26826: (news) Chamberlain: Tutu helicoptered out to DR (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Greg Chamberlain <GregChamberlain@compuserve.com>

Dominican Republic military airlifts Tutu from turmoil-torn Haiti



PORT-AU-PRINCE, Feb 15 (AFP): Dominican Republic military pilots Tuesday
airlifted former South African Anglican archbishop Desmond Tutu from the
Haitian capital after unrest caused the cancelation of commercial flights.

The Nobel Peace laureate was helped aboard a military helicopter that
landed on the grounds of the Dominican Republic embassy in Port-au-Prince.
He was headed to the Dominican Republic to catch a flight to the United
States, an official of the Episcopal church in Haiti told AFP.

Tutu, 74, who spent four days in Haiti, canceled part of his program in the
Caribbean country as demonstrators erected barricades in Port-au-Prince to
protest partial results that showed presidential frontrunner Rene Preval
failed to get the 50 percent needed to win outright.

American Airlines canceled its daily flights out of Port-au-Prince
following the unrest.

On Monday, Tutu appealed for calm in front of hundreds of demonstrators who
stormed the grounds of the luxury Montana hotel, where electoral officials
had announced the preliminary results.

"You must show the world that you abhor fighting," Tutu said from a terrace
of the hotel, where he was staying.

"We would like to see you departing peacefully," Tutu told the protesters,
who ignored the request and jumped into the hotel pool.

On Sunday, Tutu preached peace and reconciliation at an ecumenical service
attended by local and foreign dignitaries.

The former archbishop of Cape Town was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in
1984 for his non-violent struggle against apartheid in his native South
Africa.