19172: (Chamberlain) Haiti-Uprising (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Greg Chamberlain <GregChamberlain@compuserve.com>

   By MARK STEVENSON

   PORT-AU-PRINCE, Feb 25 (AP) -- Militant supporters of President
Jean-Bertrand Aristide built flaming barricades on roads throughout the
capital Wednesday against a threatened rebel attack.
   Opposition leaders rejected a U.S.-backed peace plan for Haiti, offering
a counterproposal to install a Supreme Court justice as an interim
president and appoint a new prime minister along with the "orderly
departure" of Aristide.
   With a motley group of rebels overrunning half the country, led in part
by Haitians accused in past massacres, the stalemate raised alarm in the
international community and added to the pressure for Aristide to resign.
   France's U.N. Ambassador Jean-Marc de La Sabliere said diplomats were
considering proposing "a police force, or a civilian force" for approval by
the U.N. Security Council.
   Canada confirmed that a team of soldiers flew into Port-au-Prince on
Tuesday to help in case of a possible evacuation of some 1,000 citizens in
Haiti, Foreign Affairs spokesman Reynald Doiron said in Ottawa.
   Rebel leader Guy Philippe remained in Cap-Haitien, Haiti's
second-largest city in the north that militants seized Sunday and are
making their base.
   Britain and Australia on Tuesday urged their citizens to get out of
Haiti, following similar warnings from the United States, France and
Mexico. There are about 30,000 foreigners in Haiti, 20,000 of them
Americans.
   Last-ditch diplomatic efforts by Secretary of State Colin Powell did not
save the peace plan because the Democratic Platform coalition insisted upon
the resignation of Aristide, who has lost much popular support amid
accusations he condoned corruption, failed to help the poor and brutally
suppressed the opposition.
   The plan would have kept Aristide as president, but with diminished
powers and compelled to share government with his rivals.
   "There will be no more delays. Our answer remains the same. Aristide
must resign," said Maurice Lafortune, president of the Haitian Chamber of
Commerce that is part of the Democratic Platform.
   The opposition coalition said it would officially announce its decision
at a news conference later Wednesday.
   French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin was to meet this week in
Paris with representatives of the Haitian government and the opposition to
try to resolve the escalating crisis in the former French colony.
   The Dominican Republic sent 1,500 troops to double the number patrolling
its 225-mile border with Haiti, said Gen. Jose Miguel Soto Jimenez, the
country's top military official.
   Dominican officials fear a surge of Haitian refugees, as does the United
States.
   White House spokesman Scott McClellan said U.S. planes were patrolling
Haitian shores to guard against boat people. "We've not seen any indication
to indicate a surge in migration at this point," he said, making clear any
migrants caught would be returned home.
   Aristide supporters armed themselves with old rifles and pistols, built
junkpile barricades and on Wednesday started robbing people.
   Guy Lockrey, an auto worker from Flint, Mich., was forced to abandon his
car at a barricade and was walking to the airport with his suitcase when
police picked him up.
   "We didn't feel any tension until we got close to the capital," said
Lockrey, who had driven from west-central Haiti, where he was helping build
a church.
   Police were on patrol but did nothing to stop Aristide militants robbing
people of handbags, cell phones or whatever they had in cars.
   Aristide loyalists have become more aggressive since Haiti's small and
demoralized police force fled the rebel advance. The insurgents have
torched more than 20 police stations in northern Haiti since the uprising
began Feb. 5.
   At a news conference Tuesday, Aristide warned that if rebels try to take
the capital, the death toll would be in the thousands. At least 70 people
have been killed in the three-week uprising, about 40 of them police
officers.
   "We need the presence of the international community as soon as
possible," he said. "Unfortunately many brothers and sisters ... will take
to the sea, they will become boat people."
   At the National Palace, where Aristide made his plea in French, English,
Spanish and Creole, few police officers were visible. But an official said
about 100 were on guard.
   Haiti has no military. It was disbanded after U.S. troops returned
Aristide, Haiti's first freely elected leader, to power in 1994. The
military had deposed Aristide in 1991 and instituted a reign of terror.
   Philippe told The Associated Press on Tuesday he wants to restore the
army but does not want another military dictatorship.
   Aristide said he was not calling for a military intervention, but
international help to better train and equip Haiti's police. Previous
requests have been ignored as countries, including the United States,
accuse Aristide of politicizing the police force, ignoring corruption among
officers and using the police and armed militants to crush dissent.
Aristide denied those charges.
   In a letter to Powell, Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., accused the Bush
administration of standing by while an elected government faces violent
overthrow.
   "People are dying, and our own commitment to democracy is under siege.
... Our failure to support the democratic process and help restore order
looks like a covert effort to overthrow a government," wrote Lee.
   Human Rights Watch said the international community should consider
sending soldiers and police to Haiti, citing the "horrendous human rights
records" of some rebel leaders and the "violent and lawless methods"
adopted by pro-government gangs.
   ActionAid agency warned of looming hunger and health crises. It said
only one hospital still is operating in Port-au-Prince, and food prices in
are rising.
   ------
   Associated Press reporter Michael Norton contributed to this story.