[Bloquez l'empire!] 4 articles: Haiti et Afghanistan

[aaron at resist.ca]

Nouvelles:
1. Une dizaine de morts et de nombreux blessés lors d'une opération 
conjointe MINUSTAH/PNH à Cité Soleil
2. Alert: Cite Soleil Christmas Massacre!
3. Al Jazeera: Five killed in Haiti slum raid
4. Hillier on Christmas visit to troops in Afghanistan

1. http://www.radiokiskeya.com/spip.php?article2943

Une dizaine de morts et de nombreux blessés lors d.une opération conjointe 
MINUSTAH/PNH à Cité Soleil

Un blindé léger onusien incendié et une mitrailleuse M-50 confisquée par 
les gangs de Bois-Neuf

vendredi 22 décembre 2006,

Radio Kiskeya

Au moins une dizaine de personnes ont été tuées et de nombreuses autres 
blessées par balle dont certaines grièvement, au cours d.une opération 
conjointe de la Mission de stabilisation de l.ONU (MINUSTAH) et de la 
Police Nationale lancée dans la nuit de jeudi à vendredi à Cité Soleil 
(banlieue nord de Port-au-Prince) où des casques bleus tentaient de 
récupérer un blindé léger mystérieusement tombé aux mains des bandes 
armées de Bois-Neuf, a appris Radio Kiskeya.

Des blessés sont arrivés dans un état critique à l.Hôpital Sainte 
Catherine Labouré, administré par Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), alors 
que la Croix-Rouge Haïtienne se trouvait dans l.impossibilité d.évacuer 
d.autres victimes.

Des tirs nourris étaient entendus vendredi à la mi-journée à Bois-Neuf, un 
quartier surarmé du plus grand et plus dangereux bidonville de la capitale 
haïtienne.

Contactée par Radio Kiskeya, la porte-parole de la force internationale de 
paix, Sophie Boutaud de la Combe, a confirmé qu.une "importante opération" 
avait été lancée à 4h30 locales (09H30 GMT), sans toutefois donner de 
bilan.

Des bandits se sont emparés jeudi en début de soirée d.une mitrailleuse 
M-50, une arme de guerre extrêmement redoutable, et de plusieurs boîtes de 
munitions. Des hommes fidèles au commandant autoproclamé Bélony, ainsi 
connu, se sont même vantés d.avoir pu confisquer des grenades à 
fragmentation. Ils ont affirmé sur les ondes que "ces nouvelles armes 
étaient désormais au service de la population de Bois-Neuf".

Selon les informations disponibles, après un début d.affrontement qui 
aurait fait cinq ou six blessés par balle dans le camp adverse, quatre 
membres du bataillon uruguayen avaient abandonné le blindé léger. Après 
"être tombé dans un piège", le véhicule militaire, dont les quatre pneus 
auraient été crevés, s.était immobilisé.

Cependant, des témoins rapportent avoir vu les casques bleus laisser 
tranquillement le blindé sans rien récupérer pour repartir avec des 
collègues venus les chercher. Les bandits se sont alors mis à démonter la 
fameuse mitrailleuse M-50 avant d.incendier l.engin qui la transportait. 
La masse métallique a résisté au feu et seuls les pneus auraient été 
consumés.

La perte du blindé onusien a coïncidé avec les déclarations faites le même 
jour par le chef civil de la MINUSTAH, Edmond Mulet, annonçant le début, 
avec le feu vert du gouvernement Préval/Alexis, d.opérations à hauts 
risques contre les bandes armées auxquelles seront associées des unités 
spécialisées de la Police Nationale. Le diplomate guatémaltèque, qui a 
sévèrement condamné les enlèvements suivis de tortures dont ont été 
victimes de nombreux citoyens, a qualifié leurs auteurs de "lâches qui 
méritent d.être traités en tant que tels".

Parallèlement, d.intenses rumeurs faisaient état d.affrontements imminents 
entre "l.armée du commandant Evens" et les troupes rivales de Bélony. Un 
frère de ce dernier aurait été tué vendredi au cours des affrontements 
avec les forces de l.ordre.

De sources dignes de foi, Radio Kiskeya a appris que les gangs de 
Bois-Neuf auraient pris une part active à la série d.enlèvements contre 
rançon qui a terrorisé la population de Port-au-Prince ces dernières 
semaines. A l.impasse Chavannes, base principale des kidnappeurs de ce 
quartier, les otages seraient si nombreux que leurs ravisseurs pourraient 
se permettre d.en libérer trois par jour jusqu.à la fin de l.année.

