[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 30 (Wednesday, March 10, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H999]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING PRESIDENT JEAN-BERTRAND ARISTIDE OF HAITI

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to bring to my colleagues' 
attention the circumstances surrounding President Jean-Bertrand 
Aristide of Haiti, whose circumstances are somewhat in doubt tonight. I 
have spent a fair amount of time calling a number of people to find out 
whether President Aristide and his wife, Mildred Aristide, are in safe 
circumstances; and I have this report to make to my colleagues tonight.
  We have called the offices of the Assistant Secretary of State, Mr. 
Noriega; the Secretary of State, Mr. Powell; the Security Council 
Chief, Ms. Rice; the President of the United States, Mr. Bush; the 
President of the Central Republic of Africa; the ambassador to the 
United States of the Central Republic of Africa; the Secretary of 
Defense, Mr. Rumsfeld; and the head of the Central Intelligence Agency, 
Mr. George Tenet.
  I was able to reach General Craddock, who works as an assistant to 
Secretary Rumsfeld, who asked that we send a communication so that they 
could begin trying to help us determine the whereabouts, and, more 
importantly, the safety of the circumstances surrounding President 
Aristide. We sent the following letter, which I include for the Record.

                                     House of Representatives,

                                   Washington, DC, March 10, 2004.
     Hon. Donald Rumsfeld,
     c/o General Craddock,
     U.S. Secretary of Defense, Washington, DC.
       Dear General Craddock. This letter is written notification 
     in response to a telephone inquiry on today's date of the 
     location of Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. This 
     evening the inquiry was conducted by a member of my staff, 
     Bernard Graham, and yourself.
       As per your conversation, please advise me as soon as 
     possible as to the whereabouts of President Aristide. My 
     staffer has informed me that you will start to retrieve this 
     information tonight through proper channels.
       This matter is of utmost importance to me and I look 
     forward to your timely response.
           Sincerely,
                                                John Conyers, Jr.,
                                               Member of Congress.

  In addition, I was able to reach Mr. Brian Newbert, the watch officer 
at the State Department, who was very co-operative, who was calling 
Bangui, the capital of the Central Republic of Africa, in an attempt to 
locate President and Mrs. Aristide. He was not able to do it. There is 
an 11-hour time difference. But he told me that he would continue this 
search in the morning.
  Now, this problem has arisen because in last week's testimony before 
a subcommittee of the Committee on International Relations we were told 
by Assistant Secretary Noriega that it was true that a U.S. aircraft, 
or an aircraft controlled by the United States, had taken the President 
and his wife to the Central Republic of Africa. We asked him how were 
they doing, and he said that he did not know, because the United States 
Government's responsibility ended with him delivering President 
Aristide to this francophone country of 3.5 million people in the 
center of the continent of Africa, and that he had no further 
responsibility in connection with this.
  This was a slightly shocking statement to the people that were in the 
hearing room, because it would have seemed that we might want to know 
what was happening to him from that point on.
  We have a very sensitive and very serious matter here, and I hope 
that I will continue to enjoy the cooperation of the various heads of 
the agencies as we attempt to reach and make contact with President 
Aristide.

                              {time}  2100

  His country was overrun by rebels. He was forced to leave the 
country. He left under United States auspices and control, and it seems 
to me that the most elementary act of courtesy would be for us to make 
sure that he and his wife, which we pray are alive and in good 
condition and safe, are that. But it is very disturbing to me to report 
to my colleagues tonight that not only have I not been able to reach 
anyone that has been in contact with him, but we do not know anybody 
that has.

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