23770: (reply) Brown: RE: 23754: (discuss) Arthur: who coined the term 'Operation Bagh dad'? (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: "Brown, Stephen D. MR." <brownst@soc.mil>

You are right that Claude Baejeux made the first recorded mention of
Operation Baghdad (OB) rather than Lavalas partisans. However it is also
true that Lavalas partisans were more than eager to do and say things that
lived up to the spirit and intent of the message/image that OB conveys.

An October 4 story by Jacobs contains these quotes. "We'll be in the streets
until death or Aristide comes back," said Milo Fenelon, a 24-year-old
demonstrator. "We won't stop. If they come here, we're going to cut off
their (HNP's) heads. It's going to be just like Baghdad."
"We will fight until the return of Aristide," said Georges Jean, a
33-year-old mechanic. "We can also cut off Latortue's head."

On October 5 a Radio Caraibes newsman reported from the Perpetual Relief
Church in Bel-Air. "It is exactly in front of this church that the
initiators of Operation Baghdad, who claim to be partisans of the former
Lavalas regime, set up their barracks."  These men "took a man who they said
was a member of the former military ...."
"At about noon, this man was shot four times and stabbed with machetes on
Montalais Street not far from Petion College. The Lavalas men who are part
of Operation Baghdad then celebrated the murder." ...
"[Unidentified individual] As for Latortue, he better be careful. Actually
we heard the statement made by Boniface [President Alexandre]. We want
Boniface to know that we have a tractor tire already there for him, a
motorbike tire for his wife, and a bicycle tire for his children."
The Caraibes reporter said "Operation Baghdad is a movement that does not
have a leader, according to these men. Run-for-your-life is the watchword,
especially when it comes to the national police.
"[Unidentified individual] What people are saying is actually a frame up. We
will fight until we obtain the physical return of Aristide.
"[Casseus] But how are you organizing yourselves . . . ? Does this movement
have a head, or are you left alone to do what you want
"[Unidentified individual] The army is called AST, Army Without a Head [ame
san tet]. This means that every member has a watchword. Once they find a
policeman who attacks them in their area, they should cut off his head. It
is a revolution for the return of Aristide."

It wasn't until October 8 that an inquiring reporter for Radio Galaxie,
Jean-Robert Delcine, went to the barricades and attempted to clarify the
nomenclature confusion.
"[Delcine] What is the name of the operation you are carrying out? I heard
the chiefs saying that it is Operation Baghdad. Is that true?
"[Unidentified armed bandit] Red Jihad. Red Jihad. They gave us the name.
"[Unidentified Aristide supporter] We are people. We do not know. Red Jihad,
Red Jihad from A to Z. Never back."

So, while the armed bandits/Lavalas partisans never actually referred to
their activities as Operation Baghdad (and something called the National
Grassroots Cell of Lavalas Family Peoples Organizations stated on October 28
that "the interim government must halt a macabre plan called Operation
Baghdad that has already caused many deaths") the local and international
press adopted the term OB for anti-interim government political violence.

Does that clarify things?

Steve Brown (brownst@soc.mil)