13538: Pina: FWD: Haiti's Govt Counsel Responds to Statements by US Amb.Noriega (PRNewswire) (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

FROM: Kevin Pina       <kpinbox@hotmail.com>

Subject: Haiti's Govt Counsel Responds to Statements by US Amb. Noriega
(PRNewswire)


Haiti's Government Counsel Responds to Recent Statements By U.S.
Ambassador Noriega

WASHINGTON, Oct. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- In statements issued yesterday to
the Inter-American Dialogue, Mr. Roger Noriega, the U.S. Permanent
Representative to the Organization of American States (OAS) and former
chief-of-staff to North Carolina U.S. Senator Jesse Helms, attacked the
Government of Haiti and the President of the Republic of Haiti for their
failure to comply with OAS Resolutions 806 and 822.

Mr. Ira Kurzban, General Counsel for the Government of Haiti in the
United States issued a reply today calling Mr. Noriega's comments "unfair,
untrue, and an insult to the Haitian people."
Mr. Kurzban stated "the Government of Haiti under the leadership of
President Aristide has taken significant steps over the past several months
to comply with Resolutions 806 and 822 and has worked closely with the OAS
Mission to achieve those objectives."

The government has begun to develop a comprehensive program in disarmament,
public security and fighting international drug trafficking.  Mr. Noriega's
comments that "fifteen percent of the cocaine entering the United States
transits through Haiti" is pure fabrication.  Mr. Kurzban stated that
"Haitians do not produce, sell or use drugs and the numbers that Mr. Noreiga
cites are not verifiable."  His comments also "ignore the many steps that
Haiti has taken in the last several months alone to combat drug
trafficking. Only last week, a national conference on fighting international
drug trafficking occurred in Haiti at which time Haitians also discussed
developing a comprehensive, national anti-drug trafficking plan -- a fact
totally ignored by Ambassador Noriega."
Mr. Kurzban points out further that "Mr. Noriega's statements ignore the
U.S. lack of commitment to fighting drugs in Haiti."  Although the U.S.
signed an agreement with Haiti to provide funding to fight drugs nearly nine
months ago, "not one dime" as been provided to Haiti as of today.

Recent similar false and misleading comments made by the U.S.
Ambassador to Haiti resulted in his being called before the Foreign Ministry
to explain such unwarranted comments about Haiti's efforts to combat the
scourge of drugs.

Similarly, Mr. Noriega's comments regarding reparations and efforts to
disarm are misleading.  The government of Haiti has already paid out more
than $1,000,000 in reparations to the victims of the public violence.  In
light of the daily struggle to survive for most Haitians, this amount is a
considerable sum and demonstrates President Aristide's commitment to abide
by his statements on July 8, 2002, and the OAS resolutions.  Mr. Kurzban
went on to state that, "Mr. Noriega has completely ignored the efforts by
the police under very difficult circumstances to begin the process of
disarmament in the country by setting up roadblocks and systematically
disarming persons
who would cause violence in society."

Mr. Kurzban also noted that the most misleading and disingenuous
aspects of Mr. Noriega's statements are his refusal to acknowledge that the
U.S. led embargo by the international financial institutions makes the
government of Haiti's ability to fight drugs, reduce crime and pay
reparations all the more difficult.  "If the U.S. had not led a financial
embargo against Haiti the past two years, we would not see Haitians on U.S.
shores.  Rather, we would see the Government of Haiti in a much better
position to ensure the health, safety and security of its citizens."

Finally, Mr. Kurzban stresses that Mr. Noriega's statements simply
assist those who would undermine the government's efforts to comply with
Resolutions 806 and 822 by "emboldening those people who believe that a zero
sum game may be played with the lives of the Haitian people."
Mr. Kurzban noted that such statements "are unhelpful if the U.S. is truly
interested in seeing a political solution in Haiti.  The Haitian government
wants to see as many people as possible play a constructive role in the
future of Haiti. Thesestatements undermine those efforts."

This material is distributed by Downey McGrath Group, Inc., on behalf
of the Government of Haiti.  Additional information is available at the
Department of Justice, Washington, D.C.

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SOURCE  Ira Kurzban, General Counsel of the Government of Haiti

CO:  Organization of American States; OAS; Downey McGrath Group, Inc.;
Office of the General Counsel of the Government of Haiti; U.S.
Department of Justice; Downey McGrath Group, Inc.

ST:  District of Columbia, Haiti
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>SU:  EXE
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