Jean-Bertrand Aristide

Jean-Bertrand Aristide (born July 15, 1953) is a Haitian politician and former Roman Catholic priest who was President of Haiti in 1991, from 1994 to 1996, and again from 2001 to 2004. Aristide's supporters laud him as "the first democratically elected leader of Haiti" and a friend of the poor. Critics claim that he became dictatorial and corrupt once in power, and was unpopular enough to be twice overthrown, first in a military coup (September 1991) and subsequently in a rebellion in which former soldiers prominently participated (February 2004). After his second ouster, he maintained from exile in South Africa that he was still the legal and legitimate president and that U.S. forces had kidnapped him.

Departure from Haiti

In the early morning of February 29, 2004, after being harshly condemned by the governments of France and the United States, Aristide flew on a US-dispatched airplane to the Central African Republic. The circumstances surrounding this flight are a matter of controversy.

Related Topics:
February 29 - 2004 - France - United States - Central African Republic

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

According to a Washington Times, article of April, 2004

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:Mr. Aristide, who accuses the United States and France of conspiring to force him out of power, filed a lawsuit in Paris last week accusing unnamed French officials of "death threats, kidnapping and sequestration" in connection with his flight to Africa.

Related Topics:
United States - France - Paris

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:The Bush administration insists that Mr. Aristide had personally asked for help and voluntarily boarded a U.S. plane. "He drafted and signed his letter of resignation all by himself and then voluntarily departed with his wife and his own security team," Mr. Powell said. http://www.washtimes.com/world/20040406-124703-4585r.htm

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Many media sources reported that Aristide had resigned and been refused asylum by South Africa. On March 1, 2004, US Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), along with Randall Robinson, a family friend of the Aristides, each reported that Aristide had told them using a smuggled cellular telephone that he had been forced to resign against his will by United States diplomats and Marines, and that he was abducted against his will, and continued to be held hostage by an undisclosed armed military guard. http://www.democracynow.org/index.pl?issue=20040301, http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040229/ts_nm/haiti_usa_dc_13

Related Topics:
South Africa - March 1 - 2004 - Maxine Waters - Randall Robinson - Marines

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When asked whether Aristide was guarded in the Central African Republic by French officers, the French Defense Minister answered that Aristide was protected, not imprisoned, and that he would leave when he could; and that France had many officers present in the Central African Republic following the recent events in that country, but that they did not control Aristide's comings and goings http://www.defense.gouv.fr/actualites/communiques/2004/i020304/020304.htm.

Related Topics:
Central African Republic - French - Defense Minister

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Both Maxine Waters and United States congressman Charles Rangel, http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040301/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/us_haiti_20 who also reported talking to Aristide via cellular telephone, said that Aristide said he had not been handcuffed while being led away, while the Agence France Press reported that the caretaker at Aristide's house claimed that Aristide had been handcuffed and led away at gunpoint.http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ft/20040302/bs_ft/1077690805324. Other reports of Aristide being led away by heavily armed American troops have been made by an Aristide bodyguard and an Orthodox missionary http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=497303. Aristide told CNN that there were unidentified civilian Americans and Haitians who had forced him to resign and board the plane leaving Haiti. http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040302/ts_nm/haiti_aristide_kidnap_dc_9

Related Topics:
Charles Rangel - CNN

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The United States vice-president Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Colin Powell both reported that Aristide had resigned willingly http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20040302-024937-3556r.htm, http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1078139090204&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968705899037. The Associated Press reported that the Central African Republic tried to get Aristide to stop repeating his charges to the press http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20040302-1154-aristideexile.html. Aristide has further alleged that the resignation statement that is being touted was altered to remove a conditional statement in which he stated,"'If I am obliged to leave in order to avoid bloodshed." http://www.reuters.co.uk/printerFriendlyPopup.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=467806; this was confirmed by a Reuters translation of Aristide's original statement, which matches up word for word except for the one line, in which the conditional has been removed. On 14 March 2004, he left the Central African Republic for Jamaica, to the dismay of the French and American governments, who felt that his presence in the area would have a destabilizing effect on Haiti. The American ambassador to Haiti, James Foley, issued a warning to Aristide to stay at least 150 miles away from Haiti at all times. Condoleezza Rice is reported to have said that she did not want him in the Western Hemisphere. http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/2004/200403/20040316.html

Related Topics:
Dick Cheney - Colin Powell - Associated Press - 14 March - 2004 - Central African Republic - Jamaica - Condoleezza Rice

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After arriving in Jamaica, Aristide gave a full interview, in which he claimed the following specifics (note: The US has neither confirmed nor denied these details, but has insisted that Aristide left willingly): He had met with US ambassador James Foley on February 28, 2004 — the day before the rebels were supposed to attack the capital. Foley agreed that Aristide should go on national television to appeal to the nation to remain calm, as he had done the night before. When he arrived at his residence, it was surrounded by "thousands" of troops, mostly Americans, which made him feel intimidated. The Americans told him they would provide him security as they escorted him to the media; however, instead, they took him straight to a white unmarked airplane with a US flag on the side. He was then obliged to board, followed by US troops in full gear who changed into civilian clothes once on board. On board were his wife and 19 members of Steele Foundation, a private military company.

Related Topics:
Jamaica - February 28 - 2004 - Steele Foundation

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Aristide's account was directly backed up by two witnesses: a pilot and Aristide aide, Franz Gabriel; and an American security guard on the security detail, who told the Washington Post about the subterfuge to lure Aristide away: "That was just bogus. It's a story they fabricated." http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A61549-2004Mar15

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On May 31, 2004, Aristide and his family flew to Johannesburg, South Africa, along with US Congressmen from the Congressional Black Caucus. South Africa characterized his stay as "temporary".

Related Topics:
May 31 - 2004 - Johannesburg - South Africa - US Congressmen - Congressional Black Caucus

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

One year after his departure from Haiti several high ranking members of his government have been arrested or convicted for drug trafficking by the U.S. Government. Including the Airport Director and Head of Palace Security. Many have implicated Aristide however no charges have been filed against the Former President.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~