From: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel)
Subject: HAITI: U.S. denies deal barring Aristide's return
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: PACH
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1992 22:36:05 GMT

/** reg.carib: 322.0 **/
** Topic: IPS: US denies Haiti deal **
** Written  6:38 am  Oct  2, 1992 by caribdesk in cdp:reg.carib **
From: Bob Thomson <caribdesk>
Subject: IPS: US denies Haiti deal

/* Written 12:21 am  Oct  2, 1992 by newsdesk in cdp:ips.englibrary */
/* ---------- "HAITI: U.S. denies deal barring Ari" ---------- */
Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Reference: North America
Title: HAITI: U.S. denies deal barring Aristide's return

washington, sep 28 (ips) -- the u.s. state department denied
monday that it supports a deal proposed by the de facto government
of haiti that would bar exiled president jean-bertrand aristide
from returning to his homeland during his term of office.

''that is not our position,'' said julie reside, a department
spokeswoman.  she insisted washington does ''not support any
particular forumla'' for ending the year-long crisis in haiti.

''it is for the haitians themsleves to determine the best way
to restore democracy,'' she said, adding that washington continued
to back the efforts of the organisation of american states (oas)
designed to bring about a new dialogue between representatives of
aristide and the de facto government headed by the military-backed
prime minister, marc bazin.

the department was reacting to a report in monday's 'los
angeles times' that set forth what the paper called the basic
elements of a deal to resolve the crisis on which all parties
except aristide might agree.

the report came on the eve of an address by aristide to the
u.n. general assembly in new york where he is expected to call for
the world body to extend and enforce an oas economic and
diplomatic embargo against the de facto government adopted shortly
after his ouster in the sep. 30, 1991 military coup.

u.s. officials told ips they are hopeful about the agreement by
the bazin government earlier this month to the deployment of 18
oas observers to monitor human rights conditions and the prospects
for democratic restoration in haiti.

one official called it a ''first step'' in what washington
hopes is a ''step-by-step process'' that could resolve the crisis.
the next step was to initiate talks between representatives of the
two sides which he said could begin as early as wednesday.

those talks, said a source close to the oas, are likely to take
place in kingston, jamaica where former prime minister michael
manley may act as mediator. the source stressed that manley, who
was briefed by oas secretary-general joao baena soares here last
week, has not yet formally accepted the assignment. (more/ips)

haiti: u.s. denies deal barring aristide's return(2-e)

haiti: u.s. (2)

the 'times' account, written from port-au-prince, said u.s.
officials have become increasingly disillusioned with aristide
during the year of his exile and embarassed by the ''continuing
futility of the (president george) bush amdinistration's efforts
to impose its policy.''

that situation, as well as the failure of the embargo to force
the de facto government and the armed forces to accept aristide's
return, is fostering the notion that a solution which excludes
aristide's restoration may be acceptable to both washington and
the oas.

under the plan, according to the 'times', the oas would modify,
if not entirely lift, the embargo and recognise bazin as prime
minister, in exchange for his government's formal recognition that
aristide was president.

in addition, however, aristide could not return to the country
until his term expires in 1996 and would have to go along with an
amnesty for the military officers who overthrew him.  in addition,
the oas would have to agree not to expand the current monitoring
mission to the several hundred members that it originally
contemplated according to the 'times'.

the article added that, if the plan is not accepted within the
next eight weeks, bazin is likely to be forced out of office by
the military and replaced with a regime of the far right.

one u.s. official said that the 'times' account seemed based on
sources sympathetic to bazin and may be an attempt by him to put
pressure on the oas to put move in his direction in advance of the
new mediation effort.

''we're certainly not prepared to sign on to such a proposal --
particularly now,'' the officials said.

''we want an agreement first between the two haitian sides.
then we'll reach a conclusion whether we think it acceptable,'' he
added.

still, u.s. officials say aristide is most unlikely to agree to
any package that excludes his return as president and vests
civilian power in bazin. ''so long as his supporters say such an
agreement is unacceptable, it will be difficult to sell it either
to the public here or to the oas,'' one government analyst said.

at the same time, some senior officials here appear to have
turned against aristide in recent months. they blame him in large
part for the collapse of an oas-mediated agreement last february
and have also reacted angrily to his denunciation of bush's
decision last may to forcibly return haitians intercepted on the
high seas without granting them a hearing on asylum.

aristide crushed bazin and several other candidates with almost
70 percent of the vote in haiti's first democratic presidential
elections in dec. 1990. (end/ips/ip/jl/yjc/92)

** End of text from cdp:reg.carib **

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