a402: Congressmen Want to Pull Visas for Aristide, Toussaint (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Stanley Lucas <slucas@iri.org>

Congress of the United States - Washington D.C.

December 20, 2001

The Honorable Colin Powell
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20520

Dear Secretary Powell:

Knowing of your prolonged interest in United States policy and toward Haiti, we are writing to request immediate access to a list of Haitian Government officials possessing United States' documentation, such as valid visas and green cards. Based on recent discussions with U.S. Ambassador Brian Dean Curran, it is our understanding that the consular and political sections within Embassy Port-au-Prince have complied a list of Haitian Government officials possessing valid U.S. immigration documents.

We are especially concerned that a number of Haitian Government officials, such as Senators Dany Toussaint and Medard Joseph, currently possess some form of U.S. immigration documents. Senators Toussaint and Joseph have been credibly linked by a number of U.S. Government agencies to narcotics trafficking in Haiti. Specifically, 8 U.S.C. 1182(2)(C) notes with respect to controlled substance traffickers that: "Any alien who the consular or immigration officer knows or has reason to believe is or has been a knowing assister, abettor, conspirator, or colluder with others in the illicit trafficking in any such controlled substance, is inadmissible."

We are further concerned that other Haitian Government officials, such as President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, Environment Minister Webster Pierre and Interior Ministry official Eric Trouillot, also possess some form of U.S. immigration documents. Specifically, 8 U.S.C. 1182 (3)(C)(i) notes with respect to foreign policy constraints on the issuance of U.S. documents to aliens: "An alien whose entry or proposed activities in the United States the Secretary of State has reasonable ground to believe would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States is inadmissible." Given the growing evidence of the hostile and anti-democratic nature of Haiti's Aristide regime, we believe that the Department of State needs to make a clear determination as so whether Haitian Government officials should benefit from having access to U.S. territory through their possession of valid U.S. immigration documents, such as visas and green cards.

We therefore reiterate our interest in obtaining the list of Haitian officials possessing U.S. immigration documents that was prepared by staff at Embassy Port-au-Prince. Given the changes in Haitian Government leadership since the list was first prepared, we would further ask for an updating of said list to include all relevant officials in the Haitian Cabinet. President Aristide's office (including the Presidential Security Unit and the Presidential Intelligence Unit), the Haitian Parliament, the Haitian National Police leadership (including the directors of the SWAT, CIMO, Central Judicial Police, and the HNP Investigative Unit), senior officials of Fanmi Lavalas, and the leadership of the Haiti-registered Aristide Foundation. We look forward to a detailed response to this request no later than January 20, 2002.



Sincerely,


Mike DeWine


Senate Select Committee
On Intelligence

Porter J. Goss

House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence