Bush administration 'broke its own embargo to sell arms to Haiti police'

[cal04]

The Bush administration has been accused of ignoring its own arms embargo and overseeing the sale of $7m-worth (£3.7m) of weapons to the Haitian government to equip its police force. Human rights groups say the police carry out routine executions of dissidents and weapons are often illegally funnelled to armed militia. Robert Muggah of the Swiss-based Small Arms Survey, a non-profit group, said that last year the US effected the sale of thousands of weapons to the interim government headed by Gerard Latortue, despite a 13-year arms embargo. "They are meant to brace up a shaky security force, but the reality is they could actually undermine security by jeopardising an innovative disarmament effort just getting under way," said Mr Muggah, who has spent several months in Haiti interviewing diplomats and UN officials for a report.

The embargo was established after a coup that ousted the elected president Jean-Betrand Aristide, who was forced into exile for a second time last year. Washington, which had long under- mined his presidency, refused to help him. The weapons embargo remains in place. Mr Latortue, installed following negotiations involving the US, France and Canada, complained the ban prevented him equipping the police. But according to Mr Muggah, despite Mr Latortue's public protestations, a number of arms sales have gone ahead. His report says 5,435 "military-style weapons", including M-14 and other semi-automatic guns and 4,433 handguns worth $6.95m, were provided from the US.

Haiti is already awash with guns and violence. Human rights groups say supporters of Mr Aristide's political party, Lavalas, have been subjected to violence and oppression. The Haitian National Police (HNP) is also accused of carrying out a campaign of violence in the slums of the capital, Port-au-Prince.

Brian Concannon, a lawyer with the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti (IJDH), which has links to the former government, said: "It is well-documented that the Haitian police routinely execute political dissidents and suspected criminals, so with them the guns are already in the wrong hands. "But many officers - especially those illegally integrated from the rebel army - funnel arms to paramilitary groups that are even more brutal." A recent report by the human rights programme at Harvard Law School said HNP members were "perceived variously as crooked, politicised, ineffective and violators of human rights".

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=630156

[aneerkoinos]

1. Shame on you, Lula!!!

You run the show in Haiti, you have just got independence from IMF for Brazil, why do you not use your power to stop violent tyranny of IMF privatizing agenda on Haiti?

Once the people of Haiti beat Napoleon, Spain and Britain, some day Lavalas will beat US, IMF and UN.

[magellan]

2. My heart breaks for the Haitians

They've seen nothing but non-stop suffering courtesy BushCo. But as usual, I'm sure Bush** has a fine excuse for this latest filthy dance around the law at the expense of human lives.

Our government is infested with unrepentant murderers from the Oval Office on down.

[Daphne08]

4. The American abuse of Haiti didn't begin with this

administration. It goes back to the early 1900s, and before that it was Europe. I've read that the U.S. propped up the Duvaliers (Papa Doc and Baby Doc) in one or another as well. I do remember Reagan condemning the younger Duvalier after his lavish wedding.

My remembrance of history may be faulty, but I lived in Miami for three years in the 1980's and met many Haitians. They were extremely kind and very grateful to be in America, but they also were worried about their relatives and their country.

[magellan]

5. Yeah, I know

I remember the Papa and Baby Docs, and the "coup" in '91 that forced Aristide out the first time he was democratically elected. The Bushes seem to have a keen interest in making sure Aristide isn't in charge of Haiti...even though the majority of Haitians want him there.

[tkmorris]

3. Aristide will return to Haiti one day

It will happen. If and when an election is held in Haiti I expect Lavalas will be able to get his name on the ballot and he will win again if international observers enforce anything like a clean election. The Bush administration is the only entity propping up the curremt Haiti "government". Actually the government there currently is organized chaos, dependent on terror and thuggery to stay in control. Why they ever enabled the overthrow of Aristide I will never know; Haiti has nothing we need. Chavez I understand, we need their oil, but Aristide? Why?

I hate these people. With a purple fucking passion. If anyone truly hates us for our freedoms it isn't the Islamic peoples, it's the Bushites. They DESPISE freedom, and will supply arms, give money, put troops on the ground, you name it, to supress freedom anywhere it threatens to break free.