http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/03/08/1529222





EXCLUSIVE:
ARISTIDE SPEAKS TO DEMOCRACY NOW! IN MOST EXTENSIVE ENGLISH-LANGUAGE 
INTERVIEW SINCE HIS REMOVAL FROM HAITI

At approximately 7:20 am EST, Democracy Now! managed to reach exiled Haitian 
President Jean-Bertrand Aristide by cell phone in the Central African 
Republic. His comments represent the most extensive English-language interview 
Aristide has given since he was removed from office and his country. 
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE 30 MINUTE EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH PRESIDENT 
ARISTIDE 

CLICK HERE TO READ TRANSCRIPT 
Moments before the Democracy Now! interview, Aristide appeared publicly for 
the first time since he was forced out of Haiti in what he has called a 
US-backed coup. The authorities in the Central African Republic allowed Aristide to 
hold a news conference after a delegation of visiting US activists charged that 
the Haitian president was being held under lock and key like a prisoner. The 
delegation included one of Aristide's lawyers, Brian Concannon, as well as 
activists from the Haiti Support Network and the International Action Center, 
representatives of former US Attorney General Ramsey Clark. Shortly after they 
arrived in Bangui on Sunday, the delegation attempted to meet with Aristide at 
the palace of the Renaissance. The CAR government rebuked them. 
WEB EXCLUSIVE: Click here to listen to report from delegation member Sara 
Flounders 
Shortly after, the country's foreign minister held a press conference in 
Bangui. Armed men threatened journalists in the room, warning them not to record 
the minister's remarks. Mildred Aristide, the Haitian First lady, was brought 
into the room, but was not permitted to speak. The CAR foreign minister told 
the journalists that President Aristide would hold a news conference within 72 
hours. Hours later, Aristide was allowed to address journalists. 
In his interview on Democracy Now!, Aristide asserted that he is the 
legitimate president of Haiti and that he wants to return to the country as soon as 
possible. He details his last moments in Haiti, describing what he called his 
"kidnapping" and the coup d'etat against him. He responds to Vice President Dick 
Cheney's comment that Aristide had "worn out his welcome" in Haiti. 
Developing.... 

"The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are 
evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it."
 - Albert Einstein 
"
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change 
the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has."
- Margaret Mead 

"When the government fears the people, you have liberty. When the people fear 
the government, you have tyranny." 
- Thomas Jefferson

"All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing" 
- Edmund Burke

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=gambia-l
To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:
[log in to unmask]

To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface
at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~