Why are we arming the Hatian police?

US admits 2,600 weapons sent to Haiti
REED LINDSAY
IN PORT-AU-PRINCE

THE US government gave more than 2,600 weapons to bolster Haiti’s controversial police force last year despite allegations of human rights abuses and a more than 13-year-old arms embargo, officials at the State Department and US Embassy said.

Human rights observers have documented widespread abuses committed by the Haitian police under the US-backed interim government of Prime Minister Gerard Latortue, who assumed office in March 2004 after former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide was removed from power amid an armed revolt. Many of the abuses - which include killings, arbitrary arrests, beatings and illegal searches and detentions - have taken place in poor neighbourhoods of Port-au-Prince, where support for Aristide runs strong.

You do realize that the “coup” last year was a total American fabrication, correct?

This entry was posted on Monday, April 25th, 2005 at 7:55 am and is filed under Outrages. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.