#4142: Higbie wonders (fwd)

[Robert Corbett <bcorbett@netcom.com>]

From: Janet Higbie <higbiej@nytimes.com>


Well, my esteemed Simidor, don't leave us hanging.  Who did Jallot and
Lesage say received the payment  and for what news agency did he work?
If they didn't say, why didn't they?  How did they know about this
transaction?  Any documentation?    What did the journalist, and the news
agency say, when asked about the episode?   What did Chanoine and Duvalier
say was the purpose and the circumstances of the payment, and did they
indicate that others were paid?   These are very basic questions, don't
you think?

Janet

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Chamberlain is perhaps too self-indulgent in his noble portrayal of the
foreign correspondent in Haiti. There is one earthy temptation he forgets
to mention: greed. Can the foreign correspondent be influenced with money?
Nicholas Jallot and Laurent Lesage, authors of a book, "Haiti: 10 ans
d'histoire secrte" (Paris: Editions du Felin, 1995) report the following:
"The new regime [1986 post-Duvalier era] wanted to boost its image with
the big powers, France and the US in particular. Namphy and Regala decided
to polish their relations with the press. The military had no qualm about
picking up an old Macoute strategy. As a first step, the correspondent of
a major foreign news agency is handed $19,500 by Namphy. The man is not
surprised. He also received a regular envelope under the Duvaliers.
Jean-Marie Chanoine and Jean-Claude Duvalier confirm it. (p. 77,
translation mine)