Hti: Thousands of Aristide faithful demand his return

Whether he is wanted or not, Aristide must return, that's the word on the street as thousands gather. Aristide's claims, that he did not formally resign and that he only left to avoid bloodshed, has emboldened his supporters. Whether true or not, it has the potential for plunging Haiti into civil war. Furthermore, Aristide accuses France of acting against Haiti with the U.S. because of his demand that the French pay restitution for the oppressive "debt of independence" which France had forced Haiti to pay between 1915-1934.

Compounding the problem, Baby Doc, 18 years in exile, has indicated he would like to return to Haiti also. Port au Prince is quieter than it was 48 hours ago, but safety is still an issue with Haitians. Today, Friday, American forces were deployed in the capital.

Caveat: This is a very rough translation from the French, so please bear with errors and idiocies.