T&T: Have the CBC heard this?

Somebody needs to send this link to Maxine Waters and Gregory Meeks (who is always looking displeased; why?). Out there in the Caribbean, folks don't seem to be buying Aristide's last lie spread via the CBC. I wonder why?

Progress towards political and social normality is possible in Haiti now that former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide is gone. Official sources are saying Aristide finally decided to go into exile voluntarily after discovering that he could not expect US protection in the event that rebels attacked the presidential palace.

Apparently concluding that he did not stand a chance without backing from the US, Aristide swiftly abandoned his earlier stance that he would stay put until the next election in 2006, and made an unexpected retreat, in the nick of time both for himself and for his unfortunate country.

Whether or not his opponents’ criticisms of him were true, Aristide’s clinging to power cost his country dear. After he emerged victorious from flawed elections in 2002, international donors halted millions of dollars’ worth of aid. This time, however, Aristide has done his countrymen a favour: his flight on Sunday averted a possible bloodbath.
...
Caricom appears to be responding swiftly now, with an emergency summit of Caribbean leaders taking place today in Jamaica. Caricom needs to make a decision on what course it will take, and to follow that decision with swift action. The future and the credibility of Caricom will be affected by that choice, as well as the future of Haiti. Caricom needs to demonstrate solidarity with a member state, as well as to show it has some ability to influence the outcome of the situation.

No undue burden will be placed on Caricom countries. The region cannot act entirely independently of other international groupings, and will not be expected to act alone, but should be part of international peacekeeping efforts.

The UN Security Council has already approved a peacekeeping force, and a small contingent of US and French marines is in Haiti already, but they are not enough to maintain order. The US troops were expected to number perhaps 1,000 at most—a far cry from the 20,000 shipped in a decade ago to support President Aristide.

With luck, however, it is possible that troops in those numbers will not be needed. Already there are reports that the anarchy that immediately followed Aristide’s departure is dying down. If the lull continues, it will be a very good sign. Haiti wants peace and its neighbours should be part of the effort to achieve it.