recent articles of interest on the web:

Haiti: Aristide regime shaken by mass protests by By Richard Dufour, Feb. 6,
2004, World Socialist Website
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2004/feb2004/hait-f06.shtml

La CIA déstabilise Haïti, Reseau Voltaire, Jan. 27, 2004
http://www.reseauvoltaire.net/article11918.html

Analysis by the Council on Hemispheric Affairs (COHA)
Unfair and Indecent Diplomacy: Washington's Vendetta against President
Aristide
http://coha.org/NEW_PRESS_RELEASES/New_Press_Releases_2004/04.03_Haiti_Aristid
e.htm

Haiti and the US Game by Tom Reeves, Z Magazine, March 27, 2003
http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=2&ItemID=3337
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