[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 37 (Tuesday, February 28, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H2379-H2380]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           PROGRESS IN HAITI

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Foglietta] is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. FOGLIETTA. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I returned from Haiti. When I 
arrived there on Saturday I was emotionally overcome by what I saw. On 
my last visits to Haiti, prior to the return by President Aristide, I 
walked into the airport and there were soldiers with assault rifles, no 
citizens, no activity whatsoever, and few people standing around the 
airport, and as I walked into the town itself I had drawn empty stares, 
stares of fright.
  The people of Haiti that I saw when I returned were a totally 
different situation. I walked into the airport and I saw happy people, 
smiling people, ladies dressed in native costumes, bands playing, 
stalls selling trinkets, but most of all, the people of Haiti were no 
longer afraid.
  Upon reflection I realized that the drawn faces carried a look of 
hopelessness, of impending death, of a life without direction or 
inspiration on my prior visits. These looks were reminiscent of 
photographs of men and women who suffered in concentration camps in the 
Second World War.
  For close to 3 years the people of Haiti were imprisoned in an island 
concentration camp. The names of the criminals who operated the camps 
were different, but atrocities committed in these places were very 
similar.
  These nightly arrests, systematic executions and random beatings were 
taking place only 500 miles from our border and as a result of this 
brutality people were willing to risk their lives by taking to the high 
seas in leaky boats to escape. Sadly, hundreds of these men, women and 
children will not live to see the day that they could walk freely on 
the streets of their native country.
  However, thanks to the actions of President Clinton and the American 
men and women in uniform who have served and who continue to serve in 
Haiti, people no longer live in fear. Democratic government and the 
rule of law have returned to Haiti. The army which under the direction 
of the murderous dictators, Cedras and Francois terrorized and murdered 
innocent Haitians has been abolished and a civilian-controlled police 
force is now being trained.
  Much remains to be done in Haiti. It will take time and hard work to 
reverse the decades of violence, desperate poverty and fear which have 
plagued that country, and, much of the work is being undertaken by the 
Haitian people.
  On my visit to Haiti this weekend, I saw more than just smiles. I saw 
Haitians cleaning their streets and their neighborhoods. I saw Haitians 
rebuilding small businesses and street vendors hawking their wares. I 
saw Haitians fixing and cleaning schools and 
classrooms. [[Page H2380]] 
  Since his return, President Aristide has facilitated this change by 
preaching a message of reconciliation and peace. The Haitian people are 
responding. They are rebuilding their lives--not resorting to revenge 
against their former oppressors. Unlike Somalia, our soldiers are 
greeted with hugs--not rock throwing mobs.
  Our mission to Haiti is one of the great military success stories of 
our time. Our troops have done a miraculous job. As our troops 
liberated Dachau and Auschwitz some fifty years ago, tho not as 
horrific the men and women of our armed forces liberated an island 
concentration camp in the Carribean.
  We have done the right thing in Haiti. You can see it in the 
neighborhoods, in the schools, you can see it in the churches and most 
of all you can see it on the smiling faces of the people of Haiti, for 
they are no longer afraid.

                          ____________________