S2006 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE March 6, 1997 to all of those who are suffering and all market principles. In Latin America, This is one area in which American those who are fighting back, trying to the Reagan doctrine certainly has expertise can make a big difference. In- put their lives back in order. worked. deed, with some extra United States I see on the floor my colleague from As free elections and economic liber- help, Haiti could succeed in convicting Ohio and my colleague from Kentucky alization has taken place in country some of the worst defenders, like the and my colleague from West Virginia. after country, the countries of South murderers of Mireille Bertin and Guy All are States, as well as Indiana, that and Central America have become bet- Malary. Mireille Bertin was an anti- have been hit very hard. ter neighbors for the United States. I Aristide lawyer. Guy Malary was The most heartening thing to see believe these same principles apply to Aristide’s justice minister. To pros- during a tragedy such as this is how our national strategy in regard to ecute and convict the killers in those people react. We have many organiza- Haiti. kinds of cases would send an unmistak- tions that are involved, but probably Mr. President, we need to apply these able message to Haitian society: Your the biggest organization involved is principles to Haiti so that over the chance of getting justice does not de- not an organization at all, it is just long term, Haiti can move out of the pend on what side you are on. Ohioans and Kentuckians and Hoosiers category of ‘‘problem country’’ and Mr. President, these reforms will not and people from West Virginia who are into a fuller economic and political happen without leadership from the out there, helping their neighbors and participation in regional progress. The President of Haiti. President Preval helping their friends, and sometimes challenge for us, the challenge for Con- needs to push judicial reform and make just helping people they do not know gress, the challenge for the administra- clear that the period of impunity from at all. tion is to provide assistance that actu- the left and from the right is now over. It is the American spirit and is some- ally works, a do-good approach, not a These reforms will not take place ei- thing that is a wonderful thing to be- feel-good approach. This means work- ther, Mr. President, without expertise hold. ing with the Haitian people to deter- and without assistance from the United f mine the real roadblocks to democracy States. The SIU needs the kind of and to free enterprise and determine know-how that U.S. law enforcement PROBLEMS—AND PROGRESS—IN what form of United States assistance officials can provide; indeed, they can HAITI will help overcome these obstacles. provide it better than anyone else in Mr. DEWINE. Mr. President, I would Two years after the United States in- the world. like to take a few minutes today to vasion, Haiti still is struggling by any After my recent visit, I wrote to Dep- talk about an issue that I have been reasonable measure. But a closer exam- uty Secretary of State Strobe Talbott looking at for some time. I rise today ination reveals several seeds of and told him that additional U.S. ex- to discuss U.S. policy in regard to one progress struggling to take root. pertise is needed in this area. I am of our most troubled neighbors in this First, Let’s start, Mr. President, with pleased to report that I have received a hemisphere. Over the last several the justice system. For democracy to letter back from Secretary Talbott. He years, in my capacity as a member of survive, it is not enough that Haitians wrote me that two additional Creole- the Intelligence Committee, I traveled have the power to effect change at the speaking U.S. citizens, U.S. police offi- to Haiti on three separate occasions to ballot box. They also must have a cers, have been added to the SIU since investigate the problems of that coun- working judicial system. Frankly, my last visit, and further, that the FBI try and to assess the efforts of the Haiti has never had a functioning judi- has agreed to provide a medical exam- United States to help the Haitians cope ciary, certainly not the way we under- iner to perform autopsies. Further- with these problems and to help them stand it. There are sitting judges today more, he told me that the FBI will as they try to secure the solid legal who can’t read or write. Others are just visit Haiti with a view toward possibly and economic infrastructure that has, incompetent. helping to develop an investigation frankly, eluded them now for centuries. Understandably, the Haitian people plan for the SIU. I did this because I believe Congress are demanding change. Specifically, Mr. President, I ask unanimous con- and the administration must under- they want to know if President Preval sent that Secretary Talbott’s letter be take a candid, realistic look at U.S. is committed to building an inde- printed in the RECORD at the conclu- policy, what is working, what is not pendent and a competent judiciary. sion of my remarks. working, and where we go from here. Since President Aristide’s return, there The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without The American taxpayers have already has been a series of commando-style objection, it is so ordered. invested a great deal in Haiti, contrib- killings of political opponents. The (See exhibit 1.) uting at least $2 billion to the coun- numbers have dropped off since the in- Mr. DEWINE. Mr. President, it is my try’s recovery, risking the lives of auguration of President Preval, but, view that this would be a big step for- American service personnel in the 1994 disturbingly, too many people in Haiti