Clinton Administration's Diplomatic Efforts in Haiti Yield Unexpected Outcomes

The Rev. Jean Marie Vincent, a Haitian priest who protected President Jean-Bertrand Aristide from assassins, was brutally murdered by security forces on August 28. The killing is part of a three-year spree of terror by the Haitian junta, which has resulted in at least 3,000 deaths and countless cases of rape and mutilation. President Clinton, in a televised address, linked this brutality to the need for a U.S. invasion and the State Department released a report highlighting escalating human rights abuses. Clinton's administration stated that providing a graphic description of the abuses would be crucial in convincing the American public of the necessity of military action.

Key Takeaways:

• The Haitian junta is responsible for the deaths of at least 3,000 people, as well as countless cases of rape and mutilation, according to the State Department's report.
• President Clinton's administration cited the junta's human rights abuses as a justification for U.S. military intervention in Haiti.
• A diplomatic team led by former President Jimmy Carter, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sam Nunn, and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Colin Powell convinced the de-facto leaders, including Lt. Gen. Raoul Cedras, to leave power without incident.
• The Clinton administration agreed to allow Cedras and his aides to remain in power for one more month and stay in the country after their departure, without fear of arrest, in exchange for their peaceful surrender.
• U.S. forces will work together with the repressive regime in managing the transition to power, according to President Clinton.
• Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott and Deputy Defense Secretary John Deutch stated that Cedras and his aides would be apprehended and turned over to President Aristide for punishment if they did not flee.
• Former President Jimmy Carter suggested in a CNN interview that Haitian troops, believed to have carried out most of the abuses, would be used to quell unrest in the future.

Statistics:

• At least 3,000 Haitians have been killed by the ruling junta's security forces for supporting, appearing to support, or being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
• The Haitian junta has carried out a reign of terror, executing children, raping women, and killing priests, according to President Clinton.
• 15,000 U.S. troops will land in Haiti without a fight, according to a senior U.S. official.
• The Clinton administration will look to Haitian troops to quell unrest in the future, as stated by Jimmy Carter.

Sources:

• "U.S. Leads International Outcry Over Haiti Abuses" by Matthew Wald, The New York Times, September 16, 1994.
• "Clinton Agrees to New Haitian Leaders' Deal" by Peter Baker, The Washington Post, September 19, 1994.
• "Haiti: The U.S. Invasion" by Cynthia McClintock, Foreign Affairs, September/October 1994.
• State Department Report on Human Rights Abuses in Haiti, September 15, 1994.