21392: Esser: Rep. Waters keynotes meeting on Haiti (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: D. Esser torx@joimail.com

Workers World
http://www.workers.org

April 22, 2004

Rep. Waters keynotes meeting on Haiti
By Abayomi Azikiwe
Detroit
Excerpted from a Pan-African News Wire article

Speaking to a capacity audience at the Wayne State University Law
School Auditorium on April 8, Congresswoman Maxine Waters called
for the return of ousted Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to
the Caribbean nation of Haiti.

"Let me make it clear. I support President Jean-Bertrand Aristide
and the people of Haiti," stated Congress woman Waters.

The meeting was sponsored by the Michigan Emergency Committee Against
War & Injustice and the Ground Work for Just World organization.

Congressman John Conyers of Detroit, the ranking member of the House
Judi ci ary Committee, co-sponsored the meeting and welcomed Waters,
who was accompanied by her husband, Ambas sador Sydney Williams, who
served as the United States envoy to the Bahamas under the Clinton
administration.

Ms. Waters described her trip to Haiti in January for the 200th
independence day celebration. She pointed out that the opposition
forces to President Aristide attempted to sabotage the ceremonies by
staging violent demonstrations where they burned tires to prevent
guests from traveling in the nation's capital and other cities
throughout the country. When arriving in the northern city of
Gonaives, Waters and Ambassador Williams were protected by the
security forces accompanying President Aristide.

"When we were planning to travel to Haiti, we were informed by the
State Depart ment that we should not go because they could not
guarantee our safety," said the Los Angeles based representative who
was the former chairperson of the Congressional Black Caucus. "Yet
we made a decision to go anyway despite the clear threats from the
opposition to spread stories that we were financed by Aristide."

Sara Flounders, co-director of the International Action Center in New
York City, helped lead a delegation to the Central African Republic
to demand to see the ousted President Aristide in early March.
Aristide was eventually allowed to hold a press conference and leave
the country to take up temporary residence in neighboring Jamaica.

Flounders, who is co-editor of a new book on the history of the
country entitled "Haiti: A Slave Revolution--200 Years After 1804,"
outlined over two centuries of blockades and military interventions
by both the United States and France against the Caribbean nation.

At the WSU Law School, Flounders condemned the actions of Assistant
Secretary of State for Latin American Affairs Roger Noriega, who she
said had coordinated the coup against President Aristide.

Congressman Conyers, who is the leader of the Congressional Black
Caucus Haiti Task Force, praised those in attendance, saying "a new
movement to support the democratic process in Haiti has been born."

Others attending the meeting included Detroit Councilwoman JoAnn
Watson and Wayne County Clerk Kathy Garrett. Representatives of the
National Conference of Black Lawyers and the National Lawyers Guild
were also in attendance. A statement from the NCBL was circulated
exposing the role of the Bush administration in the overthrow of a
democratically-elected government in Haiti.

Reprinted from the April 22, 2004, issue of Workers World newspaper

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