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Vol. XVI, No.II The University Community's Feature Paper September 26,1994 .....................iiii..... ........... :~ ~ ~ ~~~ -.::::•: ::::i::~:::::j:i::::::::::::::::::::::::::8:n,- ::...:···!::.i~iii~ii::iiiijiiii::••:i•!!~ii!!iii• _·-J Inside IOn lqwawthe n w a mIftw ýýma I! I It-I comics - Pao-e-- .ell'- ""tI Centerfold a..... I I g I "YI al.iaia Juziiii tme u.6. anu spoKe or cnanges wnicn would upset U.S. cial to run again for the same office until a time span of control and might even shed some unfavorable light at least four years has passed. With this knowledge did When the twenty-year American occupation of Haiti upon them. One of the U.S. government's biggest wor- the U.S. hem and haw pretending to be actively work- ended, a legacy was left in Haiti that exists today. A ries was the issue of drug trafficking, especially their ing upon a solution for Haiti. U.S. military trained army of Haitians was created in role in it. Besides overt U.S. aid to Haiti there was also The U.S. involvement in Somalia changed public order to turn Haiti into a police state, follow any orders covert aid through the CIA which was funneled to opinion as to U.S. involvement with any outside con- from Washington, and protect U.S. interests in Haiti. Haitian officers involved in drug trafficking and other flicts. After several soldiers died in a Somalian skir- U.S. tax dollars were used to train the Haitian military crimes. Haiti had become a center through which most mish, people no longer wanted to send troops over as officers at the U.S. School of the Americas at Fort drug shipments came through before reaching their aid in foreign political affairs. Cedras and his army saw Benning, Georgia. The U.S. Embassy in Haiti is mere- final destination. The U.S. all but ignored the drug situ- this as an opportunity to break off from the U.S. and do ly a facade through which Washington can send orders ation in Haiti because it was one of its supporters. as they pleased! The embargo on Haiti was simply for to Haiti to be followed by the military. The military has Being democratic minded, and reflecting the sentiments show since trade with Haiti actually increased during terrorized, tortured, killed, and raped thousands of of many Haitians, Aristide opposed this. Why ? As a the said embargo. Then, fleeing the horror that was Haitians in exchange for th< e to the United States tioned it by the U.S. stands with p returned and increased During the regime of the steadily. Children were Duvaliers, U.S. aid to Haiti body of prote, in Port-au-Pri being turned into was increased dramatically, orphans as the military thus deepening U.S. business went on a killing spree ties there and backing the to remove all traces of Duvaliers, both father and Aristide's influence son, both financially and mil- from Haiti. Any former itarily. Amnesty International supporters were mur- reported in 1978 that the dered; men, women, death rate of political prison- and children alike. All ers in Duvalier's jail cells mail leaving and enter- was the highest in the world, ing the country was yet the U.S. declared that "inspected." Meaning Haitian boat people were that if any money from "economic" rather than polit- outside the country ical refugees. Reagan even came through the mail, went so far as to sign a 1981 itwas confiscated at Interdiction Agreement with being money going Baby Doc Duvalier which towards Aristide's sup- included the seizing of the porters. For the families boat people on the high seas. for whom the money During the first ten years of was intended, being the accord, 24,559 refugees more than likely their applied for asylum in the only source of income, U.S. Eight were approved. that meant no food, After the dictatorships :lothing, medicine, etc. ended, Haiti became more People were afraid to chaotic. The people, reacting leave. their homes. No out of anger and frustration at the situation around orphanage, the money he could've made participating Reuters Press one could work and them, tried to destroy any reminders of that oppressive would not have been nominal, instead he chose to communication between Haitians and their families regime. Even stores, schools, and businesses were underline the ways in which U.S. dollars had hurt Haiti abroad became almost impossible. Shocking stories of destroyed. Naturally, having the most power, members and strengthened the hands of violent and corrupt the massacre of countless orphans and "political dissi- of the military took turns taking charge of the govern- forces. With the constant opposition