Island Breath: US Militarism

www.islandbreath.org

SUBJECT: US MILITARISM IN THE WORLD

SOURCE: JUAN WILSON juanwilson@mac.com

Report Haitian President abducted by US Military

01 march 2004 9:00am

01 March 2004 - 9:00am

Presidential Palace in Por-au-Prince, Haiti during recent unrest

As we wrestle with expanding militarism here in Hawaii, other island nations are coming under the control of the US military. It was rpeorted on CNN at noon (EST) that Haitian rebels rolled into the capital of Port-au-Prince today and were met by hundreds of residents dancing in the streets and cheering the ouster of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Meanwhile, an African-American activist said Aristide told him he was "abducted" by U.S. soldiers.

The CNN report went to say that...

"On Monday, African-American activist Randall Robinson said Aristide had called him on a smuggled cell phone and told him that he did not leave office voluntarily. Robinson said Aristide told him he was "abducted" by U.S. soldiers in "full battle gear" early Sunday and was being held "incommunicado" in the Central African Republic.

The kidnapping accusation also was reported Monday by Rep. Maxine Waters, D-California, and Aristide's attorney, Ira Kurzman. Waters said she had spoken with Aristide by phone, and Kurzman said the story originated with groundskeepers and housekeepers at Aristide's Haiti home.

"The State Department refused to put me in contact with my client," Kurzman said. "I have found out today everything that was my worst nightmare. Today I have learned that the president of the Republic of Haiti was kidnapped by U.S. Marines, taken forcibly from his home, put on an American aircraft," he said.

If there is anything to this report, it is another dark day for the US. We in Hawaii are particularly sensitive to the overthrow of independent island nations by the US military. A year ago the US Navy returned the island of Kaloolawe to the Hawaiian people. The Navy also returned control over Vieques Island in Puerto Rico to its people. As recently as three years ago the US Navy claimed the Vieques Island was the only place where its Atlantic fleet could hold simultaneous land, air, and sea exercises using live bombs.

Well, now that Arestide is gone can anyone douby that we will be seeing more US Navy presence in Port-au-Prince Harbor. It would not be too surprising to see a future agreement between US and Haitian military for US priviledges to use Haitian air, sea and land for "training operations". Don't woory to much. It'll all be in the name of our "War on Terror"... or is it "War of Terror"?

If this report has any substance, the issue should not be ignored by Hawaii, even though Haiti is far away. It cuts too close to home.