-------------------------------------------------------- Delivered-To: •••@••.••• Date: Tue, 24 Feb 2004 12:05:39 -0400 From: Aaron Koleszar <•••@••.•••> Subject: Haiti: Five Facts and One Urgent Appeal ---<fwd>--- From: Dru Oja Jay <•••@••.•••> Date: Tue, 24 Feb 2004 00:43:29 -0400 Subject: Haiti: Five Facts and One Urgent Appeal Five Facts about Haiti: 1. The US Government Backs the Haitian Opposition Financially 2. The US is Integral to Economic and Humanitarian Disaster in Haiti 3. The Haitian Population Continues to Support Aristide 4. Canada Supports US Aspirations for Regime Change in Haiti 5. Disputed Election are Now Referred to as "Flawed" Elaborations and extensive documentation of these are available here: http://dominionpaper.ca/haiti An Appeal: After a good deal of research, we have come to the following conclusions: Haiti is in crisis, and an entire society stands on the brink of economic and humanitarian disaster. This disaster is *not* the product of some unfortunate circumstance, but the direct result of policies carried out by our governments. Paramilitary groups now control Haiti's second largest city, and are currently threatening to take over the capital. Meanwhile, humanitarian groups are not being allowed the access that they need, and untold thousands are starving. A democratic government is in peril of being subject to US-sponsored "regime change". As those in whose names this state of affairs was created, we are best positioned to change it. For there to be any hope in Haiti, the paramilitary groups must be stopped. After creating this horrible situation, our governments have refused to do anything to reverse it, preferring to blame Jean Bertrand Aristide, the elected president. Meanwhile, the media spreads blatant disinformation about the situation. To use a less delicate term: lies. We have compiled five documented facts, listed above. We ask that you take a moment to read some of the material we have compiled, do your own research, draw your own conclusions, and take appropriate action. The decision to "let Haiti live" can only be made now, and the impact will be felt for decades. We think that's worth your time. sincerely, Anthony Fenton and Dru Oja Jay . . . . . . Five Facts about Haiti (full version): [1] The US Government Backs the Haitian Opposition Financially Between 1994-2002, "Washington has funnelled some $70 million to fund and organize an opposition to President Aristide." [1] This opposition goes under the broad name of Democratic Platform, which is made of various elite-led opposition groups such as Democratic Convergence and The Group of 184. These groups are frequently cited by international media with no mention of their affiliation with the US government and the Brookings Institution (a right-wing think tank), USAID, and the International Republican Institute. [2] Beginning before the election of Jean Bertrand Aristide (with 92% of the vote), the opposition (whose support is estimated at between 8% and 12%) has called for Aristide's resignation, demanding that he share the presidency with them. [3] More recently, they have refused to negotiate with the elected government [4], continuing to demand Aristide's resignation. They have also called for the reinstatement of the Haitian Military. Not coincidentally, US officials have repeatedly hinted that Aristide must be replaced. [5] Instead of condemning the opposition--which, given their sources of funding, would undoubtedly have a profound effect--the US and Canada have placed the blame on Aristide. [6] The US may also be supporting paramilitary groups operating in Haiti. More than one comentator has pointed out the uncanny timing of a military aid shipment of US-made M-16s to the neighboring Dominican Republic and the simultaneous appearance of new M-16s in the hands of paramilitaries. [7] [2] US is Integral to Economic and Humanitarian Disaster in Haiti As recently as 1991, the US is known to have supported a military coup to overthrow a democratically elected government in Haiti. Former Paramilitary leader Emmanuel Constant told 60 minutes that the CIA supported the coup, during which over 5,000 Haitians were murdered. [8] Constant, who has been convicted of murder in Haiti, is one on many international terrorists being harboured by the US. [9] Since 2000, the U.S. has withheld over $500 million in direct economic aid to Haiti and has persuaded lending institutions, such as the Interamerican Development Bank and the