[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 133 (Wednesday, September 21, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: September 21, 1994]



 COMMENDING THE PRESIDENT AND THE SPECIAL DELEGATION TO HAITI--SENATE 
                             RESOLUTION 259

  The Senate continued with the consideration of the resolution.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Who yields time?
  Mr. DODD. Just briefly, I made a comment a minute ago about the 
previous administration's description of the events in Haiti as they 
unfolded in late September and early October of 1991. Just to 
corroborate my statement, I did not have it available to me at that 
very moment, but the San Diego Union Tribune, on October 5, 1991--and I 
quote from it--quoting the President, Mr. Bush, called the coup ``an 
unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign 
policy and economy of the United States.''
  Madam President, I will ask unanimous consent to have printed in the 
Record that language from that paper along with an article from the 
Houston Chronicle, which picked up the exact same quote--``an unusual 
and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy and 
economy of the United States.'' That was the statement from President 
Bush in the fall of 1991.
  Madam President, further in this article from the San Diego Union 
Tribune, ``President Bush''--and I am quoting here--``did not rule out 
U.S. participation in a multilateral military effort to dislodge the 
junta if peaceful means failed, but added: `I think we've got to wait 
and see. I don't want to get out ahead of where the OAS mission is.'''
  I make those points not because I am suggesting that President Bush 
would have taken absolutely the same action President Clinton has, but 
just to point out that was in October 1991. Today you have a previous 
administration calling it directly a threat to our national security, 
saying very directly that he would not rule out--and I certainly 
supported him when he said that--would not rule out being a part of the 
military force to throw out that junta.
  All I am pointing out is a previous administration felt at the time 
there was a serious enough problem to state the case. What you have 
today is a continuation.
  Now, again, a lot of things could have intervened that might have 
avoided our getting to this problem, and I would not be the one to 
suggest that this could not have been avoided. But I think it is 
important for the purpose of the historical record to point out that 
two administrations have taken virtually the same positions on this 
matter in terms of how they have characterized it and the means they 
would have used in order to deal with it.
  I ask unanimous consent that both the Houston Chronicle article and 
the San Diego Union Tribune article be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

               [From the Houston Chronicle, Oct. 5, 1991]

      Bush Not Eager To Send in Troops; But He Wants Coup Reversed

                           (By Greg McDonald)

       Washington.--President Bush said Friday he is committed to 
     reversing the military coup in Haiti but is reluctant to use 
     military force to achieve that goal unless Americans there 
     are threatened.
       Still, Bush refused to rule out the possibility of military 
     action, saying the United States would consider participating 
     in a multinational force if necessary to restore Haitian 
     President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to office.
       ``I'd like to think that this mission by the Organization 
     of American States will do it,'' Bush said of an OAS 
     delegation that arrived in Haiti Friday to demand that the 
     democratically elected president be allowed to return from 
     exile.
       ``Let's hope that that can be done without any kind of 
     force,'' Bush said in a news conference shortly after he met 
     with Aristide in the Oval Office.
       Bush, in a move aimed at helping to isolate Haiti 
     economically, signed an executive order freezing all of the 
     country's U.S. bank accounts and assets. His order also cuts 
     off U.S. business dealings with the Haitian military junta 
     that assumed power by force earlier this week.
       Bush called the coup, which was orchestrated by Brig. Gen. 
     Raoul Cedras, ``a reprehensible action'' and said it could 
     present ``an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national 
     security, foreign policy and economy of the United States'' 
     if allowed to stand.
       White House officials were quick to deny that Bush's 
     comments were meant to signal possible U.S. military action, 
     saying that the proposal for use of force to deal with the 
     problem was first raised by the 34-nation OAS.
       ``That hasn't been our proposal, that's something the OAS 
     came up with,'' said one White House official, who described 
     the president as being ``very much opposed to using military 
     force'' in this instance ``unless Americans start getting 
     hurt down there.'' ``This is not another Kuwait or even 
     Panama at this point,'' he added.
       Bush made a similar point in his news conference.
       ``The United States has been, and properly so, very wary of 
     using U.S. forces in this hemisphere,'' the president said.
       ``We're committed to the restoration of democracy * * * and 
     a strengthening of democracy in Haiti,'' he said.
       ``We feel very strongly about it. But I am reluctant to use 
     U.S. forces to try to accomplish it except if American 
     citizens' lives are threatened.
       ``Of course, I'd feel that is a direct concern and 
     responsibility to the president.'' Bush made his comments as 
     the OAS took the unusual step of sending an 11-member 
     delegation, including Bernard Aronson, the assistant 
     secretary of state for Latin American affairs, to Haiti for a 
     meeting with Cedras.
                                  ____


            [From the San Diego Union-Tribune, Oct. 5, 1991]

OAS Team Meets Haiti Coup Leader, Envoys Report Some Progress, Schedule 
                            More Talks Today

                           (By Kevin Noblet)

