20086: radtimes: Daily Press Briefing for March 08 -- Transcript (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: radtimes <resist@best.com>

Sender: "U.S. Department of State Press Releases"
From: statelists@STATE.GOV
Subject: Daily Press Briefing for March 08 -- Transcript [excerpt]

   Daily Press Briefing
   Richard Boucher, Spokesman
   Washington, DC
   March 8, 2004

HAITI

    QUESTION: As far as you're concerned, Richard, is former President Aristide
   free to go anywhere he likes? He's been saying that he wants to go back to
   Haiti. As far as you're concerned, is he free to get on the plane and go to
   Haiti or any place else?

   MR. BOUCHER: I think the simple answer is, he's free to leave for any
country
   that would grant him entry. And in terms of where he stands now, as far as
   asylum goes, free to go to any country that might grant his asylum request.
   Those are decisions that would be made by the individual countries that we
   wouldn't be involved in.

   As far as his future in Haiti, that would be a matter for the Haitian
people to
   decide somewhere down the road.

   QUESTION: Richard --

   MR. BOUCHER: I was going to go to George.

   Yeah.

   QUESTION: The U.S. and other forces have gone in there to stabilize the
   situation, and apparently there has been some violence. Yesterday was
probably
   the worst day since -- in a week. And also, there were promises on the
part of
   the rebels to lay down their arms and so far as I can tell, that hasn't
   happened at all. Do you have any response to this?

   MR. BOUCHER: Yeah. Let's try to review this situation. First on the
   demonstration and the deaths, the demonstration on Sunday involved about
4,500
   anti-Aristide demonstrators marching on the palace. It occurred without
major
   incident until late in the afternoon when two vehicles near the palace
operated
   by Aristide supporters opened fire on the crowd. I understand now that seven
   people were killed in that incident, including a Spaniard; 20 people were
   wounded including an American citizen cameraman, who has been evacuated
to the
   United States. The armed group also fired on the multilateral interim force
   patrol which returned fire.

   We find there continue to be sporadic incidents of violence in
Port-au-Prince,
   but I would say, overall, slowly the city is returning to normal.
Multilateral
   interim force continues to assert control over Port-au-Prince through its
   robust patrolling. Once security is stabilized, the Haitian Government, in
   conjunction with the force would then follow-on United Nations stabilization
   force, will undertake a systematic disarmament program.

   Rebel forces are not, in any way, in control of the capital. We're assessing
   now security in cities and towns outside of Port-au-Prince. As Haitian
   authorities and Haitian National Police begin to reassert their
authority, the
   criminal gangs will have no choice, we think, but to lay down their arms.

   Okay. Where are we going? Here, here, and then working sort of towards --

   QUESTION: At a --

   MR. BOUCHER: Joel.

   QUESTION: Yes. At a press conference, former President Aristide says that he
   still remains the Haitian leader. And if not returning directly to
Haiti, would
   you want him, or if he insisted, to come to a CARICOM meeting to settle
these
   issues?

   MR. BOUCHER: I think, first of all, it needs to be pointed out again, as we
   have before, that Mr. Aristide resigned. He made a decision to resign
for the
   best interests of his country. As he explained it to our representatives
at the
   time, it was to prevent further bloodshed.

   That letter has been presented to the head of the Supreme Court who's been
   sworn is by -- who was sworn in as president. The, sort of, formal ceremony
   where he assumes the office of president, that's being -- is being held
today,
   so progress is being made in Haiti.

   If Mr. Aristide really wants to serve his country, he really has to, we
think,
   let his nation get on with the future and not try to stir up the past
again. So
   the process is moving forward. The Council of Eminent Persons met on Friday,
   met on Saturday, is meeting again today, and they will proceed with the
   appointment of a prime minister to form a new government for all of Haiti.

   Yeah, okay. We're heading -- John.

   QUESTION: Still on a --

   MR. BOUCHER: Same one.

   Okay, Teri. I -- boy, that was the popular question.

   (Laughter.)

   Okay. Nicholas, and then we'll go back.

   QUESTION: Yeah, if I can go back a bit. You said that whether he'll go
back is
   for the Haitian people to decide somewhere down the road. Does that mean
that
   you're allowing for the possibility for him to run in a future election?

   MR. BOUCHER: Well, first of all, there's the Haitian constitution, and I
don't
   think a president's allowed to succeed himself. But you can check the
Haitian
   constitution on that. But as far as whether he has any political role or any
   particular role in Haiti, that would be something for Haitians down the
road,
   as they choose their own government, for them to decide.

   Okay, sir.