23497: Lemieux: HBN: U.S. To Keep Arms Exports Embargo On Haiti (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: JD Lemieux <lxhaiti@yahoo.com>

HeartBreak News
The Online News Bureau of the Diaspora

Caribbean Press Release Service
Monday October 18, 2004

U.S. To Keep Arms Exports Embargo On Haiti

HBN, WASHINGTON, D.C., Mon. Oct. 18: The U.S.
government is staying resolute in its decision to
keep an embargo on arms sales to Haiti in place.

Asked about the issue on Friday by members of the
press, a State Department spokesperson said,
“Restrictions on arms exports remain in place. We
continue to look for ways to be helpful to Haiti,
and will consider requests from the interim
government pursuant to U.S. laws, regulations,
and policies.”

Questioned further on whether the United States
government has been in touch with former Haitian
President Jean Bertrand Aristide or any members
of his entourage to ask for cooperation in
getting his followers in Haiti to cease their
destabilization efforts, the spokesman said, “The
United States is not in contact with former
president Aristide or his entourage, either
directly or through intermediaries.”

He added, “However, in our public statements we
have urged and will continue to urge him to cease
encouraging his followers from committing acts of
violence.

“We have repeatedly called on members of the
Lavalas Party to engage the Haitian interim
government in accordance with democratic
principles and the Haitian constitution, and to
participate in the democratic process currently
under way.”

The comments came about two days prior to a
statement made by the island’s interim Prime
Minister, Gerard Latortue, in which he blamed
Aristide for the renewed violence there. His
comments also came as 95 Chinese police officers
arrived to take part in China's first United
Nations peacekeeping mission in the Western
Hemisphere.

Meanwhile, Brazilian General Augusto Heleno,
Commander of the United Nations peacekeeping
force in Haiti, slammed Democratic Presidential
hopeful, John Kerry, for the resurgence in
violence in Haiti. Seven months ago, Kerry
criticized the Bush administration's policy in
Haiti as "shortsighted" in a New York Times
interview and said if he were president, he would
have sent U.S. troops to protect Aristide. –
Hardbeatnews.com







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