21900: Esser: Petition to Congress on the Plight of Haiti in Light of Destabilization (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: D. Esser torx@joimail.com

Petition to Congress on the Plight of Haiti in Light of Destabilization

Drafted by:
Ecumenical Program on Central America & the Caribbean (EPICA)
Global Justice, Inc.
Foreign Policy in Focus/IPS
TransAfrica Forum

sign petition:
http://www.foreignpolicy-infocus.org/form_haiti-petition.html

We, organizations and members of the international community,
denounce the flagrant violation of international sovereignty laws by
the United States government through its involvement in the overthrow
of the democratically elected President of Haiti. The United States
has entered Haiti without invitation of the Haitian government or its
duly-elected president.

The Bush administration has overstepped its constitutional and moral
authority. By no law of the United States is there any sanction given
for the overthrow of a duly-elected government. Indeed, there are
extensive laws that explicitly forbid it. This reckless usurpation of
power further isolates the United States in the global community of
nations and more closely resembles the activities of a rogue state.

We condemn the manner in which the Bush administration created the
conditions for regime change in Haiti by obstructing the deployment
of international assistance that had been specifically requested by
President Aristide to halt the military opposition. What happened in
Haiti may not be unprecedented, but remains a clear violation of
international and federal laws, as well as being unethical and
immoral.

The choices made by the Bush administration are causing irreparable
harm to the Haitian people and further advance the notion that regime
change should be the modus operandi in the relations between the
United States and other countries with whom it disagrees.

We, as organizations that work for global justice, are not writing
solely out of concern regarding the treatment of the administration
of President Aristide of Haiti but also for the precedent it sets in
light of the allegations of a direct U.S. role in the removal of an
elected leader from office.

The problems caused by recent behavior by this administration,
including the allegations here noted of forced removal of a
president, sending of troops without specific authorization of
Congress, and being actively complicit in the decay of a nation and
the degradation of its people, causes us to respectfully urge
Congress convoke a Commission with wide-ranging authority to examine
U.S. government activities as they relate to Haiti in these five
areas:

1.	Removal of the duly-elected president of Haiti
2.	Obstruction of economic aid to Haiti--whether directly or
                  indirectly--during President Aristide’s term of office
3.	Using convicted criminals and thugs to attain the overthrow
                  of the Haitian government
4.	Using disinformation to foment discontent in Haiti
5.	Permitting convicted criminals and terrorists to operate
                  freely in the United States

Therefore, we, the signatories of this letter demand:

• A condemnation of the coup and a return of Haiti to constitutional
democracy.
• That Congress investigates the role of the United States
government, including the military and various intelligence agencies,
in the destabilization campaign against Haiti’s democracy and their
role in the overthrow of President Aristide.
• Cessation of any and all U.S. overt and covert support for
continuing repression in Haiti. Arrest of the criminals and death
squad leaders and no reconstitution of the Haitian army. An immediate
disarming of the so-called military opposition and the immediate
detaining of known Haitian convicted criminals and terrorists
operating on U.S. soil.
• Grant refugee status to Haitians fleeing the current situation;
suspend Haitian deportations indefinitely; grant temporary protective
status to Haitian nationals currently residing in the United States,
given the serious political crisis in Haiti.
• Immediate resumption of humanitarian and economic assistance and
emergency aid to the people of Haiti.

sign petition here:
http://www.foreignpolicy-infocus.org/form_haiti-petition.html

Contact us:
IRC:
Phone: 505-388-0208
Email: <siri@irc-online.org>

IPS:
Phone: 202-234-9382
Email: <julie@ips-dc.org>

 
.