Les réseaux de kidnappeurs ont réalisé en décembre une véritable razzia 
ayant visé en particulier de jeunes écoliers et touché au c.ur toutes les 
familles. Des parlementaires ont appelé à l.instauration de l.état 
d.urgence et au rétablissement de la peine de mort en Haïti en vue de 
combattre le crime organisé. Mais, le gouvernement, très critiqué pour sa 
complaisance envers les hors-la-loi, n.a pas suivi ces recommandations. 
spp/RK


2.  ALERT:   CITÉ SOLEIL CHRISTMAS MASSACRE!

     Berkeley, Ca. 12/22/06  Tom Luce

     More than twenty (20) people were killed by MINUSTAH TROOPS in the 
Drouillard-Bois Neuf section of Cité Soleil on Friday morning, Dec. 22, 2006 
according to our Community Human Rights Council (CHRC) reps on the ground in 
Cité Soleil.  In addition the private middle school, Diecee, owned by Mr. 
Perancy LAURISTAL, a spokesperson for our CHRC, was completely demolished 
during this military operation. The school was vacant for the holidays. We have 
the names of some of those killed, Ti Bos, Johnny, Gerald, Kesnel, Ti Rasta and 
Vieux Tirus. St. Catherine hospital, operated  by Doctors Without Borders, has 
been overwhelmed by the victims brought there.  Atty. Evel Fanfan has issued a 
call to the international community for help in this latest incursion into this 
poor neighborhood by MINUSTAH troops.

    Radio Kiskeya, a source I have found to have a bias against poor 
neighborhoods, has reported that the MINUSTAH troops were jointly with the 
Haitian National Police carrying out a major military operation against alleged 
kidnappers, members of armed gangs in the area. Sophie Boutard, spokesperson 
for MINUSTAH confirmed this news.   In the course of this action, which began 
Thursday afternoon, a MINUSTAH armored car containing heavy weapons including a 
50 M machine gun was confiscated by the armed gangs.  According to Radio 
Kiskeya Bélony, a self-proclaimed commandant, boasted also of taking some 
grenades with projectiles which his group was now going to put to use for the 
Bois Neuf community.

    According to Radio Kiskeya this incident happened at the same time as Edmond 
Mulet, chief of MINUSTAH, announced a high risk operation against armed groups 
by both MINUSTAH troops and special Haitian National Police personnel with the 
approval of the Préval/Alexis government.  Mulet had severely condemned the 
kidnappings which were followed by torture, saying these "cowards...merited 
being treated as such."  Again according to Radio Kiskeya there was another 
armed group led by Commandant Evens which was fighting Bélony's group.  On a 
dead end street named Chavannes, Radio Kiskeya reported this as the main base 
for the kidnappers of this neighborhood.  Kiskeya said that the kidnappers had 
taken dozens of victims and reported that some members of parliament had called 
for a state of emergency and the re-establishment of the death penalty because 
of this rash of crimes.  Radio Kiskeya editorializes at the end of its report 
by saying that the Préval/Alexis government. always criticized for being too 
accommodating with outlaws, had not heeded these calls.

     AUMOHD has consistently decried the use of this type of high powered 
assaults by MINUSTAH in poor neighborhoods .  Atty Fanfan has called for 
peaceful negotiations and for avoiding the killing of civilians and destruction 
of private property, operations that would not be tolerated in upper class 
neighborhoods.  "Today's operation seems to be yet another of these unwise 
moves, a trend like calling for the restoration of the death penalty and the 
army, that is meant to destabilize the government and unfairly affect the 
poor", says Atty. Fanfan.  Atty. Fanfan also reported that certain lawmakers 
have been making reference to certain human rights groups who aid bandits as 
another instance of threatening his work with the poor.

     You can help AUMOHD with tax-deductible donations Hurah, Inc. c/o Joan Rae, 
Treasurer, P.O. 418, Fayston, Vt. 05673 or online at 
http://www.hurah.revolt.org  AUMOHD offers free legal services to the poor and 
uses these donations for transporting victims, arranging meetings, and 
maintaining communications.  AUMOHD has no government, quasi government or UN 
funding and depends on voluntary donations.


December 23, 2006 - 4:01 AM

Nine killed in Haitian slum raid


By Joseph Guyler Delva

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (Reuters) - At least nine people were killed in Haiti's 
largest slum on Friday during a raid by security forces targeting armed gangs 
blamed for a recent surge in kidnappings and other crimes in the capital 
Port-au-Prince.

It was one of the worst outbreaks of violence in the chaotic Caribbean country 
in more than a year and came hours after the U.N. chief envoy to Haiti, Edmond 
Mulet, said the government had given the go-ahead for a crackdown on areas 
controlled by gangs.

About 400 U.N. soldiers in armoured vehicles, backed by Haitian police forces, 
stormed a district called Bwa Nef in the volatile slum of Cite Soleil in a move 
to dislodge heavily armed gang members led by a young man known as Belony.

