Rice Seeks Assurances on Haiti Elections

[Jon8503]

By GEORGE GEDDA

WASHINGTON (AP) - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice wants assurances from Haitian leaders that they will go all out to ensure free and fair presidential elections on Nov. 20.

After a trip Tuesday to the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince, Rice planned talks with interim President Boniface Alexandre and Prime Minister Gerard Latortue.

Repeated efforts to install stable constitutional rule in Haiti have failed over the years but the United States, with a big assist from U.N. peacekeepers, is eager to see the country turn a corner this time.

The Bush administration has provided well over $100 million in assistance since former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide fled the country with U.S. help in February 2004 amid a revolt against his rule. Ten years earlier, President Clinton had sent 20,000 U.S. troops to reinstate Aristide, Haiti's first democratically elected president.


The State Department did not announce the trip until less than 24 hours before Rice's early morning departure Tuesday, a sign of uneasiness about the potential for violence during her visit.

http://apnews1.iwon.com/article/20050927/D8CSFAUG0.html

[OhioChick]

1. Free and fair presidential elections?

We didn't get that here.

[Botany]

2. I womder if they will hide voting machines there?

<Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice wants assurances from Haitian leaders that they will go all out to ensure free and fair presidential elections on Nov. 20.>


IRON EEEEEEE

[FloridaPat]

3. Why are we screwing with Haiti? I heard it's because they're half way

to Venezuela in case we really decide to throw out that democratically elected president. But it's not like Venezuela is on the other side of the world. We are always messing with Haiti and doing it badly.

[KitchenWitch]

4. Isn't that like the pot calling the kettle black...

Who in our government is making sure our presidential elections are fair and free?

[Skidmore]

5. Elections in Haiti won't matter to the * junta since they will

take out by force whoever wins if that person doesn't meet their approval.

[Junkdrawer]

6. Smoke screen - Last I heard BushCo thugs are running things there...

I can hear her now..."We looked into it carefully, and we're confidant that Haiti had full and fair elections..."

[bullimiami]

7. SHUT UP YOU LYING HEINOUS WITCH.

Haiti had elections and a president but you destroyed that.

SHUT UP. JUST SHUT THE HELL UP.

[bowens43]

8. Oh the irony...... n/t

[seemslikeadream]

9. SINCE FORMER PRESIDENT ARISTIDE FLED THE COUNTRY WITH US HELP

SINCE ARISTIDE FLED THE COUNTRY WITH U.S. HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

U.S. HELP???????????


YOU MEAN WHEN THE U.S. KIDNAPPED ARISTIDE AND FLEW HIM OUT OF THE COUNTRY????????

YOU MEAN WHEN bush REFUSED TO ENFORCE THE SANTIGO TREATY??????????