19602: Lemieux: CNN: Rebels enter police headquarters in Haitian capital (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: JD Lemieux <lxhaiti@yahoo.com>

 3/1/2004

Rebels enter police headquarters in Haitian capital
Powell rejects claims U.S. waited too long

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (CNN) --Greeted by hundreds of
cheering supporters, heavily armed Haitian rebels drove
into Port-au-Prince on Monday, entering the headquarters of
the national police, the stronghold of supporters of former
President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

Word of the so-called victory caravan came as Bush
administration officials strongly denied reports that
Aristide had been kidnapped by U.S. soldiers and was being
held against his will in the Central African Republic.

Aristide told CNN Monday he was forced to leave Haiti in a
"coup d'etat" by the United States. "I was told that to
avoid bloodshed I'd better leave."

Earlier, several people, including two U.S. lawmakers,
reported that Aristide told them by phone that he did not
leave Haiti voluntarily, but was "abducted" by U.S. troops.
The White House called those reports "complete nonsense"
and said those claims did not help Haiti move forward.
(Full story)

Crowds of supporters swelled, marching past the palace
while cheering and chanting. The police headquarters is
near the presidential palace where U.S. Marine peacekeepers
are stationed. (Aristide's home looted)

The rebels -- who had opposed Aristide's presidency -- said
they would not visit the palace. They reiterated rebel
leader Guy Philippe's pledge to support interim President
Boniface Alexandre and the nation's democratic process.

There was no sign of pro-Aristide forces who had fought the
rebels until his resignation and departure for Africa on
Sunday.

U.S., Canadian and French peacekeeping troops were fanning
out in Port-au-Prince to secure important areas, as U.S.
Secretary of State Colin Powell said Monday he's pleased
with the international community's quick response to the
crisis.

"The looting and violence has gone down somewhat
overnight," Powell said. "We'll have to see what daylight
brings." (Scene)

A day after Aristide left the country, Haitians awoke
Monday with a new interim president and with Aristide in
Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic.

Speaking on the state-run radio in the African nation on
Monday, Aristide said that opposition rebels who pushed for
his ouster "chopped down the tree of peace, but it will
grow again."

Powell rebuffs criticism
Meanwhile, Powell rejected criticism that accused the Bush
administration of waiting too long to take action in Haiti.
He expressed hope for a peaceful and democratic future for
the Caribbean nation.

The United States, Powell said, has "ways of talking to the
various rebel leaders and [is] pleased that at least so far
they've said they're not interested in violence any more
and will put down their arms."

Aristide -- the first democratically elected president in
Haiti's 200 years of independence -- left office after a
bloody revolt by armed rebels spread from the north of the
country and threatened a siege of Port-au-Prince.
Aristide's current term as president was to last until
2006, but his political opponents claimed the election was
fraudulent and demanded nothing less than his ouster.

In an effort to stabilize the capital, more than 200
Marines had been deployed to Port-au-Prince by Monday
morning, and the first contingent of 50 French forces
arrived shortly after 7 a.m. A small contingent of Canadian
troops is already in the city.

A total of about 130 French troops are expected to arrive
in Haiti on Monday "to ensure the security of French
citizens," a spokesman for President Jacques Chirac said.
Another 150 French soldiers will deploy from Martinique in
the next few days, French officials said.

On Sunday, with armed gangs roaming Port-au-Prince,
President Bush ordered the Marines deployed to the country
and said, "I urge the people of Haiti to reject violence
and give this break from the past a chance to work and the
United States is prepared to help."

Shortly after the Marines landed in Haiti later in the day,
the U.N. Security Council voted unanimously to send a
multinational peacekeeping force to Haiti for up to three
months.

CNN's Suzanne Malveaux, Elise Labott, Barbara Starr, Lucia
Newman, Richard Roth and Ingrid Arnesen contributed to this
report.



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