25708: Holmstead (news) HIP: Evidence mounts of a UN massacre in Haiti (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: John Holmstead <cyberkismet5@yahoo.com>

Haiti Information Project

Evidence mounts of a UN massacre in Haiti

July 12, 2005

Port au Prince, Haiti (HIP) -

In the early morning hours of July 6, more than 350 UN
troops stormed the seaside shantytown of Cite Soleil
in a military operation with the stated purpose of
halting violence in Haiti. The successful goal of the
mission was to assassinate a 31 year-old man and his
lieutenants that Haiti's rightwing media and
reactionary business community had labeled a bandit
and armed of supporter of ousted president
Jean-Bertrand Aristide. According to residents,
Emmanuel "Dread" Wilmer and four others were felled in
a hail of gunfire that came from all directions
including a circling helicopter. According to the
Associated Press, a military spokesman for the UN
peacekeeping mission in Haiti, Colonel Eloufi Boulbars
stated, "Armed bandits who had tried to resist were
either killed or wounded."

On July 6 in Cite Soleil, a weeping Fredi Romelus,
recounted how UN troops lobbed a red smoke grenade
into his house and then opened fire killing his wife
and two children. "They surrounded our house this
morning and I ran thinking my wife and the children
were behind me. They couldn't get out and the blan
[UN] fired into the house." Exclusive video footage
from a HIP reporter captured the interview as well as
the images of the three victims. Lying in blood on the
floor of the modest home were Mr. Romelus's wife, 22
year-old Sonia Romelus who was killed by the same
bullet that passed through the body of her 1 year-old
infant son Nelson. She was apparently holding the
child as the UN opened fire. Next to them was her four
year-old son Stanley Romelus who was killed by a
single shot to the head.

Officially, the UN has responded that they only opened
fire after being fired upon and have discounted
non-combatant casualties. The HIP video shows 31
year-old Leonce Chery moments after a headshot ripped
through his jaw. Chery was clearly unarmed as he lay
bleeding to death in a pool of his own blood. In fact,
the majority of the victims shown on the video were
unarmed falling prey to a single shot to the head.

The international medical group Doctors without
Borders, reported 26 people from Cite Soleil were
treated for gunshot wounds at St. Joseph's hospital
following the UN operation on July 6. According to
reports, 20 of the injured were women and children and
one pregnant woman lost her child during surgery. Many
wounded and untreated victims of gunshot wounds are
reported to be hiding in Cite Soleil. They fear
leaving the area to seek medical treatment for fear of
reprisal by the UN and the Haitian police.

In an exclusive interview in Cite Soleil following the
UN operation, Jean Jorel, a Lavalas representative and
member of the Fanmi Lavalas Political Commission
commented, "Today all the popular neighborhoods are
under attack." Jorel continued, "These neighborhoods
represent the poor and the majority of the Haitian
people. Neighborhoods like Cite Soleil, Bel Air and
Solino have been turned into cemeteries. Since the
coup of Feb. 29, 2004, the international community has
never concerned themselves with creating programs for
the poor. Instead they have taken up a campaign of
extermination against the poor at the request of
Reginald Boulos, Charles Henry Baker, and Andy Apaid.
We ask the international community to end their
hypocrisy. We ask them to stop the killing! We ask
them to stop supporting this unelected government and
realize that the majority, who are the poor, are
committed to the return of Jean-Bertrand Aristide."

The U.S. State Department and Haiti's wealthy elite
had called for the UN to take tougher action against
supporters of Aristide's political movement known as
Lavalas. Dr. Reginald Boulos, the president of the
Haitian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, called on
the UN to step up its military operations against the
"bandits" on May 27. Meanwhile, the term "bandits" has
become a code word to signify Lavalas supporters in
the Haitian elite-run media.

In response, the U.N. and the Police Nationale d'Haiti
(PNH) launched a major offensive against Cite Soleil
on May 31. At least 3 people were killed and scores
injured after U.N. and PNH security forces reportedly
entered the area with "guns shooting everywhere"
according to residents. This was followed by a
four-day siege of the pro-Aristide neighborhood of Bel
Air that began on June 2. At least 30 people were
killed and more than 15 homes were reportedly burned
to the ground. Human rights observers described the
tactics being employed by the Haitian police during
the raids as a "scorched earth" policy. The Haitian
police moved against Bel Air again on June 17 killing
at least 10 people in another bloody raid. Among the
first victims shot by the police that day was 17
year-old Natalie Luzius. She was clutching her 6
month-old son Fritznel Luzius to protect him at the
moment a police bullet struck her in the head and
killed her. UN forces carried out a large military
operation in Bel Air on June 29 stating that only
combatants were killed. Residents claim the UN shot
and killed unarmed bystanders during the course of
that operation as well. This apparent strategy of
alternating attacks by the Haitian police and UN
military forces on pro-Aristide communities continues.

The U.S. State department responded by adding its
support to the anti-Lavalas crusade. Roger Noreiga,
assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere
affairs, directly accused Aristide on June 24 of
personally fomenting violence in Haiti. Noreiga
asserted in a Miami Herald interview, "We believe that
his people are receiving instructions directly from
his voice and indirectly through his acolytes that
communicate with him personally in South Africa."

On July 4, U.S. Ambassador James Foley gave the green
light for violently clamping down on Haiti's majority
political party, "Today in Haiti they are burning
houses, they are burning stores, they are attacking
means of transportation and communication links. They
are kidnapping people of all social classes. They are
assassinating, torturing and raping. All of this has a
name: The use of violence against civilians for
political purposes is the very definition of
terrorism."

Haiti's latest wave of violence and insecurity began
after the Haitian police fired on peaceful marches in
the capital demanding the return of President
Jean-Bertrand Aristide on Feb. 28 and April 27. At
least 11 unarmed demonstrators were killed in the two
attacks prompting U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan to
echo demands by human rights organizations for an
official investigation.

The U.S.-installed government of Gerard Latortue has
dismissed allegations against the police despite
statements made by Brazilian General Heleno Ribera and
video footage taken by a local television station
confirming the unprovoked attacks. The video footage
also shows members of Haiti's police force planting
guns on corpses to justify the slayings on April 27.

Since then, there have been almost daily kidnappings
and killings that U.S. Ambassador James B. Foley and
the local Haitian business elite blame on a small and
violent minority claiming allegiance to Aristide.

The fact that eight Haitian police officers have been
implicated and arrested in the recent spate of
kidnappings has not softened the rhetoric of the U.S.
and Haiti's wealthy elite who continue to call for
retribution and violence against pro-Aristide
neighborhoods..


For article with photos please visit:
www.haitiaction.net




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