Gya: Caricom's non-urgent emergency meeting

It looks like the press in the Caribbean has already bought into Aristide's spin on his departure.

Although CARICOM hoped for a compromise that would have kept Aristide in office and at the same time meet the demands of the rebels, the United States forced the embattled Aristide to leave the country, and President Bush has sent an advanced contingent of 50 Marines to prevent the rebels from seizing power and restore law and order in the Americas poorest nation.

Caricom's heads of government will meet March 2, 2004, in Kingston, Jamaica.