Last-Gasp Deal Averts US Invasion of Haiti

Strategic Insights -

BILL Clinton's roller-coaster presidency witnessed a historic last-minute deal on Sunday, preventing a full-scale US invasion of Haiti. The agreement, negotiated by former President Jimmy Carter, was almost derailed when a cellular telephone call informed authorities that 61 US planes were heading for Haiti. In a tense and dramatic sequence of events, Carter convinced the Haitian junta leader, Lieutenant-General Raoul Cedras, to accept the agreement, which was later ratified by Haitian President Emile Jonassaint.

Key Takeaways:

  • The US had assembled a formidable armada of 61 planes, including paratroopers, off Haiti's coast, ready to invade if the deal failed.
  • Jimmy Carter's delegation had spent 11 hours in talks with General Cedras, culminating in a breakthrough when General Cedras' wife, a strong oppositionist, was persuaded to support the deal.
  • Carter's earlier rapport with General Cedras, established during Haiti's first free elections in 1990, played a crucial role in facilitating the negotiations.
  • US President Bill Clinton was under pressure to act, with his closest aides expressing concern and the White House dealing with frantic phone calls and a looming deadline.
  • The Haitian nation, believed to be facing annihilation, witnessed a dramatic reversal as President Jonassaint overruled his Cabinet and accepted the agreement.
  • Colin Powell, the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, enjoyed the respect and admiration of the Haitian junta, and his emphasis on the futility of resistance was instrumental in convincing them to surrender.

Statistics:

  • 61 US planes were packed with paratroopers and took off from US bases, bound for Haiti, before being turned back.
  • The talks between Carter's delegation and the Haitian junta lasted for 11 hours, culminating in a deal.
  • The Carter delegation visited Cedras' house, meeting his wife, who became a key figure in convincing her husband to accept the agreement.
  • The deadline for pulling out the US delegation was missed at noon on Sunday, prompting a tense request to Clinton to give Carter more time.
  • Clinton instructed the delegation to pack up for an invasion at 4pm on Sunday, only to have it called off after 75 minutes, when the news of the agreement reached the Oval Office.

Sources:

  • The Times, 1994