13448: Pina: AP article-Haitian officials tell Dominican Republic of 'plots' by Haitian (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: kevin pina <kpinbox@hotmail.com>

Haitian officials tell Dominican Republic of 'plots' by Haitian exiles
Thu Oct 24, 4:55 PM ET
By ANDRES CALA, Associated Press Writer

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic - Haitian officials said Thursday that
exiles from their country now living in the Dominican Republic were plotting
to overthrow Haiti's President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, officials said.



During an impromptu visit Thursday, Haiti's Foreign Minister Joseph Philippe
Antonio and Inspector General Harvel Victor Jean Baptiste expressed concern
"over the activities of some exiles here," according to Dominican Foreign
Minister Hugo Tolentino Dipp.


The Haitian officials "didn't address anything precise or any specific
activity," Tolentino said. Nevertheless, he said Dominican authorities would
investigate.


The Haitian officials declined to comment after Thursday's meeting. Haiti's
government also refused comment in Port-au-Prince.


Haiti and the Dominican Republic share the Caribbean island of Hispaniola,
as well as centuries-old grudges over issues such as migration and border
security.


Earlier this year, Haitian authorities alleged that former Haitian police
official Guy Philippe was plotting against Aristide's government from exile
in the Dominican Republic.


Philippe has been under Dominican military house arrest since December, when
he fled Haiti after being accused of organizing an attack on the Haitian
National Palace.


Aristide says the Dec. 17 attack by an armed commando was a coup attempt,
while the opposition says it was staged as a pretext to clamp down on
dissent. Following the attack, rampaging Aristide partisans burned down
opposition headquarters and threatened at least a dozen journalists.


During a January visit by Aristide to this Spanish-speaking country,
Dominican President Hipolito Mejia promised to transfer Philippe to a third
country.


But Dominican authorities said the countries they approached had rejected
harboring Philippe. Haiti and the Dominican Republic have no extradition
treaty, an issue that has helped muddy relations.


The Dominican Republic also continues to keep 11 former Haitian soldiers
accused in their country of a July 2001 attack on a Haitian police academy.
Tolentino did not comment on their status.

Aristide told Dominican journalists in Haiti last month that there were
exiles plotting against him from foreign countries, which he did not name.
Mejia said he spoke with Aristide that day and was investigating the
complaint.


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