February 11, 2004
In recent days, as opposition parties have waged war against the government of democratically-elected President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, Administration officials, such as Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, have indicated that “we have no plans to do anything [in Haiti].” Also yesterday, Secretary of State Spokesman Richard Boucher implicitly impugned the Aristide Government by saying that “a political settlement will require some fairly thorough changes in the way Haiti is governed.”
Recent reports, which Lee addressed in her letter, suggest that the Administration, directly or indirectly, may be providing resources to the opposition forces.
Lee’s letter comes on the heels of a Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) press conference this morning, in which Lee, Co-Chair of the Haiti Task Force, and the CBC declared that they were supporting the CARICOM plan, which calls for the cessation of violence, disarmament, and provides a peaceful and democratic means for deciding Haiti's future.
Connecting the Administration’s rationale of “regime change” in Iraq to its possible actions in Haiti, Lee asked Powell, “How can we call for democracy in Iraq and not say very clearly that we support democratic elections as the only option in Haiti?”
“I must say, Mr. Secretary, that our failure to support the democratic process and help restore order looks like a covert effort to help overthrow a government. There is a violent coup d’etat in the making, and it appears that the United States is aiding and abetting the attempt to violently topple the Aristide Government.”
It is imperative, Lee said, that the United States do more to help the Haitian people. “The present conditions in Haiti continue to deteriorate,” Lee told Powell. “People are dying and our own commitment to democracy is under siege.”
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Congresswoman Barbara Lee Questions Secretary of State Colin Powell About Bush Administration’s Commitment to Haitian Democracy
Washington, DC – Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), a member of the House International Relations Committee (HIRC) today sent a letter to Secretary of State Colin Powell asking for a clarification of the Administration’s Haiti policy. Secretary Powell spoke today at the HIRC, but due to the time constraints of the hearing, Lee was not able to formally pose questions to the Secretary, though she discussed the issue with him afterwards.In recent days, as opposition parties have waged war against the government of democratically-elected President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, Administration officials, such as Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, have indicated that “we have no plans to do anything [in Haiti].” Also yesterday, Secretary of State Spokesman Richard Boucher implicitly impugned the Aristide Government by saying that “a political settlement will require some fairly thorough changes in the way Haiti is governed.”
Recent reports, which Lee addressed in her letter, suggest that the Administration, directly or indirectly, may be providing resources to the opposition forces.
Lee’s letter comes on the heels of a Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) press conference this morning, in which Lee, Co-Chair of the Haiti Task Force, and the CBC declared that they were supporting the CARICOM plan, which calls for the cessation of violence, disarmament, and provides a peaceful and democratic means for deciding Haiti's future.
Connecting the Administration’s rationale of “regime change” in Iraq to its possible actions in Haiti, Lee asked Powell, “How can we call for democracy in Iraq and not say very clearly that we support democratic elections as the only option in Haiti?”
“I must say, Mr. Secretary, that our failure to support the democratic process and help restore order looks like a covert effort to help overthrow a government. There is a violent coup d’etat in the making, and it appears that the United States is aiding and abetting the attempt to violently topple the Aristide Government.”
It is imperative, Lee said, that the United States do more to help the Haitian people. “The present conditions in Haiti continue to deteriorate,” Lee told Powell. “People are dying and our own commitment to democracy is under siege.”
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