25876: Karshan: (comments) Roger Noriega, the Architect of the Rule of Terror in Haiti, Quits State Dept. (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: MKarshan@aol.com


by Michelle Karshan

Roger Noriega, the Architect of the Rule of Terror in Haiti, Quits State
Department

Two years to the day of his July 29, 2003, confirmation, Roger F. Noriega,
Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, quit his job.
Noriega was the chief architect of the coup d'etat against Haiti's
internationally
recognized democratically elected President and all 7,000 elected officials of
Haiti.

In another display of his lack of professionalism, and again displaying
behavior generally begging for anger management training, Roger Noriega threw
a
temper tantrum going as far as saying he thinks he has worked for the US
government long enough!

The New York Times today attributed Noriega's abrupt decision to the
administration's appointment of Caleb McCarry, a Republican Congressional
staffer, to
the role of transition coordinator on Cuba, which took "primary responsibility
for Cuba...away from him." 

Noriega, a staunch, right-wing Cuban, worked as a staffer for the
Aristide-hating Senator Jessie Helms, who was bent on destroying Aristide, and
the
Clinton administration, from the very start.

Going against all of the principles of democracy, Noriega's administration,
under his direct orders, caused rifts throughout the Caribbean and Latin
America that have reverberated throughout the world.

These democratic wounds and pains now have to be healed if the US is really
interested in democracy, nation building, constructive diplomatic relations
and
regional and international cohesiveness.

Noriega's vindictive obsession with Presidents Aristide and Chavez led him to
be the architect of, at the very least, the coup d'etat against President
Aristide, and the installation of a brutal, corrupt and shameless interim
government in Haiti.

Prior to the coup itself, Noriega led a multi-prong offensive against the
democratically elected government of Haiti supporting covert action led by the
International Republican Party (IRI) in Haiti, despite the State Department's
promise to bar IRI's activities in Haiti at the time. 

Most recently, Noriega gave the orders for the stepped up repression against
the poor in Haiti's slums, which has taken many innocent lives, including
women and children.  For the past year, police and former Army soldiers who
are
now integrated into the police despite past human rights violations, have been
killing peaceful demonstrators who were demanding the return of democracy and
President Aristide to Haiti.

And, in a scheme, reminiscent of civil strifes in other countries, notably
Eastern Europe and African nations, Noriega has kept Haiti in a state of
confusion and terror, through a nightmarish web of insecurity.  The blinding
onslaught of kidnappings, rapes, and assasinations has worked to block all
true
efforts to reconciliation and peace building, causing the deaths of untold
people
across all sectors of society.

According to the New York Times, Noriega will remain at the State Department
until September.  Although Noriega cannot bring back the lives that have been
tragically lost, this would be a good opportunity for him to repent for all
the acts he has commited against mankind, democracy and universally accepted
standards of human rights.  There is still time for him to right his wrongs in
Haiti!

Unfortunately not referencing the many police officers and civilians killed
during the months leading up to the coup, nor the thousands of civilians who
have died since, the US Ambassador to Haiti, James Foley, in his recent
statement said that "the use of violence against civilians is the very
definition of
terrorism."

Perhaps, with Noriega and his personal mission of death and destruction
against Haiti's democratic movement out of the way, the US can begin to
practice
what it preaches.

Let the Way Open!

Michelle Karshan