ward for the progress of restoring civil invasion, and leaving hundreds of them still think they can commit political society in Haiti. It would help bring there today to help keep an uneasy murders with impunity. high-profile killers to justice and send peace. Mr. President, there are two things a powerful message to the people of While Haiti is not of great strategic you always need if you want to solve Haiti that they can count on law and importance to the United States, we do high-profile crimes. First, you have to order becoming a reality in the future have a serious interest in what happens have the expertise, good solid police of their country. in this, the poorest country in our work, good professional police inves- Let me discuss a broader topic—topic hemisphere. These interests stem from tigation. And Second, you also have to No. 2—the ordinary day-to-day oper- geography and are amply proven by have the political will from the top so ation of the Haitian police as it deals history. I do not think most of us need that everyone in the country, everyone with run-of-the-mill, nonpolitical to be reminded, for example, about the in the judicial system, everyone in law crimes, the crimes that most people Haitian boat people. It is clear the only enforcement understands the priority. face the threat of each day. thing preventing yet another explosion The good news is that the Haitian na- The United States has already helped of refugees into the southern part of tional police have established a special to train 5,000 young recruits as a civil- this country is a wise, multinational investigations unit, SIU, to investigate ian police force to replace the discred- investment in the stability of Haiti. human rights crimes. The bad news is ited Haitian military. This task was Fortunately, recent history has given that while I was there in November, and remains daunting. Try to imagine, us some good guidelines, some good ad- my most recent visit, the SIU con- Mr. President, the Washington, DC po- vice, if you will, on how to help secure sisted of one experienced United States lice force fired one day, everyone fired such stability. One of the great prin- police officer and roughly 36 inexperi- en masse and replaced by kids fresh out ciples of the Reagan administration enced Haitians. This has changed some- of the police academy who are then was that America’s national interest what since my visit, since two more asked to patrol the city’s most dan- was best served by having neighbors U.S. police officers have been added to gerous neighborhoods. Or think of any that practiced democratic and free- the force. other big city in this country.

VerDate Mar 15 2010 21:57 Oct 24, 2013 Jkt 081600 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\1997SENATE\S06MR7.REC S06MR7 mmaher on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with SOCIALSECURITY March 6, 1997 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S2007 As one would expect, there have been Mr. President, another thing that ab- without having to pay the 4-percent so- some pretty serious problems with this solutely must happen in Haiti is the called verification fee. Shipments of police force. They are alleged to have fundamental reform of Haiti’s corrupt food, pharmaceuticals and scholastic killed innocent people. In fact, even and inefficient ports. And this brings materials will be exempt from that Pierre Denize, director general of the me to my fourth topic. verification fee for all PVO’s, as well as Haitian national police has acknowl- My wife Fran and I visited an or- United States Government agencies edged these problems. He has a letter phanage in Haiti, at which a nun ap- shipping aid to Haiti. That, Mr. Presi- in Time magazine that reached the proached us and told us that her or- dent, is certainly a step in the right di- newsstands earlier this week, in which phanage had been expecting a vitally rection. he writes the following: important x-ray machine. Where was Let me now turn to a related human- I take responsibility for the actions of my it? She told us it was sitting on the itarian matter, the current U.S. food- subordinates and acknowledge that some docks for months. Then it was finally aid policy. That policy is shifting from HNP members have committed human rights stolen. A second replacement x-ray ma- a general feeding program to one tar- abuses, but the majority of these offenses have been identified through the investiga- chine, estimated to be worth a great geted to women and infants. That is a tive efforts of HNP officials. The HNP does deal of money, sat on the docks for wise step. But, Mr. President, I believe not condone these acts. In addition, the Hai- months and months awaiting the pay- it should be modified so that the chil- tian Government is working to ensure HNP ment of a 30-percent tax. dren in orphanages and the elderly in officers face criminal charges when war- Mr. President, a few weeks after re- institutional care continue to receive ranted. Unfortunately, there is no quick fix, turning to the United States, I met this food until there is an alternative as the problems did not originate with the with Joe Busken in Cincinnati, a pri- feeding program in place. creation of HNP in 1996 but have developed vate citizen. Mr. Busken has been in- In Port-au-Prince, my wife Fran vis- over decades. volved for years with a different or- ited an orphanage run by a nun who Mr. President, one major problem is phanage in Haiti. He outfitted a bakery goes to hospitals to gather as many that these Haitian recruits lack experi- for them and taught them to make children as her orphanage will hold. ence, and they also lack the midlevel highly nutritious bread. I found, in These children who have been aban- support