Haitians Celebrate Jean-Bertrand Aristide's Birthday

July 18. 2009

Jean Bertrand Aristide

President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the former President of the island nation of Haiti, was illegally removed from office in 2004, by former U.S. President George W. Bush.

Aristide referred to it as kidnapping and that it was, as he was forced on a plane at gunpoint, taken across the globe, deposited elsewhere, on Bush's uncivil, audacious instructions.

Aristide later took refuge in neighboring Jamaica for a time after the incident. Several U.S. senators denounced the move by former President Bush, as it was uncouth, illegal and embarrassing.

I do not agree with the practice of removing world leaders by force, similar to what is transpiring in Honduras at the moment. All changes in government in regard to world leaders, should be done by a fair and democratic vote, via the people.

George W. Bush was completely out of line to send the military to remove Mr. Aristide at gunpoint. It was brazen kidnapping, hooliganism, imperialism and thug-like in nature.

However, Bush was feeling quite cocky, after illegally and questionably removing dictator and human rights abuser, Saddam Hussein, by military force, under very false, deceitful and criminal pretenses that was a ruse to steal Iraqi oil, which he later incriminatingly admitted, he thought would cover the cost of the war and present lucrative contracts. He had lied to the American people to go to war.

I ask, what if another nation's military had invaded and removed Mr. Bush at gunpoint, as he had so disgracefully done to other heads of state, with no international mandate or legal foundation to do so.

He and others in Washington would be outraged and so would I, yet he amazingly believed in his arrogance, this same conduct is acceptable in other nations, he had absolutely no right to be in under the law.

And hence, the deterioration of America's name in the world, which another President has been forced to work overtime to repair this year. One man should not have to shoulder such a massive diplomatic clean up, but he is certainly trying his best, which is commendable.

Haitians mark exiled Jean-Bertrand Aristide's birthday with protest

PORT-AU-PRINCE -- Supporters of ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide are celebrating his 56th birthday with protests demanding his return.

About 1,500 supporters carried pictures of the bespectacled leader and sang ''Happy Birthday'' at his Port-au-Prince house Wednesday...

Aristide is an ex-priest who opposed dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier in the 1980s.

He was elected in 1990 but ousted in a coup, returned to power in 1994, and ousted again in a 2004 rebellion. He lives in South Africa.

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