18593: (Chamberlain) US warns Haiti opposition against Aristide ouster (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Greg Chamberlain <GregChamberlain@compuserve.com>

     WASHINGTON, Feb 13 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell
warned Haiti's opposition on Friday against ousting President Jean-Bertrand
Aristide, who was restored to power a decade ago by a U.S. invasion and now
faces an armed revolt.
     "We will accept no outcome that is not consistent with the
constitution. We will accept no outcome that in any way illegally attempts
to remove the elected president of Haiti," Powell told reporters after
hosting a crisis meeting with mediators.
     He also said the United States, Canada and Caribbean nations were
discussing whether foreigners could be sent to bolster Haiti's police.
     U.S. officials have been leery of foreigners helping quell the
violence for fear they would become targets of armed gangs or be viewed as
favoring one side or the other.
     The top U.S. diplomat said there was no plan at this point for
military intervention to quell the violence, which exploded last week into
a full-scale revolt after months of protests against Aristide's presidency.
     The United States says the deadly surge in violence stems from the
president's practice of using gangs of thugs to intimidate political
opponents.
     Powell urged the former Roman Catholic priest, who was elected to a
second term in 2000, to comply with an accord mediated by Caribbean nations
that included his pledge to disarm gangs aligned with political parties.
     "What we need now from President Aristide is action and not just
expressions and words of support" for the agreement, he said.