World Bank to deny previously-approved loans, in excess of $150 million. [10] By contrast, aid money and loans flowed freely from the US when the murderous "Papa Doc" Duvalier was in power, and during the rule of the military junta between 1991 and 1994, when 5,000 Haitians were murdered and thousands starved. [11] Haiti's annual budget in 2001 was $361 million. [12] Numerous aid organizations have called upon the international community and the United Nations for assistance, as the humanitarian situation in Haiti is reaching crisis levels. [13] Thus far the Canadian government has pledged to send $1 million, while the US has offered only $500,000. Repeated requests by Aristide for emergency military aid have been denied by the US, Canada and the international community, who have all refused to intervene "until a political situation is reached." [14] The denial of financial or military support by the US continues while reconstituted Haitian paramilitaries continue to ravage the population. [15] [3] The Haitian Population Continues to Support Aristide In one of the largest protests in recent years, over 100,000 Haitians demonstrated in Port-au-Prince on Feb. 7, demanding that Aristide complete his five year mandate, which ends in 2006. The day also marked the anniversary of the fall of the US-supported Duvalier dictatorship in 1986. [16] The New York Times described a similar demonstration of tens of thousands on Jan. 1 as a "small but enthusiastic crowd". [17] Numerous parties that oppose Aristide in principle are supporting his five year mandate, describing the possibility of an "opposition" government as potentially horrific. [17.1] The apparent misdeeds most frequently attached to President Aristide are a case of disputed legislative election results in 2000 (which the opposition used to call for his resignation) and the violent actions of "pro-government gangs" against the opposition. Minimally, it should be pointed out that in what was described as a move to placate the opposition, Aristide immediately called on the relevant legislators to resign and for new elections to be called. [18] This did not stop the US from withholding aid for the next three years (see above). Aristide has in many cases condemned and arrested government supporters who have acted violently against opposition members. [19] While the media continues to condemn Aristide for transgressions that remain vague, Aristide's Lavalas party has accomplished much in the few years that it has held office. Since Aristide was first elected in 1994, more schools have been opened than were opened between 1804 and 1994. The military has been disbanded, health care systems have been expaned, the minimum wage has been doubled, a major successful AIDS education campaign was conducted, provision of anti-retroviral treatment has begun, and progress has been made in increasing literacy. [20] These gains, however, have been *in spite* of the dictates of the US. In particular, the US put pressure on Haiti to not increase the minimum wage. [21] The US government and corporate media have also actively disregarded Haiti's achievements in all areas. Documentary filmmaker Kevin Pina quoted a "prominent reporter" whom he spoke with in Haiti: "Hey, I am sorry but they are not interested in positive stories about Lavalas. I wrote it, submitted it and they told me they were not interested." The story in question was about the government's conversion of a Duvalier-era drug dealer's villa into a school for poor children. [22] [4] Canada Supports US Aspirations for Regime Change in Haiti The Council on Hemispheric Affairs (COHA) has said that Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham is "closely aping" the US line on Haiti, which "seriously distorts reality". COHA criticized also criticized Graham for failing to publically recognize that Haitian opposition "has obdurately refused in any way to join in a process of reconciliation". "The root of the opposition's strategy is the need to create the very chaos that Mr. Graham somehow appears to attribute to Aristide," the COHA statement said. "There is where Mr. Graham's outrage appropriately belongs." "Bill Graham's recent remarks yesterday on Haiti indicates that he is depending upon U.S. policymakers to orient Canada while not having a clue as to what is really happening there." [23] There is, however, a great deal of evidence that suggests that Graham isn't "clueless", but rather implementing Paul Martin's