Haiti - Aristide says international community must stop thousands of deaths and waves of boat people

APNewsAlert | February 24, 2004

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PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- President Jean-Bertrand Aristide says international community must come to Haiti's aid to prevent thousands of deaths and a wave of boat people

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Aristide makes impassioned appeal for international community to help Haiti; warns there could be thousands of deaths, wave of boat people

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) -- President Jean-Bertrand Aristide made an impassioned appealf or the international community to come urgently to Haiti's aid, warning there could thousands of deaths of rebels carry out their threat to attack the capital, and a wave of boat people.

It sounded like a call for a military intervention, though that was not immediately clear and the news conference was continuing.

"Should those killers come to Port-au-Prince, you may have thousands of people who may be killed," Aristide said.

"We need the presence of the international community as soon as possible."

[Redcoat LI]

Fear Not!

Bill Clinton will be there shortly,he's a man who knows the meaning of the word loyalty.

[redhawk]

The Toon needs to lead a UN delegation to Haiti to clean up this mess he created.

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Aristide warns more Haitians will become boat people, says rebels attacking Port-de-Paix

MICHAEL NORTON
Associated Press Writer

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) --President Jean-Bertrand Aristide appealed Tuesday for the world to come to Haiti's aid, warning that thousands of deaths and a wave of boat people could result from political chaos.

"Should those killers come to Port-au-Prince, you may have thousands of people who may be killed," Aristide said. "We need the presence of the international community as soon as possible."

Also Tuesday, rebel leader Guy Philippe told The Associated Press he does not want to install a military dictatorship but is seeking to re-establish the army that was disbanded after ousting Aristide in 1991.

With the rebels threatening to attack the capital of Port-au-Prince, the United States tried to broker a last-ditch peace plan that did not require Aristide to resign. Opposition politicians were weighing the plan, after being persuaded by Secretary of State Colin Powell to delay their formal response to 5 p.m. Tuesday.

At a news conference in Port-au-Prince, Aristide made an emotional call for Haitians to stay in the country, instead of fleeing to Florida, so that they can vote in new elections.

"The criminals and terrorists went to the north, to Port-de-Paix, and burned private and public buses, killing people," Aristide said.

"Unfortunately many brothers and sisters in Port-de-Paix will not come down to Port-au-Prince; they will take to the sea, they will become boat people."

[Carry_Okie]

Send them Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton.

[Prince Charles]

It's Shrove Tuesday.. Aristide should put on a shiny "necklace" to celebrate!

[Joe 6-pack]

And billy jeff was worried about not having a legacy...

[OXENinFLA]

WH PRESSER

Q A follow-up on Haiti -- in particular, the boat people. The President said on November 7, 2002, that the immigration laws ought to be the same for Haitians and everybody else, except the Cubans, and the difference, of course, is that we don't send people back to Cuba because they're going to be persecuted.

Well, what more proof do you need --

MR. McCLELLAN: April, I think you're referring to a different situation. At that time it was involving a specific --

Q Cubans versus Haitians and the boat people --

MR. McCLELLAN: -- it was involving a specific incident. And, yes, the President's remarks there stand. But the migration policy of the United States is very clear, and we have made it very clear that we have a plan in place to stop any boats and we will return people to their country of origin.

[KantianBurke]

Expected move by the dictator. "Help me out or else I'm make sure there are waves of boat people to mess with your communities."

[Young Werther]

I agree with Arrest-his-deeds.

President Bush must appoint special envoy William J. Clinton and rush him to Hate He ASAP! He sould be accompanied by a Congressional Liason, say the Junior Senator from NY.

Their one year mission is to re-establish law and order and report back to President Bush and the Congress on April 1, 2005.

(no foolin' huh!)

[MD_Willington_1976]

"Help me out or else I'm make sure there are waves of boat people to mess with your communities."

Missed key points...

"Help me out or else I'm make sure there are waves of HIV/AIDS infected boat people to mess with your communities and burden your medical facilities."

[RightWhale]

What is this international community? NAFTA? NATO?

[G.Mason]

Note to Jean (whoever): Please do not call here anymore.

Mr. Clintoon is no longer living at this address.

[reformedliberal]

These people are all working from the old talking points of the Left. Back in the (Clinton) day, all it took to get US panties in a bunch were the dreaded words:"body bags" or "boat people".

Too bad the updated versions have not yet reached these folks.

[cloud8]

"Back in the ([c]linton) day, all it took to get US panties in a bunch were the dreaded words:"body bags" or "boat people"."

Good observation. You know, 10 years ago Americans spent $5B to save Aristide's ass because he was a friend of clinton's and the Black Caucus. But this time it's not as simple, because Jean-Bertrand wants to hold on to power (it's nice to be the king), while the rebels want to re-establish the army that Aristide disbanded. I'd like to say, Let the French deal with it...they did such a *great* job ending the civil war in Cote d'Ivoire. The U.S. does have an interest in promoting stability and democracy in the Caribe, but when we get involved, it had better be under some very clearly-stated conditions: 1. Aristide is out. 2. Both Aristide's thugs and the rebels will disarm immediately. 3. Closely monitored elections will be held this spring. 3a. Jimmy Carter will do his meddling elsewhere. 4. The peace will be kept by security forces drawn from the Caribbean region and Francophone countries world-wide. 4a. To be paid for by said Francophone counties.