that is essential to successful talking to Mr. Busken, that last July— doned as babies are simply left at the police work. I personally met with 10 of last July—he had shipped flour to that hospital. She now takes care of 50 ba- these United States police officers who bakery, only to find that flour was also bies and children, many of whom came are mentoring these young Haitian re- stuck on the docks since July. This to the orphanage horribly malnour- cruits. These Americans are veterans was in November when I was talking to ished. My wife had the opportunity to of big city police departments. They him. Once my office became involved, see some of these children, and it was were born in Haiti and speak Creole. and with the help of the U.S. Embassy a very pitiful sight. They are United States citizens. They Mr. President, if the proposed U.S. have worked in some of the biggest, and the USAID, the flour and the other food-aid policy is left unchanged, it toughest cities and have great police orphanage’s x-ray machine were finally would harm the neediest and most vul- experience. I found them to be enthusi- liberated, but that was 7 months later. Mr. President, Haiti is an island. It is nerable patients, such as these babies. astic and doing a great job. I was very therefore very vulnerable to the poor USAID is evaluating this policy now. I proud of them. But, frankly, Haiti must have more functioning of its ports. On an island would urge them to reformulate the of them. In his letter that I mentioned such as Haiti, a badly run and corrupt policy so that the most vulnerable peo- earlier, Secretary Talbott wrote me port can become a major chokepoint ple, children in orphanages and the el- that in response to interest on the part for imports and also exports. A vibrant derly in institutions, are not left out. of the Haitian Government, there are assembly sector, for example, cannot Mr. President, there is another topic now 10 more United States officers hope to grow as long as the port au- that I do not intend to address today. there, for a total of 32. thority exacts a $750-per-container ex- That is the issue of Haitian agri- The expectation of law and order is port fee. culture. Haiti cannot recover—true always a prerequisite for a working so- The Inter-American Development progress cannot be made—without a ciety, but it is also a prerequisite for a Bank, Mr. President, is to spend lit- viable agricultural sector. But Haitian working economy. Therefore, let me erally hundreds of millions of dollars agriculture has been devastated. Haiti turn now to the third major issue I to build roads in Haiti. The main pur- needs to do what it can to help them- would like to discuss, the state of Hai- pose of these roads is to allow farmers selves in this particular area. I intend ti’s economy, and I have mixed news to and others to get goods to the ports for to return to the floor at some future report. export. But those roads will not do any date, Mr. President, to discuss this After a decade and a half of negative good if Haiti cannot even get things in issue in greater detail than time would growth, the Haitian economy is finally or out of the port to begin with. permit today. beginning to grow, very slowly. But if Humanitarian aid, Mr. President, is Let me conclude by underlying the the Haitians do not move forward, if just as vulnerable as are ordinary com- central fact about today’s Haiti. It is the Government does not move forward mercial imports and exports. Because an extremely troubled country. The immediately on privatizing their State economic reform remains a long-term road ahead is uphill, and it is very industries, growth is going to stop. goal, continued humanitarian aid re- steep. Turning around two centuries of People need to see real economic mains an immediate need that must be poverty and misrule is not a task that progress if they are going to support met. Many concerned American volun- can be accomplished by Haitians over- the free market over the long run. If teer groups are sending food and other night. Haiti pays lip service to the free mar- emergency aid to Haiti. But huge tariff That is why, Mr. President, it is im- ket while continuing its dead-or-dying or port entry fees are keeping aid sit- portant for Congress and the adminis- state-run businesses, the prosperity ting on the docks for months. Food tration to work out a realistic bipar- will not be there for the Haitian peo- shipments are simply left to rot, dis- tisan consensus on Haiti. The United ple, and support for market reforms couraging many from even trying. States cannot make Haiti an island and support for democracy will erode Mr. President, here is an example of paradise. Only the people of Haiti can very quickly. where American know-how can help. I determine their own destiny. But we The Haitian Parliament has taken a am glad to report we have made some can help the Haitian people transform meaningful first step by passing privat- progress in making the humanitarian- their country into one that works, one ization legislation. But legislation is aid train run on schedule. United that exports goods and services, one only a first step. To make a difference States Ambassador William Swing has where the people will come together to in national prosperity, privatization informed me that the Haitian Govern- escape from their past rather than es- has to be real. It has to actually hap- ment has agreed to let assistance from caping from their homeland. That is pen. President Preval must move for- private voluntary organizations, their only hope for a viable future. ward quickly and forcefully on privat- PVO’s, who are affiliated with the That is a goal worthy of America’s sup- ization. United States Government enter Haiti port.

