Posted on 10/16/2004 3:19:24 PM PDT by aculeus
Comments made by Senator John Kerry more than seven months ago may have helped trigger the recent wave of violence afflicting Haiti, according to the Brazilian commander for the UN peacekeeping troops in that Caribbean nation.
In an interview posted on the website of Agencia Brasil, the Brazilian government's official news agency, Lieutenant-General Augusto Heleno Ribeiro said comments made in March by Kerry had raised the hopes of supporters of Jean-Bertrand Aristide that the former Haitian president would be able to return to power.
"Statements made by a candidate to the presidency of the United States created false hopes among pro-Aristide supporters," Ribeiro told the agency. "His (the candidate's) statements created the expectation that instability and a change in American policy would contribute to Aristide's return."
Ribeiro was referring to statements made by Kerry to the New York Times on March 7.
The Democratic presidential candidate told the Times US President George W Bush's position on Haiti was "shortsighted" and sent "a terrible message" to the region and democracies.
Kerry said he would have sent an international force to protect Aristide as rebel forces were threatening to enter the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince.
"Look, Aristide was no picnic, and did a lot of things wrong," Kerry said in the Times interview. But Washington "had understandings in the region about the right of a democratic regime to ask for help. And we contravened all of that. I think it's a terrible message to the region, democracies, and it's shortsighted."
Clashes have been frequent in Haiti since a September 30 commemoration of a 1991 uprising that deposed Aristide. He returned but left the country again in February after a bloody three-week revolt.
Accused of corruption, profiting from cocaine-smuggling and using police to suppress his opponents, he left on a US-chartered plane as ex-soldiers leading a bloody rebellion neared Port-au-Prince, the capital.
Now in South Africa, Aristide has accused the US of orchestrating his ouster and insists he remains Haiti's democratically elected leader. The US denies his charges and says he signed his resignation before he boarded the plane.
Brazil has kept 1,200 soldiers in Haiti since May as part of a multilateral UN force. According to a UN resolution in April, the multinational force should have 6,600 soldiers and 1,600 police.
© 2004 AP
Who's the real warmonger?
Please delete the "1". Thanks.
Kerry will rot in hell for the damage he has done to our troops and the Iraqi people striving to breath free.
kerry is SUCH a tool.
he doesn't ever seem to stop and consider the consequences of his statements... or just doesn't care, so long as the personal consequences are a rise in his own power.
Kerry hasn't even been elected and his foolish remarks have started a civil war. God save us from this man.
Pa pa pa ping
Kerry-Edward said they would even give nuke fuel and assistance to Iran if they promise not to attack us, that's must be why Iran not negotiating.
If he is elected, I give him 3 months, before he is impeached or worse.
Damn...the world is already starting to see the aftermaths of Kerry when he's not even President. God help us all!
John Kerry has gotten a bunch of money from Iranian-Americans in donations - I thought Jerome Corsi (Unfit for Command) was supposed to have a press conference about this last week. I haven't heard anything about it but I'm not surprised , the media NEVER NEVER NEVER reports the negative stuff about Kerry WHERE IS THE STORIES ABOUT HIS 180 FORM,, HIS DISCHARGE 10 YEARS LATE
C'mon, it's "emboldening the enemy"
He can't help himself!!
Once again, John F'n Kerry, wrong side!!!
More blood on Kerry's hands.
btt
People are still dying, it seems, from Kerry's words. Thirty years later even....
I think the only way to fix this now is to make Kerry president of Hait.
I know. They would be a nightmare come true if they were to be elected. I feel sure they would 'negotiate' with North Korea too.
I read about his Iranian connection with donations. You KNOW Kerry had to have made some kind of deal with them to keep the Mullahs in power for their cash. I wonder how much cash they put in their own pockets too. The MSM is a joke! They will NEVER report the truth about anything.
"John Kerry has gotten a bunch of money from Iranian-Americans in donations - I thought Jerome Corsi (Unfit for Command) was supposed to have a press conference about this last week. I haven't heard anything about it but I'm not surprised , the media NEVER NEVER NEVER reports the negative stuff about Kerry WHERE IS THE STORIES ABOUT HIS 180 FORM,, HIS DISCHARGE 10 YEARS LATE"
Paging Dr. Corsi....
No doubt about it, stage one of FN John's PLAN for world peace.
Ho Chi Minh, Daniel Ortega, and Jean Bertrand Aristide.
Has sKerry EVER met a bloody communist dictator he didn't like?
I've sent this link to the RNC. Any other push is welcome.
Kerry is a living breathing disaster...
Been wrong about everything..
Silver tongued devil too stupid to know when the hell to shut up...
Too bad he ever escaped Vietnam with his worthless life.
Semper Fi
Why is this so clear to us.
But not to his supporters and the media.
There is not much time before the election, but this has to sink in to some people's minds before then.
It is just very frustrating. You have friends and collegues who express support for him and you try to explain this stuff to them and all you get is a blank stare.
I guess they will find out later if he is elected. We will get to say I told you so right after some city gets nuked or some terrorist takes over a country or some terrorist uses some other WMD device.
Hope the polls are right.
BTTT!!!!!!
False hopes? Heck, if Kerry were to be elected he might make good on a promise to get Aristide back!
I work with one.
I dislike Kerry as much as anybody but I couldn't care less what the Brazilian head of UN Peacekeeping troops thinks. Why doesn't he blame France for the cesspool that is Haiti.
BBC NEWS
Kerry gets blame for Haiti unrest
By Steve Kingstone
BBC correspondent in Sao Paulo
The commander of the UN peacekeepers in Haiti has linked a recent upsurge in violence there to comments made by the US presidential candidate, John Kerry.
Earlier this year Mr Kerry said that as president he would have sent American troops to protect Jean-Bertrand Aristide who was ousted from power in February.
The Brazilian UN general, Augusto Heleno, said Mr Kerry's comments had offered "hope" to Aristide supporters. Much of the recent unrest has centred on areas loyal to Mr Aristide.
More than 50 people have died over the past fortnight.
'Unfounded'
Eight months ago the Bush administration withdrew all support for Mr Aristide and made it clear he should leave Haiti.
John Kerry called that "short-sighted" and said he would have sent troops to protect Mr Aristide, who was an elected leader.
Now General Heleno, says those comments have offered hope to Aristide's supporters that should Mr Kerry win the US election in November the former Haitian president might be restored to power.
General Heleno said any hopes of an Aristide comeback were "completely unfounded".
Speaking to Brazil's state news agency the UN commander was trying to explain the recent upsurge in violence in Haiti.
General Heleno insisted the peacekeepers, most of whom are Brazilian, were doing the maximum possible to restore order.
He denied they had ever lost control of events in the capital, Port-au-Prince.
But the Brazilian government has appealed for UN troop numbers to be increased.
At present 3,000 soldiers are in Haiti, less than half the number originally authorised.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/3750350.stm
Published: 2004/10/17 02:33:05 GMT
© BBC MMIV
Er, some of us care about winning this election and believe that puncturing Kerry's pose as some sort of a genius-diplomat might help Bush win.
Plus, if any of you saw the Blood for Oil UN scandal on Fox news tonight. They name a houston TX oilman by the name of Oscar Wyatt receiving oil vouchers from Saddam Hussein....just like France and Russia did...and wouldn't vote in the UNSC to go to war with Iraq.
Just look up Wyatt O, from Houston TX on opensecrets.org and look who he gives money to. None directly to Kerry, but 50K from him and his wife to Democratic campaign...see some Daschle, some Shrillary Clinton.....I'd say this guy is not a good man...think about it...another reason Kerry likes the UN huh?
ping
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