of the elite, army, dents" leaked out. These unbearable Ionditions create J ment in violent succession. The majority of the people church hierarchy, and US AID, Aristide had a difficult the "boat people" in the past and today. There were of Haiti were not very well educated and those that time being inaugurated in February 1991. When finally Haitians who would rather die trying to escape the mur- were educated were too afraid of the military to attempt in office, Aristide was told by U.S. delegates that they der and oppression around thl.m, than remain living to speak out. They were the leaders of the pro-democra- would not support him and that he would not last. Of under it. Clinton, who had torn apart Bush's Haiti poli- cy movement which led to the end of Duvalier reign course not. Why would this country support a man who cy is his scuttle for votes, had t,- act. The Haitian's that and they regularly begged the U.S. government not to worked towards abolishing the drug trade in his country fled were returned to the country forcefully only to be fund the violent juntas. Their cries went unheard as ? Why would Washington support a man who was imprisoned and killed. Growing outrage against this hundreds of millions of U.S. tax dollars funded the jun- elected to office in democratic elections and for whom practice pressured him into creating tne concentration tas through the U.S. Agency for International 70% of the population voted from amongst a field of 10 camps for the refugees. The AIDS issue was the perfect Development (US AID). It was only because of outside candidates ? Why would U.S. officials support a man excuse for the existence of the camps and for the reluc- pressure that the U,S, decided to "intervene" and super- under, whom, according to international human rights tance of the government to allow Haitians into the U.S. vise open elections in Haiti. Most of the candidates that observers, human rights violations dropped dramatical- But there, the refugees fond conditions of squalor ran were U.S. backed and U.S. officials were counting ly. Then, lo and behold, came the coup of September of Instead of being oppressed by theHaitian military they on the miseducation and lack of education amongst the 1991. The military, being informed of the U.S; lack of were mistreated by American- troops; they would not masses. They were certain there would be no problem support for Aristide, took over. General Raoul Cedras, starve but they ate. low grade food that was more often and that the U.S. would come out looking like the being a U.S. minion, assumed leadership and the U.S. than not spoiled or tainted. Despite attempts to prevent "Defenders of Democracy." was able to breath again. refugees from leaving Haiti, ,the number of fleeing With only a few months to go before elections, It was France who first offered asylum to Aristide refugees increased with deaths on the ses becoming Aristide entered the "race." He was a priest with a while the military held him, not knowing whether or more frequent. Washington, inlieu of iiternational shanty town for a parish who had founded an orphanage not to kill him. He stayed in several countries before opinion, c.ulidno longer send the refugees back nor for street children. He wanted to alleviate the suffering coming to the.U.S. knowing that they were the only Scould they use the farce of AIDS as an excuse to keep he saw around hiim. He was aware of the U.S. hand in ones who could reinstate himl The U.S. could have Up the concentration camps. But at the same time they the ruination of Haiti and the fact that they were the acted from the first moment of the coup, but they didn't could not welcome the prospect of a large number of ones who actually ran the country He also knew that if because they supported it. Every attempt to try and: lack refugees entering the U.S. he had entered the elections as a candidate any earlier, reinstate Aristide was thwarted by the U.S.:The:CIA SIt is not some new sympathy fo Haitian democracy, the U,S. would see to it that he did not win. So it was even went so far as to paint a mentally unstable picture :butrather the above reasons why the US finally recon- at the last minute that he surfaced with unbelievable of Aristide. Washington's plan was to keep Aristide side red re-instatingi Aristide Tjere afe limitations:to support from the people. The rate at which his populari- from Haiti for the four years of the elected termn The .i nnin-toin. n a R The Stony Brook Press page 2 I · I · · I· L I~ · b I · I I · I I · · - · · 1 Crack Addict Given S To Nation's Capitol rebuilding his image.