       Diplomats from the United States and eight other nations 
     met with Haiti's military chief yesterday and pressed him to 
     restore President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to power.
       After a two-hour meeting at the airport with Brig. Gen. 
     Raoul Cedras, the Organization of American States officials 
     flew to Jamaica but were to return today. Asked whether they 
     had made progress in persuading Cedras to reinstate Aristide, 
     1 Argentine Foreign Minister Guido di Tella said, ``Enough to 
     return tomorrow.''
       President Bush met with Aristide in Washington. Mr. Bush 
     said he was ``very wary'' of using U.S. military forces to 
     reverse Monday's coup ``except if American citizens' lives 
     are in any way threatened.''
       Port-au-Prince, the capital, remained tense, with most 
     shops and businesses closed for the fifth day since the coup. 
     Armed forces continued to patrol the streets, but their 
     presence appeared reduced from previous days.
       After continuous radio reports of clashes between security 
     forces and Aristide supporters, and reports of a death toll 
     of up to 1,000, the army banned radio and TV broadcasts 
     ``inciting to violence.''
       Soldiers ransacked Radio Lumiere, a Protestant-run station 
     which the day before had reported a massacre, according to 
     Jean Dominique, director of independent Radio Haiti Inter.
       After giving the brief report of the attack, Dominique said 
     Radio Haiti Inter, too, was going off the air until the 
     ``soldiers come to their senses.''
       By yesterday afternoon nearly all the capital's 12 
     independent radio stations were off the air. Radio is the 
     main source of news for Haitians, many of whom are 
     illiterate.
       The United States has sent 500 Marines to Guantanamo Bay 
     naval station in neighboring Cuba in case they are needed to 
     evacuate the estimated 15,000 Americans in Haiti.
       The nine-member delegation from the Organization of 
     American States (OAS) arrived in Haiti yesterday afternoon 
     from Washington. During the meeting, it read to Cedras an 11-
     point OAS resolution demanding the military allow Aristide's 
     return.
       The resolution also calls on all members of the hemispheric 
     organization to cut trade, financial, military and diplomatic 
     ties with Haiti. Bernard Aronson, a U.S. assistant secretary 
     of state, called it ``the toughest and strongest resolution 
     in the history of the OAS.''
       There were no other details from the meeting. Cedras 
     arrived at the airport and left later in a convoy of six 
     jeeps and small trucks loaded with soldiers. Some of the 
     vehicles were blood-stained. He made no statement to 
     reporters.
       Aronson, a member of the delegation, said earlier that it 
     planned to tell Cedras ``the coup cannot succeed.''
       After meeting with Aristide, Mr. Bush told a news 1 
     conference he was optimistic the OAS mission would end in a 
     peaceful settlement.
       President Bush did not rule out U.S. participation in a 
     multilateral military effort to dislodge the junta if 
     peaceful means failed but added: ``I think we've got to wait 
     to see. I don't want to get out ahead where this OAS mission 
     is.''
       He emphasized, however, that ``We are committed to 
     democracy in Haiti. We want to see Aristide restored to 
     power.''
       Earlier in the day, Mr. Bush called the coup, which took 
     place Monday, ``an unusual and extraordinary threat to the 
     national security, foreign policy and economy of the United 
     States.''
       Mr. Bush signed an executive order freezing Haitian assets 
     in the United States and blocking Americans from making 
     payments to the regime while it ``illegally'' retains power.
       Aristide, after meeting with Mr. Bush yesterday, told 
     reporters, ``An economic boycott will be essential to 
     asphyxiate the present government.''
       On Thursday, army headquarters denounced Aristide's 
     vigorous pursuit of international backing. Cedras has called 
     on Parliament to work out a plan for returning to democracy 
     without Aristide.
       There were widely varying reports of casualty tolls from 
     clashes between security forces and Aristide supporters.
       Marie-Laurence Jocelyn Lessegue, the deposed information 
     minister, said on radio yesterday that more than 1,000 people 
     have been killed, including 250 in the sprawling seaside slum 
     of Cite Soleil, where Aristide enjoyed great support
       Lessegue on Thursday put the death toll at more than 200, 
     and gave no explanation yesterday for the five-fold increase. 
     Aristide, in Washington, said the estimate of 500 came from 
     telephone contacts he had with Port-au-Prince.

  Mr. DODD. I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Who yields time?
  Mr. McCAIN. Madam President, I yield myself 30 seconds.
  Madam President I appreciate the clarification by my friend from 
Connecticut.
  But the fact is that for us to say that a situation is unacceptable 
in many places throughout the world is one thing. For us to become 
involved militarily is another.
  The fact is that neither President Bush nor General Scowcroft nor 
Secretary of State Baker ever contemplated an invasion of Haiti, and 
the record is clear as to their positions on that.
  Madam President, I reserve the remainder of my time.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Who yields time?
  Mr. DODD. Madam President, I yield 15 minutes to the distinguished 
Senator from Oklahoma.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Oklahoma is recognized for 15 
minutes.
  Mr. BOREN. Madam President, I thank the Chair and I thank my 
distinguished colleague from Connecticut for yielding to me.

                          ____________________