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| Caribbean-Latin America |
| U.S. Marines Kill Haiti Gunman |
| 2004-03-08 |
| U.S. Marines shot and killed a gunman during an outbreak of shooting at a weekend demonstration by Haitians celebrating the ouster of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, a spokesman said Monday. The gunfire occurred during an anti-Aristide march Sunday, prompting the Marines to return fire in the first armed action of their week-old mission to stabilize Haiti. At least six people were killed and more than 30 injured in the worst bloodshed since Aristide fled Haiti on Feb. 29 and U.S. and French peacekeepers arrived. Col. Charles Gurganus told a news conference that the gunman was trying to attack Marines when he was killed Sunday. Protesters had been calling for the exiled Aristide to stand trial for alleged corruption and killings committed by his armed militants. Gurganus said the shooting occurred near one corner of the presidential National Palace when a Marine platoon observed two gunmen. One was killed, while the troops did not know what happened to the other, he said. Asked how he knew the man killed was a gunman, Gurganus said: "He had a gun, and he was shooting at Marines. That’s what I call a gunman." Any other stupid questions maggot? Angry survivors accused the Marines and their French colleagues of not doing enough to prevent the attack in the central Champs de Mars plaza. Kiss our ass chumps, police your own. Among the dead was Spanish TV correspondent Ricardo Ortega. Dozens were injured, including photographer Michael Laughlin, of South Florida, who works for the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel. Also on Monday, Aristide declared from his African exile that he was still president of Haiti and urged "peaceful resistance" in his homeland. In his first press conference in exile, Aristide insisted he was still president and called for "peaceful resistance" against what he called the "occupation" of his homeland. "I am the democratically elected president and I remain so. I plead for the restoration of democracy" in Haiti, Aristide told reporters in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic. "We appeal for a peaceful resistance." Aristide fled under pressure from a popular rebellion and officials from the United States and France. In other statements since arriving in Bangui, Aristide has accused the U.S. military of forcing him to step down — an allegation denied by Secretary of State Colin Powell and other Bush administration officials. What anti-Aristide demonstrators billed as a "victory march" began Sunday with a few hundred people in the capital’s Petionville suburb, with Haitian police in the lead. Bringing up the rear were U.S. Marines in five Humvees mounted with machine guns and two truckloads of French legionnaires. Pro-Aristide militants said they too would march, and a confrontation seemed inevitable. "Try Aristide! Jail Aristide!" protesters yelled, demanding he stand trial for alleged corruption and killings committed by his supporters. As the number of protesters swelled to thousands, the peacekeepers got hemmed in. When marchers converged on the Champs de Mars plaza, gunfire erupted. Several witnesses said they saw Aristide militants open fire from the roof of the Rex movie theater across the plaza as thousands gathered in front of the palace. Maj. Richard Crusan said it was unclear who the gunmen were. He told The Associated Press on Sunday that three Marines on the grounds of the palace returned fire, shooting in the direction of the theater gunfire. No Marines were wounded. Doctors lacking supplies struggled to treat the injured despite the arrival of a French air force helicopter delivering emergency supplies to Port-au-Prince’s main private hospital. Among the injured was Laughlin, 37, who was shot in the face and shoulder but was in stable condition. Many of the victims were shot with high-velocity bullets from weapons like M-16s and M-14s, said Dr. Ronald Georges. Victims complained the peacekeepers did nothing. Sounds to me that if you whacked a gunman then you did in fact do something. "The peacekeepers were nowhere near where the shooting was," said Alma Coastal, 31, who was shot twice in the left shoulder. French commander Col. Daniel Leplatois defended the peacekeepers, saying: "We’re not able to secure the lives of all of the demonstrators." Aristide supporters said they canceled their march because peacekeepers had not promised the same level of security they gave their opponents. A pro-Aristide rally was instead planned for Monday. "The Americans are only here to protect those who helped oust Aristide," said Ednar Ducoste, 23. "If we had guns, we would be fighting against them right now." But since we don’t we’ll return to whining. Prime Minister Yvon Neptune said the Marines abided by "rules of engagement (that) permit that they use proportional force." Wailing victims flooded the Canape Vert hospital where Georges works, and blood covered the floors of the two operating rooms. Neptune — an Aristide appointee whom protesters also want tried — ordered police to search for perpetrators and "start disarming all who carry illegal weapons." Chief rebel leader Guy Philippe, who was hoisted on the shoulders of protesters Sunday and hailed as a hero, promised to disarm last week. But his fighters say they will surrender their arms only after Aristide’s militants do so. |
| Posted by:Jarhead |
| #7 I was going to link a Newsday article titled, U.S. Support for Democracy Hurt in Haiti but my computer is operating slowly tonight. Most of it's contents is a repeat, but it has one of the best quotes I have ever heard from Boucher. At a press briefing Richard B said, "we can't be called upon, expected or required to intervene every time there's violence against a failed leader. Because we can't spend our time running around the world or the hemisphere saving people who have botched their chance at leader." I find his attitude delightfully chilly. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2004-3-8 10:35:39 PM |
| #6 I agree with you Hiryu, a major assault by the 1 st MEU prior to the chaos would have been better. I think a Sunday last August would have been ideal. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-3-8 6:25:42 PM |
| #5 Shhhsshh. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-3-8 6:22:49 PM |
| #4 Ah...the fun is beginning. I can understand wanting to write off Aristide but I think the administration is going to discover it was too clever by half waiting till total chaos set in before intervening. |
| Posted by: Hiryu 2004-3-8 6:22:34 PM |
| #3 The peacekeepers were nowhere near where the shooting was," - I guess they were close enough. Sight alignment and trigger control. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2004-3-8 2:19:56 PM |
| #2 "The peacekeepers were nowhere near where the shooting was," That's because they didn't want to get killed, idiot. There's a good reason that terrorists in Iraq don't attack us head on. As Jeff Foxworthy would say: Here's your sign. |
| Posted by: Charles 2004-3-8 11:36:51 AM |
| #1 Shit, meet fan... |
| Posted by: mojo 2004-3-8 11:35:29 AM |