[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 61 (Monday, April 3, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H4080-H4081]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         THE FACTS ABOUT HAITI

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from New York [Mr. Owens] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, last Friday, on March 31, President Clinton 
and President Jean-Bertrand Aristide and the Secretary General of the 
United Nations presided over ceremonies in Haiti for the transition 
from the multinational force led by the United States to the U.N. 
force. It was an impressive ceremony where the nations of the world, 
many contingents of the nations of the world, agreed to submit and 
march under the U.N. banner in order to continue the progress in Haiti 
toward democracy.
  In the United States, this historic landmark received only moderate 
attention, but throughout the world and the international community, 
where most of the people of this planet live in underdeveloped nations, 
there was great rejoicing. I think that this was a special occasion 
where a new and special high standard was set for the new world order. 
A model for protecting democracy has been set in place as we go into 
the new world order.
  The U.S. Government also has given new meaning to the concept of 
superpower. The U.S. superpower was used in this case to nurture 
democracy. The U.S. superpower was used to give the poorest nation in 
this hemisphere an opportunity to be born again. The U.S. superpower 
has demonstrated unmatched generosity and compassion. This is a 
superpower that has earned the right to prosper for a thousand years. 
This is a superpower that all Americans should fight to maintain.
  The hard job has been done. The great risks have been taken. It took 
a lot of guts by President Clinton to make unpopular decisions. Troops 
went into Haiti at great risk, anticipating great risk at first, but 
the decision was made despite that, and we have moved the situation 
with almost no casualties. The great risks have been taken.
  But now a very important part of the job remains, and that is to help 
Haiti through a period of economic development. The nations of the 
world have made a commitment in Paris several months ago; nearly $1.9 
billion was committed to various activities to improve the Haitian 
economy, to jump start the economy until the private sector could take 
over.
  It is unfortunate that despite the fact that this decision was made 
several months ago, almost no dollars have flowed to Haiti. The 
bureaucrats of the world, the bureaucrats in the various financial 
world organizations have moved at such a slow pace that they are 
tending to smother the greatness of this magnificent international 
deed.
  I would like to quote from Strobe Talbott's report to the Congress 
some time ago:

       For its part, the international community is doing its fair 
     share by providing aid and technical assistance. Prior to the 
     deployment of the multinational force, international donors 
     and lenders met in Paris in August and determined that Haiti 
     would need $650 million in the first year after democracy was 
     restored. This group met again in Paris last month to review 
     the progress that has been made since President Aristide's 
     return, and the general assessment of this progress was so 
     positive that the donors actually pledged $1.2 billion, 
     nearly double what had originally been proposed. It is 
     anticipated that $900 million of that $1.2 billion will be 
     available over the next 12 to 18 months.

  That was anticipated several months ago, but it has not happened. The 
bureaucrats are not moving the paper. The bureaucrats, because of their 
indifference or maybe laziness, what ever, the bureaucrats are 
threatening to smother the progress toward reestablishment of democracy 
in Haiti.
  Troops have been there. Hard political decisions have been made. All 
has been put in place, but very little is happening.
  I think Mr. Strobe Talbott again summed up the situation very well:

       Mr. Chairman, the best defense of our Haiti policy is a 
     simple one: We intervened in Haiti because it was in our 
     national interest. We intervened after every other 
     alternative had been exhausted, and we intervened because it 
     was the right thing to do. Mr. Chairman, the American 
     intervention in Haiti has been successful thus far. Now we 
     must see the job through, and that means until the completion 
     of the United Nations mission 12 months from now. As I have 
     already stressed, we cannot solve Haiti's basic problems. The 
     Haitian people must solve it themselves. But they will do it 
     with the help of the international community.
  [[Page H4081]] It would be unwise, most unfortunate, if the 
international community's bureaucrats, executives, failed to do their 
job at this point.
  Let us move the paper. Let us do the job. Let us complete the job of 
restoring Haiti's democracy. Let us do what is necessary to rebuild the 
economy of Haiti.


                          ____________________