21160: Esser: California Democrat Blasts Powell's Visit to Haiti (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: D. Esser torx@joimail.com

Cybercast News Service
http://www.cnsnews.com

April 07, 2004

California Democrat Blasts Powell's Visit to Haiti
By Susan Jones
CNSNews.com Morning Editor

(CNSNews.com) - In a furious press release on Tuesday, Rep. Maxine
Waters (D-Calif.) condemned Secretary of State Colin Powell's recent
visit to Haiti, calling it a "contemptible example of this
administration's handling of the crisis in Haiti that it helped to
create."

Waters, a close friend and staunch defender of ousted Haitian
President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, is angry that Powell "has
accomplished nothing and [wasted] taxpayer dollars" by visiting the
newly appointed prime minister.

Powell made a five-hour visit to Haiti on Monday, where he offered
the "full support" of the United States for the country's interim
leader -- and rejected the idea of having the United Nations
investigate Aristide's ouster.

"I don't think any purpose would be served by such an inquiry. The
facts are very well-known,'' Powell said. "It was six weeks ago that
Haiti was on the verge of total security collapse. We prevented a
blood bath and a coup from taking place.''

During his visit, Powell said the U.S. would give $9-million to a
fund earmarked for building democracy in Haiti. That fund is managed
by the Organization of American States.

Rep. Maxine Waters is not pleased. In her press release on Tuesday,
she complained about Secretary Powell's refusal to "denounce the
performance of Prime Minister Latortue, who was handpicked by the
U.S."

Waters also complained about Powell's refusal to condemn "the
blatantly illegal actions of criminals and drug dealers...who are
still occupying and controlling the cities of Gonaives and
Cap-Haitien."

Rep. Waters named Guy Philippe, Louis-Jodel Chamblain, and Jean
Tatoune as being among those "criminals." She said they are the ones
who threatened to kill Aristide and who stirred up violence in Port
au Prince and other cities "where members of the Lavalas Party are
found dead every day."

"It is absolutely shameful," said Waters, "for the U.S. to be aligned
with these killers and, even at this late date, refuse to divest
itself of this unholy alliance." She said Secretary Powell has
neither "the desire nor the will to removes these killers from their
role in Haiti's crisis."

Rep. Waters is deeply immersed in the politics of Haiti, a fact that
has raised questions among some conservatives who wonder why she and
other members of the Black Congressional Caucus have defended
Aristide while his people suffered.

After Aristide was removed from Haiti (kidnapped, he said;
voluntarily removed for his own protection, the U.S. said), he took
temporary refuge in Africa. Against the wishes of the Bush
administration, Waters flew to Africa to accompany him and his wife
to Jamaica, where the Aristides are temporarily residing.

"We believe that President Aristide, in a sense, forfeited his
ability to lead his people, because he did not govern
democratically," National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice said in a
mid-March television interview.

Haiti's interim Prime Minister Gerard Latortue says he has signed an
agreement to hold presidential elections next year, even though
Haiti's constitution says elections must be held within 90 days.

"I think all political parties agree that elections cannot be held in
90 days,'' Latortue was quoted as saying.

Rep. Waters called Latortue an "immoral" leader who is unfit to serve
as prime minister.
.