new policy of "deep integration" with US policy. Since he became PM, Martin has pledged close cooperation with the US, and appointed a Defense Minister who supported the war on Iraq. [24] Journalist Michel Vastel pointed out Canada's complicity in Washington's plans for regime change in l'Actualite in January. The Canadian government carefully denied it. [25] [5] Misrepresentation: Disputed Election is Now Referred to as "Flawed" The 'platform' for Haiti's opposition and U.S. policy has been the disputed elections of 2000, which saw 7 senate seats (out of a total 7,500 government positions involved in election) challenged over alleged vote-rigging. [26] By all official accounts, this dispute was rectified. However, the U.S. and the mainstream press have continued to grant the opposition legitimacy on these grounds. This, despite the fact that the opposition is largely responsible for stalling the democratic process: President Aristide has repeatedly asked the opposition to sit down at the table and set a date for elections, and they have repeatedly refused, creating the so-called "political stalemate". [27] With U.S. support, the opposition has built a disinformation campaign as well as an Aristide "demonization campaign" which has made Aristide appear as the antagonist. [28] A familiar tactic finds opposition-controlled media feeding falsehoods to the international press (primarily AP and Reuters), which are picked by national and regional dailies throughout the world, and then recirculated as 'international' news by the same opposition-owned media in Haiti. Kevin Pina, US Congresswoman Maxine Waters, and others, refer to this as "the disinformation loop". [29] This way a disputed and resolved political problem is able to become "flawed elections" and Aristide can be characterized as a "heavy-handed dictator", while the bleeding of the Haitian economy can be falsely attributed to Aristide's failure as leader. The "flawed elections" are still the official reason for the contined withholding of aid to Haiti. The people most affected by this are the impoverished Haitian majority. [30] Notes: [1] Kim Ives at: "US policy towards Haiti promotes economic instability" http://www.progressive.org/Media%20Project%202/mpin602.html [2] On Democratic Platform and its connections to Haiti Democracy Project see: "Anti-Aristide Groups split threat to future" http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-copposition14feb 14,1,7650882.story http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/43a/006.html http://www.haitipolicy.org, the website of the Haiti Democracy Project, and specifically a telling transcript of their position as stated in a National Public Radio broadcast: http://www.haitipolicy.org/content/1490.htm?PHPSESSID=6321cf5e7fe78 3ade9215b8ffda7bf8d Also see IRI's website for general information: http://www.iri.org/countries.asp?ID=7826537582 see also their Haiti-specific website http://www.haitigetinvolved.com. [3] See Stan Goff, http://counterpunch.org/goff02142004.html For a discussion of the elections, see http://www.progressive.org/oren0101.html [4] http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/international/jan-june04/haiti_2-16.html [5] Congresswoman Barbara Lee asks Colin Powell for clarification http://www.house.gov/lee/releases/04Feb11.htm http://www.house.gov/lee/releases/04Feb19b.htm Council on Hemispheric Affairs describes Washington's "option zero" policy http://coha.org/NEW_PRESS_RELEASES/New_Press_Releases_2003/03. 74_Haiti_Needs_Christmas_Present.htm Also see a Feb. 11 statement and interview with US Congresswoman Maxine Waters http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/02/16/1746202 http://www.sfbayview.com/021804/maxinewaterswarns021804.shtml Stan Goff: Bush administration is preparing to declare Haiti a "failed state" http://www.blackcommentator.com/78/78_haiti.html [6] http://www.zmag.org/content/print_article.cfm?itemID=3337§ionID=2 http://www.haiti-info.com/article.php3?id_article=148 [7] See Tome Reeves's "U.S. Double Game in Haiti at: http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=2&ItemID=4997, and Anthony Fenton's "Media vs. Reality in Haiti: http://zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=2&ItemID=4977 For more on the possibility that the US is funding Haitian "Contra", see http://www.dissidentvoice.org/Feb04/Pina0212.htm [8] On Constant, see under "1996": http://www.geocities.com/~virtualtruth/constant.htm. Constant admitted