14641: Chamberlain comment on 14638: Nadal: Re:14505 (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Greg Chamberlain <GregChamberlain@compuserve.com>

> Himmler Rebu has never been the head of the  haitian army  elite corps
> called the "Leopards".General Alcedius Saint Louis was. Colonel Rebu
> was one of the officers of this elite corps. Before writing anything just
to
> say nothing , people on this list should start doing their homework by
> gathering credible information.

> Olivier Nadal


Mr Nadal is half right.  When the Leopards started the week-long rebellion
against President Avril on 30 March 1989, the rebels were led by Rébu, but
he wasn't the corps' official commander.  Neither was Col. Accédius
St.Louis (who was interior and defence minister and who Rébu and his men
kidnapped along with Avril and tried to drive them to the airport and
exile, but were stopped).  St.Louis was (I think) the first commander of
the Leopards when they were founded in 1971.

It was reported at the time that Rébu led the revolt against Avril because
four fellow colonels were sacked for alleged drug trafficking.  They were
dismissed right after a visit to Haiti by US assistant under-secretary of
state for Caribbean affairs Richard Melton.  Ths was around the time when
the US was realising that all the money they were paying for the anti-drugs
unit they got the army to set up was in fact being stolen in time-honoured
fashion.

So Rébu doesn't look so clean on several fronts (though I'm sure his poems
are nice!).


        Greg Chamberlain