Congresswoman Waters Introduces Resolution Supporting Immediate U.S. Assistance to Prevent a Bloodbath in Haiti
[Press Release]
For Immediate Release CONTACT: Ron Dungee
February 25, 2004 (323) 757-8900
Congresswoman Waters Introduces Resolution Supporting Immediate U.S. Assistance to Prevent a Bloodbath in Haiti
Washington, D.C.-Today, at a press conference on Capitol Hill, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) announced that she is introducing a resolution in Congress condemning the violent activities of thugs and former members of the Haitian military and requesting that our government and the international community provide immediate assistance to Haiti to strengthen the Haitian police so that they can restore law and order in Haiti. She made the following statement:
"We are not here just to ask the United States to help Haiti for humanitarian reasons. We are here because the United States government was actively involved in the creation of this crisis and has an obligation to do something about it.
"For several years, the United States blocked $145.9 million in development loans to Haiti by the Inter-American Development Bank. These loans were supposed to fund health, basic education, rural road development, potable water and sanitation programs, but the United States government prevented the money from ever going to Haiti until the Congressional Black Caucus intervened last year. Denying Haiti access to basic development assistance further impoverished a poor population.
"The United States also funded and trained the Haitian military and the members of the feared death squad known as the Front for the Advancement and Progress of Haiti (FRAPH). When President Aristide disbanded the Haitian military following his return to Haiti in 1994, these military officers were never disarmed. Many simply went over the border into the Dominican Republic. In 2002, the United States even provided M-16's to the Dominican Republic for use along the Haitian border.
"Now the former members of Haiti's disbanded army have returned to Haiti, and they are heavily armed. They have murdered many people in Cap-Haitien and now control several cities.
"The United States has also maintained a ban on weapons sales to Haiti. This has left the Haitian police force ill-equipped to maintain law and order in the face of groups of armed thugs, former military officers and death squad members. The people of the city of Saint-Marc are placing boxes, rocks and cars in the roads to protect themselves from the approaching paramilitary groups.
"Now, these heavily-armed paramilitary groups are on their way to Port-au-Prince. Unless there is some form of intervention from the United States and the international community beyond merely securing their embassies, I fear that there will be a bloodbath in Haiti.
"Today, I am introducing a resolution to require the United States to support democracy and constitutional rule in Haiti, condemn the violent activities of thugs and former members of the military, and work with the United Nations, the Organization of American States and other countries to provide immediate assistance to Haiti to strengthen the Haitian police so that they can restore law and order in Haiti. I am confident that my colleagues will support this legislation once they know the truth about what is going on in Haiti."
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