20492: Antoine: Foreign Policy for a New Century (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Guy S. Antoine <webmaster@haitiforever.com>

Foreign Policy for a New Century

Doesn't the title sound great?  If only the ramblings that follow were
as good, they would just have to create for me a Cabinet post as "the
pro bono Corbettista Philosopher of Dondon on loan to the Boca
Raton government of the Republican Haiti".  All the same... read on.


1) In Haiti's system of government, the President is in charge of foreign
policy. not the Prime Minister.  I read about Latortue recalling Haiti's
Ambassador in Jamaica, his freezing relations with Caricom, etc. Where
is Boniface Alexandre in all of this?  Wasn't this supposed to be his turf?

2) Venezuela:  In a friendlier disposition, Chavez has asserted again
his great mastery of diplomacy by offering real estate services to the
new guy in town.  Logic surely dictates a deep-freeze of all commercial
ties with that country.

3) Cuba would be next in line.  This would satisfy at once the U.S.
enmity towards both Castro and Chavez, and we would expect the U.S.
to reward Haiti for aligning herself right along U.S. diplomatic interests.
In fact, would it not be possible to officially name U.S. Ambassador
Foley the honorary Foreign Minister of Haiti?

4) What is the Dominican Republic, the other wing of the same bird?
Since the Leadership of the Rebel Forces, appearing "out of the blue",
according to an I.R.I. official, did cross the Haitian-Dominican border
undetected by the Dominican and U.S. intelligence agencies, are they
going to formally protest the subversive use of their territory to the
Organization of American States?  Will they request better monitoring
capabilities from their U.S. military advisers so they can protect or
seal their border more effectively?

* Can the bird fly just as well with a broken wing?

5) Speaking U.S. strategic interests, shouldn't the Dominican government
pony up and purchase an AWAC reconnaissance plane from Israel, that
the U.S. military advisers could fly over the Haitian-Dominican border
to detect the movement of rebel forces that would no longer surprise the
International Republican Institute out of the blue?  Come to think of it,
evidence points to several incursions from the Dominican Republic into
Haiti for a period of at least two years prior to the sweeping victory
campaign of the freedom fighters.  How much did the U.S. Embassies
know and when did they know it?  My assumption is that some heads
are going to roll at the U.S. spy agencies.  To think that once again, they
made Colin Powell look like a complete fool!  Colin is just not going
to take it anymore...

* Rumor has it that ex-U.S. ambassador to Haiti, Brian Dean Curran,
served as a top lieutenant of Rebel chief Guy Philippe and that Yves
Gaudeul, ex-French ambassadeur served as his astrologist.  Please deny.

6) Speaking of the Organization of American States, has Haiti suddenly
dropped out of their agenda or are they furiously working on the new
edition of the Inter-American Democratic Charter?  Ask Bill Gates,
version 1.0 never works.

7) George Bush plainly stated that "the Haitian Constitution is working."
Glad to know that he has read it.  Hopefully Powell handed him a newer
version than the draft by Franklin D. Roosevelt.  Since this Constitution
is working, we should then expect new elections in short order.  Little
problem: How to sell it to the Haitian voter.  Will it be 1 year out of 5,
3 years out of 5, 10 years out of 5, or relative perpetuity?  And you
certainly will need observers: CARICOM has just been voted out (hmm...);
security (no problem, U.S. and France just happen to be there); and
consultants: bring on Kathleen Harris, and James Baker -- that is if they
are not needed full time in Florida, and the incomparable Cruella Deville
from the Orlando Democracy Project.

What do elections have to do with foreign policy?  Just about everything.

8) Finally, what if Foley refuses the post as honorary Foreign Minister,
will Haiti's government then offer the post to Regis Debray?


Guy S. Antoine
Windows on Haiti
http://haitiforever.com