in a 1995 interview with 60 Minutes, that he was on a CIA payroll. An eyewitness says the US and UN failed to act to prevent the coup: http://www.newint.org/issue258/endpiece.htm [9] See Chomsky's "Who are the Global Terrorists?" at: http://www.chomsky.info/articles/200205--02.htm. [10] See Tom Reeves's "Still up against the death plan in Haiti", on economic sanctions at: http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Caribbean/UpAgainstDeathPlan_Haiti.h tml [11] http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/CIA%20Hits/Haiti_CIAHits.html http://www.giles.34sp.com/biographies/papadoc.htm [12] For economic data see: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ha.html [13]See "Caribbean Nations Appeal for Aid in Haiti" at http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/world/8008956.htm [14] See "Canada assists the people of Haiti," press annoucement Feb. 17th, 2004 at: http://www.acdi-cida.gc.ca/cida_ind.nsf/dccfe1952450f552852568db00555b47 /42e1e21cc6b2b01d85256e3d005ccb02?OpenDocument [15] On health and general crisis, see Paul Farmer's "Haiti: Unjust Aid Embargo during Health Emergency" at: http://www.haitireborn.org/campaigns/lhl/unjust-aid-embarg-p-farmer.php. [16] See Haiti-Progres' English coverage: http://www.haiti-progres.com/eng02-11.html [17] Haiti Action has the Times article and photos of the demonstration: http://www.haitiaction.net/News/NYT.html [17.1] The Jamaica Observer, Feb. 23 2004 [18] http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/html/20040201t040000 -0500_55163_obs_the_end_of_nationhood.asp http://coha.org/NEW_PRESS_RELEASES/New_Press_Releases_2004/04. 03_Haiti_Aristide.htm [19] One example of Aristide condemning violence which has gone unreported: http://www.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf/0/0fb8b6892e24769cc1256df600400ee9? OpenDocument [20] See Haiti Action's "Hidden from the Headlines:" http://www.haitiaction.net/HidFrame.html Also see a Feb. 11 statement by US Congresswoman Maxine Waters http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/02/16/1746202 http://www.sfbayview.com/021804/maxinewaterswarns021804.shtml [21] See the National Labour Committee's "How to Get Rich on 11 Cents an Hour" http://www.nlcnet.org/campaigns/archive/Haiti/0196/index.shtml Also: http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/43a/307.html [22] http://www.dissidentvoice.org/Feb04/Pina0212.htm [23] http://coha.org/NEW_PRESS_RELEASES/New_Press_Releases_2004/04. 10_Canadian_Foreign_Minister_Must_Lead_as_well_as_Follow.htm [24] http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2003/12/13/286297-cp.html [25] Canadian Journalist Michel Vastel has said that Canada is complicit in the US plan for "regime change" in Haiti. (Originally appeared in l'Actualite) http://www.radiohaitifocus.com/new36.htm The official denial: http://www.haiti-progres.com/2003/sm030312/actu03-12.html "Mais enfin, en quelle annee et sur quelle galere vivons-nous?" http://www.haitiforever.com/bbs/mensajes/101.html [26] See Randall Robinson's 'global call for action' http://www.blackcommentator.org/71/71_robinson_haiti.html [27] See John Maxwell's "Imagine! Nigger's Speaking French!!!" at http://www.nathanielturner.com/maxwellonhaiti.htm. See also http://haitireborn.org, especially their section on the aid issue: "Investigating the Human Effects of Withheld Humanitarian Aid", an extensive 61 page report: http://www.haitireborn.org/misc/delegation-report-1-11-2003.pdf See: 'Haiti's Humanitarian crisis, $350 million in aid withheld by EU': http://www.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf/0/61aefc65a15e2bc049256da30008a492? OpenDocument [28] For background see Ben Dupuy's "The Attempted Character Assasination of Aristide": http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Global_Secrets_Lies/Aristide_CharacA ssass.html [29] See Maxine Waters and Randall Robinson at "Haiti Opposition Attempts Naked Power Grab" at http://www.blackcommentator.org/77/77_haiti.html and see Kevin Pina at http://www.blackcommentator.com [30] See Paul Farmer's "Haiti: Short and Bitter Lives", http://mondediplo.com/2003/07/11farmer -- ============================================================ "...the Patriot Act followed 9-11 as smoothly as the suspension of the Weimar constitution followed the Reichstag fire." - Srdja Trifkovic There is not a problem with the system. The system is the problem. 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