(Below is the table of contents and lead story from the most
recent issue of Haiti Info, the newsletter of the Haitian
Information Bureau.  The lead story from each bi-weekly issue is
posted in this conference.  To receive the entire newsletter, you
may subscribe by email, fax or mail. See the subscription
information at the end of this entry).

                 *   *   *   HAITI INFO   *   *   *

            News direct from the people and organizations
              of Haiti's grassroots democratic movement

                    28 January 1994, Vol. 3, #8

Contents:

Stories:      OCCUPATION TO GET A FACE-LIFT
                US & UN Prepare a Sleight-of-Hand Despite Lack of
                Disarmament
              MALLEBRANCE FORCED TO RESIGN
                But a New Face at the Ministry &
                "Complaint Offices" Are Not Enough
              WOMEN'S MINISTRY OPENS AT ARMY HQ
              ANOTHER LAND CONFLICT
              INTERNATIONAL SOCIALISTS REVEALED
Human Rights: MORE REFUGEE PRESSURE
Development:  KALOULOU AFTER THE COUP
Close-up:     RAOUL PECK
              RAOUL PECK'S FILMS

Stories:

                 OCCUPATION TO GET A FACE-LIFT
  US & UN Prepare a Sleight-of-Hand Despite Lack of Disarmament

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Jan. 28 - As reports of violence and the presence
of arms continue to trickle in from around the capital and
countryside, the U.S. has embarked on a push to trade green
helmets for blue. With a deteriorating image in Haiti and
Republicans in Washington, U.S. officials at the U.N. and the
embassy are ensuring that the country's environment is "sure and
stable."

Unless China or Russia succeed in their maneuvers to delay the
U.N. Security Council vote, on March 31 there will be a hand off
which will be little more than a sleight-of-hand. Over 3,000 U.S.
soldiers will stay behind and, despite rumored reticence from
France, the "peace-keeping" force of 6,000 will be headed by a
U.S. Army officer.

Although there will be little difference in the command structure
and its mission, President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who has hinted
at political problems with the occupiers, has recently shocked
people by nearly begging the U.S. troops to stay. Somehow, he has
convinced himself that the very troops who refuse to disarm the
thugs can provide better security than "peace-keepers." Has he
already forgotten who organized the Haitian army and the
paramilitary forces?

"Has their presence brought light?... Are you happy they are
here?" Aristide asked a Jeremie crowd in Creole.

Then, for the benefit of the troops, he said in English: "Once
again, we are happy that the American troops are here."

Image Becoming Tarnished

But in some regions at least, the U.S. troops' image has
tarnished. In the countryside, soldiers, often "Special Forces"
careerists, are seen siding with the local "authorities" and
English-speaking elite, harassing and arresting citizens. The
population sees the same oppressive power structure - extorting
landowners, strongmen and corrupt politicians - in place,
temporarily cowed but still menacing.

In the capital and some cities, the level of attacks and robberies
has never been higher. On Jan. 18, heavily armed men attacked the
transmitter of Radio Haiti Inter, one of the pro-democratic
stations destroyed during the coup d'etat which still has not
opened. Today a well-known engineer was attacked in his home by
machete-wielding men who demanded money. They repeatedly hacked at
his face and body.

U.S. officials here continue to insist that such incidents, and
others like the violence in the Artibonite Valley, are unrelated
to the lack of disarmament, but the U.N. Secretary General does
not appear to agree.

In a report to the U.N. on Jan. 17, Boutros Boutros-Ghali wrote
that while "politically motivated violence and human rights
abuses" are down, "there are reports of violent attacks by former
section chiefs, attaches or alleged FRAPH members...  murders are
reported almost daily," and "bands" of former "attaches" or FRAPH
members" have "sought to intimidate... local popular
organizations."

The violence is "committed by gangs armed with high-calibre
firearms, including automatic weapons, which indicates a probable
link to former paramilitary networks," he said. "The relative
security currently enjoyed by the Haitian people remains very
fragile."

U.N. Nervous, and Rightfully So

The report reveals the U.N.'s hesitation and nervousness when it
talks of social "tension," people's "frustration" over the lack of
justice and his expectations from the "continuation of the
disarmament program." No doubt the problems the blue-helmeted
"peace-keepers" inherited from the U.S. in Somalia are fresh in
his mind.

But as in the past, the U.N. can be expected to bend to the
pressure and follow U.S. dictates. Last fall's "demand" for
disarmament is now expressed as a "hope," and in any case, the
"transition" on March 31 will be little more than a face-lift,
where the U.S. maintains the control but the U.N. becomes the
potential fall guy.

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

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