21526: Leiderman: Alan Pogue's report, 2nd trip of National Lawyer's Guild (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Stuart M Leiderman <leidermn@cisunix.unh.edu>

dear Readers:

veteran photojournalist Alan Pogue <http://www.documentaryphotographs.com>
gave me permission to post his preliminary report of conditions in Haiti,
seen while accompanying the second delegation of the National Lawyer's
Guild, as trip photographer, beginning April 11.  questions and comments
can be sent to him at <alanpogue@mac.com>.

thank you,

Stuart Leiderman

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Date: Tue, 20 Apr 2004 14:10:55 -0500
From: alan pogue <alanpogue@mac.com>
Subject: Haiti report

I met with one hundred armed rebels in Cap Haitien who were running a
kidnapping and extortion racket. I met the French forces that denied that
the rebels existed. I gave the French the street address of the rebels but
they were not interested in doing anything about the problem. Not that I
was surprised but it was fun catching them in a lie and showing their
complicity with the armed murderers. The U.S. forces in Port-au-Prince
have taken over the prison and are holding Haitians there but they won't
give out the names because they officially aren't supposed to be arresting
Haitians without the Haitian police being involved in the arrest. One
Haitian police officer, who objected to the arrest of five men who hadn't
done anything, was killed by the Marines. Lavalas officials and supporters
are in hiding. Haitian military officers who were in the Cedras
government are back in the interim government. The "human rights " groups
CARLI and NCHR are acting as McCarthy-style black listing agencies. They
are not interesting in anything other than smearing Lavalas. The idea that
they might call for the arrest of Chamblain, Guy Philippe or Jean-Pierre
Baptiste brought only laughter.  Most Haitians would vote Aristide back in
tomorrow if they could.

I have a bunch of film to develop and a report to write. Some of it will
be on my web site as soon as I can make it happen.

Alan

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Date: Wed, 21 Apr 2004 13:39:35 -0500
From: alan pogue <alanpogue@mac.com>

<snip>  The main thing is that the Cedras and Duvalier people are back and
that if they block the Lavalas party from participation in the political
process then 90% of the Haitian people, those not part of "civil society"
(as they self proclaim themselves), will be shut out of the electoral
process. The interim government has two years to hold an election which
means two years of harassment for the Lavalas party members. There will be
a large meeting of Haitian progressive organizations in Port-au-Price
from April 28th through May 1st and it will be important to see if they
are allowed to meet and present there program to the interim government.
The NLG will continue to send delegations so that they can monitor the
ability of true civil society to function, not just the rich and their
organizations. The interim government cannot have any legitimacy if it
appoints Cedras/junta people. <snip>

Alan

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