| Haiti, March 8 (UPI) -- U.S. Marines shot and killed an armed Haitian and wounded another during a shootout near the presidential palace that left five people dead, including one foreign journalist, the commander of the multinational forces in Haiti said Monday.
Col. Mark Gurganus told reporters that Marines posted at the presidential palace on Sunday killed a man who allegedly pointed and fired in their direction, prompting the Marines to retaliate with deadly force. ... "Yesterday (Sunday) was a tragic day," the colonel said, adding that it was also a "tragic day for your own press colleagues" referring to the slain Spanish television reporter Ricardo Ortega, who was shot on Sunday following a mostly peaceful demonstration by anti-Aristide protesters in front of the palace. Another foreign journalist, South Florida photographer Michael Laughlin, was injured in the melee. Local reports said six or more people were killed and dozens injured. |
Journalists killed in U.S. wars and occupations are listed on this webpage (scroll down to Part III).
| So far no one is claiming responsibility for the killings. However, the shots were thought to come from an area of town that is adamantly pro-Aristide. In recent days, gunmen, known as Chimere, who are loyal to the ex-president have kept a low profile. Chimere once roamed the capital with impunity, but since Aristide's departure have seemingly evaporated.
Sunday's shooting would suggest that the Chimere -- named after the fierce, mythical creature -- are not content just to fade away. The killings came just moments after thousands of anti-Aristide demonstrators converged on the plaza outside the palace, having marched for hours from the wealthy suburb of Petionville. |
So, of course, the natural assumption must be that pro-Aristide gunmen were the killers.
| In the Central African Republic, where Aristide now is, the former Haitian leader maintained he was still in power.
"I am the democratically elected president and I remain so," he said in his first news conference since he fled Haiti Feb. 29. "I plead for the restoration of democracy. We appeal for a peaceful resistance." In Washington, U.S. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said Aristide's time was over. "I think first of all it needs to be pointed out again, as we have before, that Mr. Aristide resigned," Boucher said ... If Mr. Aristide really wants to serve his country, he really has to, we think, let his nation get on with the future and not try to stir up the past again." |
Mr. Aristide may say he's still president, but Mr. Boucher says he has resigned, no matter what Mr. Aristide may think.
Previous Haiti posts
More on Haiti
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments are moderated. There may be some delay before your comment is published. It all depends on how much time M has in the day. But please comment!