19247: (Chamberlain) Haiti-Uprising (today story) (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Greg Chamberlain <GregChamberlain@compuserve.com>

   By PAISLEY DODDS

   PORT-AU-PRINCE, Feb 26 (AP) -- Pressure mounted for President
Jean-Bertrand Aristide to step down as his supporters built barricades in
the streets of Haiti's capital before an anticipated rebel advance and
diplomats sought ways to stop the violence.
   Foreigners fled the island nation amid isolated looting Wednesday. The
U.N. Security Council scheduled a meeting on Haiti for Thursday and the
President Bush said the United States is encouraging the international
community to provide a strong "security presence."
   Warning that Haiti is quickly heading toward chaos, France called for
Aristide's resignation and the immediate establishment of a transitional
government.
   "As far as President Aristide is concerned, he bears grave
responsibility for the current situation. It's up to him to accept the
consequences while respecting the rule of law," Foreign Minister Dominique
de Villepin said in a statement Wednesday.
   "Everyone sees quite well that a new page must be opened in Haiti's
history, while respecting the dignity and integrity of all the
protagonists," he said. Haiti is France's former colony.
   In Haiti, a leader of the group of rebels that has overrun half the
country urged Haitians to stay indoors if fighting nears the capital.
   "We're going straight for the National Palace where we're going to
arrest Aristide," Guy Philippe said in a call to Radio Vision 2000 from the
rebel-held city of Cap-Haitien in the north. "It will be over very soon."
   The message was contrary to one he gave hours earlier, when he told a
reporter he wanted to see if Aristide resigns and to "give a chance to
peace."
   Aristide, 50-year-old former slum priest, once commanded widespread
support as Haiti's first democratically elected leader and savior to the
poor, but he has steadily lost support as poverty deepened after his party
swept flawed legislative elections in 2000 and international donors
suspended aid.
   An opposition coalition, which maintains it is not linked to the rebels,
continued to call on the president to resign and formally announced its
rejection of a U.S.-backed proposal for Aristide to remain president and
share power with his political rivals.
   In the statement, De Villepin called for the establishment of a civilian
peacekeeping force in Haiti. "This international force would be responsible
for guaranteeing the return to public order and supporting the
international community's action on the ground," Villepin said.
   French and U.S. diplomats say Aristide used police and supporters to
crush dissent, contributing to the violence, and failed to fight corruption
in the police and judiciary.
   A convicted drug lord, meanwhile, provided damning testimony against
Aristide, saying the former priest was profiting from cocaine trafficking.
   Beaudoin "Jacques" Ketant testified Wednesday in Miami after being
sentenced to 27 years for money laundering and allegedly shepherding 41
tons of drugs for Colombian drug cartels through Haiti to the United States
from 1987 to 1996.
   "He turned the country into a narco-country," Ketant said of Aristide.
Ira Kurzban, a Miami attorney for the Haitian government, dismissed the
allegations from "a lying, convicted drug dealer"
   Aristide has, for his part, accused the rebels of leading the popular
uprising, which has killed about 80 people and seen buildings torched,
through drug-trafficking proceeds.
   As order in the impoverished country of 8 million unraveled, Aristide's
two daughters flew to the United States.
   Roads in the capital were blocked by Aristide militants who set up
dozens of barricades. They were initially erected to prevent rebels from
entering the capital, but on Wednesday the militants began robbing people
at the barricades.
   Police at first did nothing but later arrested about a dozen suspected
roadblock robbers.
   American Airlines said three of its five daily flights to the United
States were delayed because crew and passengers had trouble passing the
roadblocks. Air Jamaica canceled its flights to Haiti indefinitely.
   U.N. nonessential staff and their families were being evacuated.
   Canada and the Dominican Republic said small teams of their soldiers
were on their way to Haiti to protect their embassies. Canadian Maj. Mike
Audette said the soldiers would prepare for the possible evacuation of more
than 1,000 citizens.
   The last of 56 Mormon missionaries in Haiti left Wednesday.
   Fearing an exodus of Haitians fleeing the violence, the Dominican
Republic doubled the number of troops along its 225-mile border with Haiti.
   Haitians fled a political crisis in large numbers 12 years ago. There
has been little evidence of a repeat of that situation thus far although a
freighter with 21 Haitians on board was intercepted by the Coast Guard off
the coast of Miami Beach. Bush has said the U.S. Coast Guard would turn
back Haitian refugees reaching American shores.
   In Cap-Haitien, at least two men were killed Wednesday -- one shot by
rebels for allegedly looting, and another shot by unidentified gunmen who
accused him of being an Aristide militant.
   The Red Cross said that raised the toll to 20 dead in Cap-Haitien, and
the overall toll from fighting in the three-week-old rebellion to about 80.
   ------
   Associated Press reporters Michael Norton and Mark Stevenson contributed
to this story from Port-au-Prince.