21926: Esser: SOA on current Haiti situation (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: D. Esser torx@joimail.com

School Of the Americas Watch

March 2004

HAITI BACKGROUND INFORMATION

SOA Watch is concerned with the current crisis in Haiti.
Historically, Haitians have received training at the notorious School
of the Assassins. It is also clear that US military training of
Haitian fighters, and US intervention has continued beyond SOA
training. In fact several of the leaders of the armed rebels,
including rebel leader Guy Philippe who has proclaimed to be the head
of the new Haitian Military, have received US military training
within the last eight years.

In a press statement released on March 1st, The Haiti Support Group
cited mainstream media sources concerning the current armed rebel
leaders and noted: - Guy Philippe reported to the BBC that his rebel
force will be a part of the new government in Haiti and he told the
Miami Herald on February 28th that the man he most admires is former
Chilean dictator, General Augusto Pinochet. "Pinochet made Chile what
it is,'' noted Philippe. Number 2 on Philippe's list is former US
President Ronald Reagan. Guy Philippe was trained by the US special
forces and given a top post in the new Haitian Police Force. Human
Rights Watch noted that Philippe served as police chief on the north
side of the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area 1997 through 1999. While
he served in this position dozens of suspected gang members were
assassinated. - The press statement further reported that rebel
leaders Jean Tatoune and Louis Jodel Chamblain are convicted killers
and former leaders of the FRAPH death-squad.

SOA Watch believes that the instability that led to the current
crisis in Haiti is the direct result of overt U.S. policies that have
supported Haitian fighters and the Haitian military. In 1915,
President Wilson sent Marines to Haiti to protect Americans and
American interests. This led to a de facto U.S. occupation and
control of Haiti for nearly twenty years, during which the resident
U.S. naval commander dissolved the Haitian Congress. Since then, the
U.S. government has been actively supplying former Haitian dictators,
death squad leaders, and paramilitaries with U.S. military training
and CIA training, some of which has taken place at the infamous
School of the Americas. Brutal Haitian Dictator Raoul Cedras, who
overthrow Aristide in 1991 and ruled with a bloody and repressive
regime until 1994, acknowledged that 75% of his forces were receiving
training in the United States. This included his two partners in the
Junta of 91 through 94, Francois and Biamby who were educated at the
Fort Benning Infantry School - on the same base where the SOA is
located.
.