VerDate Mar 15 2010 21:57 Oct 24, 2013 Jkt 081600 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\1997SENATE\S06MR7.REC S06MR7 mmaher on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with SOCIALSECURITY S2008 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE March 6, 1997 Mr. President, I will continue to Mr. DEWINE. Mr. President, I thank tive pressures. I hope, as I am sure my work with the administration, with the Chair for his indulgence and yield colleagues do, that the peace process Members of both parties here in Con- the floor. will not be derailed by the actions of gress to make sure this goal gets the Mr. BYRD addressed the Chair. an extreme right wing minority in attention that it needs. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- Israel and that the settlements issue EXHIBIT 1 ator from West Virginia. will be adjusted by the Prime Minister U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, f to reflect the opportunity that the suc- Washington, DC, February 6, 1997. cessful Hebron agreement has provided. ISRAELI SETTLEMENTS POLICY IN Hon. MIKE DEWINE, Mr. President, I thank my friend U.S. Senate. JERUSALEM from Indiana, Senator COATS, for his DEAR SENATOR DEWINE: I read with inter- Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, last week courtesy in allowing me to proceed est your January 24 OpEd article in the Wall the Israeli leader, Prime Minister Ben- ahead of him. I thank him very much Street Journal. I wholeheartedly concur with you on the jamin Netanyahu, decided to authorize indeed. need for further reforms in the police, judici- a politically volatile housing project Mr. COATS. Mr. President, it is not ary and economy if Haiti is to realize the full for Israeli settlers in predominantly difficult to yield to the Senator from benefits from the restoration of democracy. Arab East Jerusalem. This dis- West Virginia because the content of In this regard, I believe you would be inter- appointing act has thrown into confu- what he says is always instructive, and ested in some developments that have oc- sion the promising opening that was I am always pleased to be on the floor curred since your November visit to Haiti generated by the long and difficult, but when he is speaking because I always which address these shared concerns. learn something. Police and Judicial Reforms: The Inspector successful negotiations last month, which culminated in an agreement re- Mr. BYRD. I thank the Senator. General (IG) of the Haitian National Police The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- (HNP) has continued to crack down on police turning control of the West Bank city ator from Indiana. officers implicated in malfeasance or other of Hebron to the Palestinians. The improper activity, including during the last Mr. COATS. Mr. President, I thank United States invested very consider- the Chair. month the detention of four HNP officers in- able efforts, negotiating talent and volved in a November 5 shootout in the (The remarks of Mr. COATS per- Delmas suburb of Port-au-Prince. Over the prestige to move the peace process taining to the introduction of S. 409 are last year, IG investigations have resulted in along. The agreement over Hebron gave located in today’s RECORD under the dismissal of dozens of police officers. As the world great hope that a long-term ‘‘Statements on Introduced Bills and you note, one of the most positive elements peaceful settlement of the outstanding Joint Resolutions.’’) of our own effort to strengthen the fledgling issues between Israel and the Palestin- Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I ask Haitian National Police has been the con- ians was on an upward track. unanimous consent to extend the nor- tribution of U.S. police mentors working Therefore, it is very unfortunate, in mal time of 5 minutes to 13 minutes. with their Haitian counterparts. Responding my view, that the reality of the sub- to continued Haitian Government interest in The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there this program and to your recommendation stantial success over Hebron prompted objection? that additional U.S. civilian police officers the right wing of Israeli politics to Without objection, it is so ordered. be assigned to Haiti, the current U.S. contin- pressure Prime Minister Netanyahu f gent of 22 officers will be augmented this into this latest act on housing settle- FBI MANAGEMENT FAILURES— week with the arrival of ten new mentors. ments. According to the New York PART THREE I also believe that additional measures are Times of March 2, 1997, ‘‘a powerful needed to ensure a thorough investigation of Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, trou- the murders of Haitian political figures. Two group of Mr. Netanyahu’s conservative colleagues’’ ‘‘leaned on him’’ to prove bling facts continue to surface in the additional experienced, Creole-speaking U.S. FBI crime lab issue. These facts are investigators have been assigned to the Spe- his commitment to Jerusalem by cial Investigation Unit (SIU), and in re- building Har Homa, threatening to putting flesh on the bones of allega- sponse to a formal request from Haitian au- bring down the government if he failed. tions that much of the lab’s analysis is thorities, the FBI has agreed to provide a With new territorial concessions to the sloppy, not credible, fabricated, or all medical examiner to perform autopsies. We Palestinians looming, Mr. Netanyahu of the above. will give positive consideration to additional The FBI has charged that these alle- told Americans and Palestinians pri- areas of support to the SIU that might be gations are unfounded, and that they vately that he had to ‘‘fill his right identified during a forthcoming FBI visit to are the musings of one Dr. Frederic wing tank’’ on Har Homa if he was to Haiti to develop an investigation plan for the Whitehurst. Dr. Whitehurst has come SIU. keep on the peace route. forward as a whistleblower with serious In the area of judicial reform, strength- This is a most disappointing situa- ening prosecutorial capabilities and the charges against the lab and its man- tion. Progress on peace is regarded as a agement. The FBI chose to shoot the courts remain a priority USG effort, and we threat by the Israeli right wing and has will work with the Congress to provide ade- messenger instead of taking Dr. White- quate resources for these efforts. resulted in efforts to force the Prime hurst seriously. Economic reforms: I agree with you that Minister to retreat from his own suc- After a year of studying Dr. White- progress on privatization and tariff reform cess. The Israeli right wing should hurst’s claims and his information, I are essential to encourage economic develop- know that their behavior will have was not so sure the FBI took the wise ment and private-sector investment. The De- consequences in the United States, and course. Then, after a private briefing partment remains committed to working I for one will relate my support for by the Justice Department’s inspector closely with the Congress to establish and their agenda to their support of that of apply realistic conditions that will encour- general on his investigation into these age sustainable economic development. We the United States, which is a fair, equi- matters, I was even more convinced also plan to target USAID safety-net pro- table and just peace in Jerusalem and that the FBI has taken the wrong grams toward those most in need including, the Middle East. The process of Amer- course. And now that the FBI has as you recommend, maintaining feeding pro- ican intermediations between the taken personnel action against Dr. grams directed at vulnerable sectors such as Israelis and Palestinians is a serious Whitehurst in retaliation for his tell- mothers and their infants. matter and we cannot stand by and Again, I wish to express my appreciation ing the truth, I am convinced that the for your interest in Haiti and your desire to watch the Israeli right wing, at their Bureau is dead wrong. work with the Administration in pursuit of whim, pull the rug out from under The FBI’s defense—some would say democratization, political security and eco- whatever progress is accomplished. coverup—is slowly unraveling. Last nomic reform. Your visits have helped to gal- Such actions should be understood to week, we discovered that it wasn’t just vanize a bipartisan effort that, in turn, will have consequences for support for Dr. Whitehurst that has raised serious help Haiti to help itself. National Security Israel’s various interests as they are concerns. Another respected scientist, Advisor Sandy Berger and I hope to visit considered by Senators. Dr. William Tobin, had raised equally Haiti in the near future. I look forward to I hope the Israeli Prime Minister will serious allegations in 1989. He alleged continuing close cooperation with you to ad- dress the problems of the poorest and least do better at withstanding the pressure that an FBI agent tampered with evi- developed of our neighbors. of his right wing and, that the consid- dence and made a series of false state- Sincerely, erable influence of American groups ments while testifying in court pro- STROBE TALBOTT. will be exercised to counter those nega- ceedings against then-Judge ALCEE L.

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