A Reuters photographer counted nine bodies from the clashes that ensued and 
eyewitnesses counted four others dead.

As many as 30 people were wounded, humanitarian aid workers said.

All of the casualties were believed to be civilians.

"The foreigners came shooting for hours without interruption and killed 10 
people," Johnny Claircidor, a resident of Bwa Nef, told Reuters. "Then Belony's 
gang members started to exchange fire with them", he said. "I personally 
counted 10 bodies," Claircidor said.

The spokesperson for the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Haiti, Sophie De la 
Combe, declined to provide a toll.

"No one was killed or injured on our side, but it's difficult for us to know 
for now how many bandits could have been killed or wounded," said De la Combe.

The U.N. operation, conducted jointly with the Haitian police, was launched at 
about 3 a.m. and was led by Brazilian peacekeepers.

"The operation was conducted to address the current insecurity caused by the 
recent wave of kidnappings in the capital Port-au-Prince," said Jean 
Saint-Fleur, the director of Haiti's Administrative Police.

He too said he was unable to give an official death toll from the Cite Soleil 
fighting.

"They came here to terrorise the population," Rose Martel, a slum dweller, told 
Reuters, referring to the police and U.N. troops.

"I don't think they really killed the bandits, unless they consider all of us 
as bandits," she said.

Reuters (IDS)

3. http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/5321BEEC-F501-4535-BE8E-EB6EDCFD5A3A.htm

Five killed in Haiti slum raid
The UN has maintained a presence in
the Haitian capital [AP]

At least five people have been killed in Haiti's largest slum during a 
raid by security forces targeting armed gangs in the capital 
Port-au-Prince.



The raid came hours after Edmond Mulet, the UN's chief envoy to Haiti, 
said the government had given the go-ahead for a crackdown on areas 
controlled by gangs.


About 400 UN soldiers, led by Brazilian peacekeepers and backed by Haitian 
police forces, entered the Bwa Nef district in the slum of Cite Soleil at 
3am local time on Saturday.



As many as 30 people, were wounded in the raid, humanitarian aid workers 
said. All were believed to be civilians.


Shootout



"The foreigners came shooting for hours without interruption and killed 10 
people," said Johnny Claircidor, a resident of Bwa Nef.



"Then Belony's gang members started to exchange fire with them ... I 
personally counted 10 bodies."



In past gun battles in Haiti's crowded, maze-like slums, people have been 
struck by crossfire from both sides so it was not possible to immediately 
confirm who was responsible for the killings.



Sophie De la Combe, the spokesperson for the UN peacekeeping mission in 
Haiti, declined to provide a toll.



"No one was killed or injured on our side, but it's difficult for us to 
know for now how many bandits could have been killed or wounded," he said.



Insecurity



Jean Saint-Fleur, the director of Haiti's administrative police, said: 
"The operation was conducted to address the current insecurity caused by 
the recent wave of kidnappings in the capital Port-au-Prince."



He also said he was unable to give an official death toll from the Cite 
Soleil fighting.



"They came here to terrorise the population," said Rose Martel, a slum 
dweller, referring to the police and UN troops.



"I don't think they really killed the bandits, unless they consider all of 
us as bandits."


4. http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2006/12/24/hillier-afghanistan.html

Hillier on Christmas visit to troops in Afghanistan

Canada's top-ranking soldier, Gen. Rick Hillier, arrived at the Kandahar 
military base in Afghanistan on Sunday, in time to spend Christmas Eve 
with some of the more than 2,000 Canadian troops on the mission.

The chief of the defence staff will be serving up Christmas dinner, 
handing out gifts from home and spreading a little holiday cheer in the 
war zone.

Hillier's main goal will be to boost the morale of troops who are in the 
middle of a new NATO mission in the Panjwaii district west of the city of 
Kandahar.

Operation Falcon's Summit, a campaign involving Canadian, U.S., British 
and Afghan troops, was launched last week in a bid to drive away Taliban 
fighters and persuade local people, who fled weeks ago, to return to their 
homes.

Hillier said he celebrated Christmas with his family a week earlier so he 
could spend the time with soldiers, sailors and air personnel in and 
around Afghanistan.

Before flying to Kandahar, he spent Friday aboard the patrol frigate HMCS 
Ottawa in the Persian Gulf.
Continue Article

The holiday season is far from the minds of soldiers working in the field, 
according to the CBC's Laurie Graham, who says they're focused on the job 
at hand.

Back at the base, however, there are Christmas decorations in the main 
eating area.

Some soldiers said their families held early Christmas gatherings before 
they left for Afghanistan in November. One soldier who is heading home in 
February told Graham his family members planned to keep their tree up 
until then.