It Starts

President Aristide of Haiti has learned to play the game well. Save his backside and he squeals about it.

When asked if he left Haiti (search) on his own, Aristide quickly answered: "No. I was forced to leave.

"They were telling me that if I don't leave they would start shooting, and be killing in a matter of time," Aristide said during the brief interview via speaker phone. He spoke with a thick Haitian accent, his voice obscured at times by a bad connection.

When asked who the agents were, he responded: "White American, white military.

"They came at night. ... There were too many. I couldn't count them," he added.

Ooooo… “white” American military, at night, even; comin' to get yo' black a**! (Guess Iraq woke a lot of people up.) Could the word ‘they’ in “they would start shooting” possibly be a reference to Aristide’s own countrymen? Just a thought. Believe me, if the military wanted the president of Haiti dead, he would be.

Staying behind would have netted the same result. However, for some, complaining is a way of assuring oneself that he/she is still living; or so I'm told.

Andrew Ian Dodge is right.

Comments

[D. Melanogaster]

Even corrupt dictators know you can't trust whitey ;)

[teal marie]

Al Sharpton had planned to go to Haiti this Wednesday. I was wondering how that would play out. All I can find is this news. (See URL in teal marie)
I was sort of thinking Al could be president of Haiti if he offers. Is that crazy?

[Indigo]

"President" Sharpton would make Aristide look like "Saint" Aristide.

[Key]

Pathetic. Somebody give me money and power. I'll at least make an effort not to make a mockery of it.

[Fred Jacobsen (San Fran)]

Apparently there's been a misunderstanding. Why don't we rectify it by offering to return him to Haiti (without a military escort)?

[Peter]

Actually I believe the part about the US security types telling Aristede that if he didn't leave there'd be a lot of shootin' and killin'. There was an armed mob comin' thisaway, loaded for bear. I would presume that these guys were Marines since that was the only US military I've heard about on the ground there. Regardless of branch of service, though, there's only two ways to deal with an armed mob, unass the area or shoot Hell out of them. As long as Aristede refused to leave unassing the area wasn't an option. So, yeah, I believe that. I don't agree with the interpretation, though.

[Joe Lemyre]

What an ingrate ! I like Fred's solution - a quick return to Haiti, sans escort, with our sincere apologies for the misunderstanding. *snicker*