[News] Aristide Supporters Denounce Haiti 'Occupation'

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Aristide Supporters Denounce Haiti 'Occupation'

By Ibon Villelabeitia and Jim Loney

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (Reuters) - Thousands of furious supporters of exiled 
President Jean-Bertrand Aristide poured out of Haiti's slums and into the 
streets on Friday, marching on the U.S. Embassy to denounce the 
"occupation" of their homeland and demand Aristide's return.

The formation of a new government moved ahead with the appointment of a 
council of seven "wise men" charged with picking a prime minister for a 
transitional government.

A crowd estimated at more than 10,000 materialized suddenly, seething at 
Aristide's flight to Africa five days ago, hurling slurs at U.S. Marines 
and calling President Bush a "terrorist."

Hundreds held up their hands, with fingers extended, shouting "Aristide 
five years," the rallying cry of those who wanted him to finish his term. 
Heavily armed U.S. troops watched from the embassy rooftop as the crowd 
marched past.

"Bush terrorist! Bush terrorist!," they chanted, waving Haitian flags or in 
T-shirts bearing photos of Aristide.

Supporters of Aristide, a former Roman Catholic priest whose fiery oratory 
from the pulpit helped galvanize a popular revolt that dislodged the 
Duvalier family dictatorship in the 1980s, had been relatively quiet this 
week, stunned by his departure.

They had stayed largely in Cite Soleil, La Saline and other teeming 
Port-au-Prince slums as the armed rebels who helped push their hero from 
office roamed the streets, hunting for Aristide's armed "chimere" supporters.

But as the rebels withdrew from the capital after a pledge from their 
leader, former police chief Guy Philippe, to lay down their arms, Aristide 
partisans vowed to demonstrate daily for his return.

'FOREIGN OCCUPATION'

They blamed Haiti's wealthy elite, Bush and French President Jacques Chirac 
for what they called the "foreign occupation."
"The bourgeoisie joined with the international community to occupy Haiti 
and get rid of President Aristide," a demonstrator screamed. "The 
bourgeoisie never did anything for us, the masses. Now they took away our 
president."
"If Aristide doesn't come back, life will be hell here."

Five days after Aristide was ousted by a bloody rebellion and foreign 
pressure, a seven-member "Council of Wise Men" was named to start building 
a new government. At least four of the seven are aligned with Aristide's 
political opposition.

Haitian and foreign officials have been struggling to install interim 
president Boniface Alexandre, who according to the constitution must be 
ratified by the legislature. No one could say when a formal ceremony would 
be held at the palace.

Haiti's legislature has been largely defunct since early January.

U.S., French, Chilean and Canadian troops in Haiti numbered about 2,000, 
according to the commanders of the multinational force approved by the 
United Nations to restore order. Days of looting and shooting followed 
Aristide's flight to exile in the Central African Republic on Sunday.

U.S. special forces reconnaissance teams moved into Cap Haitien and 
Gonaives, cities taken by the rebels during a month-long revolt in which 
over 100 and perhaps up to 200 people died.

U.S. Gen. James Hill, commander of the U.S. Southern Command, visited Haiti 
on Friday and told reporters the impoverished Caribbean country does not 
need to revive its army.

Philippe has called for the reestablishment of the military, which had an 
abysmal human rights record as it propped up Haiti's dictators.

"There is no need for a Haitian army," Hill said. "What we need to do today 
is to reestablish a professional, working and effective police force." 
(Additional reporting by Joseph Guyler Delva)
© Reuters 2004. All Rights Reserved.


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