19355: (Craig) NYT Article: White House Continues to Distance Itself From Haiti's Leader (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Dan Craig <hoosier@att.net>

White House Continues to Distance Itself From Haitis Leader
February 27, 2004
By DAVID STOUT

WASHINGTON, Feb. 27 - The administration continued to
distance itself today from the embattled president of
Haiti, and three Democratic senators sharply criticized
President Bush's approach to that country's troubles.

Mr. Bush, when asked whether he thought President
Jean-Bertrand Aristide should resign, replied that "the
secretary of state has made some comments."

Those comments by Secretary Colin L. Powell on Thursday
were unmistakably tepid about Mr. Aristide, as Mr. Powell
virtually invited the Haitian leader to consider stepping
down for the good of his people.

Mr. Bush, speaking at an appearance today with Chancellor
Gerhard Schr?der of Germany, did nothing to dilute Mr.
Powell's remarks. "We're interested in achieving a
political settlement, and we're still working to that
effect," Mr. Bush said.

Mr. Bush said the United States and other countries had
been planning for a multinational force to deliver aid to
Haiti or help impose stability upon the nation "dependent
upon a political settlement." Such contingency planning is
not unusual in itself and does not necessarily signal that
any military operation is imminent.

But three Democratic senators, Tom Harkin of Iowa, Bob
Graham of Florida and Christopher Dodd of Connecticut, said
at a Capitol news conference that the United States should
send troops to Haiti, and the sooner the better.

"This crisis in Haiti is speaking to our values," Mr.
Harkin said. "The people of Haiti, the poorest people in
this hemisphere, are crying out to us for help. We simply
must help this nation. We must help the poorest people in
this hemisphere. It is a moral imperative for the United
States to act and we have to do it this weekend."

Mr. Dodd said, "We can do it sooner - and minimize the loss
of life and property destruction - or we can do it later
when we will be sending body bags to dispose of the dead
and Coast Guard cutters to pick up Haitians at sea."

Mr. Graham said the administration's policy of returning
refugees is inadequate. "I joined a number of colleagues
yesterday in signing a letter urging that temporary
protective status be made available to Haitians who are
currently under orders of deportation," Mr. Graham said.
"The idea of sending people back to the killing fields of
Haiti is violative of all of our values."

At the State Department, Mr. Powell's chief spokesman,
Richard A. Boucher, made no effort to make Mr. Powell's
comments of Thursday sound any warmer than they actually
were.

"Let's remember what the secretary actually said," Mr.
Boucher said. "He said that we hope that President Aristide
will examine his position carefully, that he will decide
how best to serve the Haitian people, as well as whether he
can effectively continue as president given the current
circumstances."

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/27/international/americas/27CND-TROO.html?ex=1078918773&ei=1&en=79b2c4feafc30f51
Copyright 2004 The New York Times Company