[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1994, Book II)]
[September 18, 1994]
[Pages 1571-1572]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Address to the Nation on Haiti
September 18, 1994

    My fellow Americans, I want to announce that the military leaders of 
Haiti have agreed to step down from power. The dictators have recognized 
that it is in their best interest and in the best interest of the 
Haitian people to relinquish power peacefully, rather than to face 
imminent action by the forces of the multinational coalition we are 
leading.
    Our objective over the last 3 years has been to make sure that the 
military dictators leave power and that the democratically elected 
government is returned. This agreement guarantees both those objectives. 
It minimizes the risks for American forces and the forces of the 24 
nations of the international coalition. And the agreement maximizes the 
orderly transfer of power to Haiti's democratically elected government.
    This is a good agreement for the United States and for Haiti. The 
military leaders will leave. The United States and coalition forces will 
arrive beginning tomorrow. And they'll do so in conditions that are less 
dangerous, although still not without risk. It will be much easier to 
preserve human rights. And there is a real chance of a more orderly and 
less violent transfer of power.
    And to the supporters of President Aristide, he will be returned. I 
ask that all Haitians remember what President Aristide said just a 
couple of days ago: no vengeance, no violence, no retribution. This is a 
time for peace. That is what the United States is going, along with our 
coalition partners, to work for.
    As all of you know, at my request, President Carter, General Colin 
Powell, and Senator Sam Nunn went to Haiti to facilitate the dictators' 
departure just yesterday. I have been in constant contact with them for 
the last 2 days. They have worked tirelessly, almost around the clock. 
And I want to thank them for undertaking this crucial mission on behalf 
of all Americans. Just as important, I want also to thank the men and 
women of the United States Armed Forces. It was their presence and their 
preparations that played a pivotal part in this agreement.
    Under the agreement, the dictators have agreed to leave power as 
soon as the Haitian Parliament passes an amnesty law, as called for by 
the Governors Island Agreement, but in any event, no later than October 
15th. They've agreed to immediate introduction of troops from the 
international coalition, beginning, as I said, as early as tomorrow. 
They have also pledged to cooperate fully with the coalition troops 
during the peaceful transition of power, something we have wanted very 
much.
    I have directed United States forces to begin deployment into Haiti 
as a part of the U.N. coalition. And General Shelton, our commander, 
will be there tomorrow. The presence of the 15,000 member multinational 
force will guarantee that the dictators carry out the terms of the 
agreement. It is clear from our discussions with the delegation that 
this agreement only came because of the credible and imminent threat of 
the multinational force. In fact, it was signed after Haiti received 
evidence that paratroopers from our 82d Airborne Division, based at Fort 
Bragg, North Carolina, had begun to load up to begin the invasion, which 
I had ordered to start this evening. Indeed, at the time the agreement 
was reached, 61 American planes were already in the air.
    Because of this agreement, the United States and other coalition 
troops going to Haiti will now be able to go under much more favorable

[[Page 1572]]

conditions than they would have faced had the generals not decided to 
leave power.
    But let me emphasize that this mission still has its risks, and we 
must be prepared for them. Haiti is still a troubled country, and there 
remain possibilities of violence directed at American troops. But this 
agreement minimizes those risks and maximizes our chance to protect the 
human rights of all Haitians, both those who support President Aristide 
and those who oppose him, and to create an environment in which 
President Aristide can return, as he said, without violence, without 
vengeance, without retribution.
    Under the terms of United Nations Security Council Resolution 940, 
an international coalition from 25 nations will soon go into Haiti to 
begin the task of restoring democratic government. President Aristide 
will return to Haiti when the dictators depart.
    On Thursday night I told you that the United States must act here to 
protect our interest, to stop the brutal atrocities that threaten tens 
of thousands of Haitians, to secure our borders and preserve stability 
and promote democracy in our hemisphere, to uphold the reliability of 
commitments we make to others and the commitments others make to us. 
This agreement furthers all these goals.
    From the beginning I have said that the Haitian dictators must go; 
tonight I can tell you that they will go. And to our troops tonight who 
are headed to Haiti under less risky conditions, I am confident you will 
carry out your mission as you already have, effectively and 
professionally. We depend upon you to do well tomorrow as you have done 
so very well today and in the weeks and days before, when you planned 
this exercise, prepared for it, and then began to carry it out. To all 
of you I say, thank you, your Nation is proud of you.
    Good night, and God bless America.

Note: The President spoke at 9:30 p.m. from the Oval Office at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to Lt. Gen. Henry H. Shelton, USA, 
commander of U.S. forces in Haiti.