20435: Esser: Amy Goodman on CNN: Breaks News of Aristide's Return (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: D. Esser torx@joimail.com

Democracy Now!
http://www.democracynow.org

March 15th, 2004

Amy Goodman on CNN: Breaks News of Aristide's Return

Transcript from CNN.com
March 15, 2004 - 2:40 p.m. EST
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Haiti's former president is now on the
ground in the Caribbean nation of Jamaica, little more than 100 miles
away from Haiti. This has caused some concern in some quarters.

In the meantime, as a matter of fact, the current president of Haiti,
Gerard Latortue, has recalled the Haitian ambassador from Kingston
ending diplomatic relations. Meanwhile, Mr. Aristide is on his way to
the prime minister's house in Jamaica.

Joining us on the line right now is radio host Amy Goodman who was on
the airplane from the Central African Republic, I believe, to Jamaica
with Mr. Aristide.

Amy, just describe the scene there as Mr. Aristide arrived.

AMY GOODMAN: Yes. We just completed the round trip, the delegation
who went to retrieve the Aristides from the Central Republic of
Africa, traveling two-thirds of the way around the world.

Jean-Bertrand Aristide and his wife, Mildred Aristide, descended the
steps here at the Norman Manly Airport in Kingston, Jamaica.
President Aristide made a statement thanking the prime minister of
Jamaica, P.J. Patterson, for inviting him to be here in Jamaica.

On the flight from the Central Africa Republic, President Aristide
reiterated to Democracy Now, the radio and TV program I host, that he
was kidnapped, that he did not go willingly, that he said basically
he was kidnapped in the force of a U.S.-backed coup.

He has said, as well as the delegation with him lead by U.S. congress
member Maxine Waters. She says he is the Democratically- elected
president of Haiti.

There was good deal of consternation and anger expressed on the
flight by the delegation that included Waters as well as Randall
Robinson, the Founder of TransAfrica when they heard that the U.S.
administration was saying that Aristide should not return to the
Western Hemisphere. Randall Robinson says he's the Democratically-
elected leader of Haiti and he has just a right to be in this
hemisphere as well as anyone who lives here.

Reporting from Kingston Airport...

O'BRIEN: Amy, before you get away, he's acting not like a deposed
leader but as a head of state. Does he intend to return to Haiti? Has
he made any statement in that regard?

GOODMAN: Well, I asked him that. He said that they are taking it a
day at a time. First they are here in Jamaica. They will reunite with
their family. The Aristides have two daughters 5 and 7. And then they
will assess the situation.

To me, President Aristide said it really depends on the Haitian
people. But they are going to weigh circumstances as they present
themselves and in consultation with others, with supporters and the
people who helped Jean-Bertrand Aristide return to the Caribbean.

O'BRIEN: Give me a sense of the level of that consultation. How much
contact does he have with his supporters inside Haiti right now?

GOODMAN: I'm not privy to his private communications with the people
of Haiti. But I can only report that in the last election, he won
overwhelmingly the democratic vote.

And it's something that U.S. congress member Maxine Waters said to
the delegation when she heard , for example, the U.S. ambassador to
Haiti, James Foley, saying that the Aristides could not return to
within 150 miles of Haiti, she said that if people are concerned
about violence in Haiti, they should be concerned about the so-called
rebel leaders, people like Gerdell Chenlend (ph), who was convicted
of murder in absentia, murdering the justice minister of Haiti during
the coup of '91 to '94.

O'BRIEN: Amy, one final thought here. Have you heard anything
officially or unofficially from the government of Jamaica, Prime
Minister P.J. Patterson, why Jamaica would offer asylum, if that is
the case here, at least a visit, for Mr. Aristide at this time?

GOODMAN: Well, one of the people on the delegation was Sharon Hayes
Webster. And she is a Jamaican parliamentarian. And she carried a
letter from the Jamaican prime minister, P.J. Patterson, to the
president of the Central African Republic asking them to release
Aristides so that they come home to the Caribbean.

He has not been granted permanent asylum here in Jamaica. The
Aristides, though, have been invited to stay here and then make their
next decision.

It's important to note it's not just P.J. Patterson. It is also -- he
in his position as head of the 15-member (UNINTELLIGIBLE) community,
the Community of Caribbean Nations, that released that very critical
statement soon after the coup in Haiti calling for an international,
independent investigation into the circumstances under which
Jean-Bertrand Aristide was ousted from Haiti.

They were also very critical of the United States.

(CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: ... we are running out of time, unfortunately. I appreciate
your time. Thank you very much. Amy Goodman is the host of Democracy
Now. She's on the aircraft with Jean-Bertrand Aristide, his wife,
Mildred, and their delegation as they arrived in Jamaica.

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