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"Life expands or shrinks in proportion to one's courage." ~Anain Nin
Blogger uncovers US mercenary spy ring in Haiti I seem to have uncovered a strange little black ops organization that's spying in Haiti and elsewhere. Not long ago, they were also looking to drum up some business in the US in the Homeland Security market. I got a few tips from whistleblowers. But all of the most substantial information has come from one of their own employees who wrote me a number of long letters... CAG, ostensibly staffed with ex-military and ex-"agency" personnel, wished to remain unknown and inasmuch as it was known, it wished to be known as a "management consulting" company. It was founded by US ex-patriates and is registered in Panama. And, very specifically, CAG did not wish to be seen as either a private military company or as a security company. They claimed to be management consultants. Well. All right then. Management consulting.
Haiti as Target Practice Was the story too dangerous to investigate? Was the situation indecipherable? Was the prospect of a weak regime giving way to another in the hemisphere's poorest country just not a story worth the time and effort? The tragedy of this episode is that much of it was abundantly transparent. Running a sixty-second web search on any of the principals involved leads one to a fetid two-decade history of CIA and U.S. ultra-right subterfuge in Haiti. The fact that the group in charge of Haiti policy today in the State Department has been literally gunning for Aristide since before his initial election as a champion of democracy in 1990 has been left all but unmentioned by the press. Also forgotten is the fact that members of the armed groups burning their way through Haiti's cities today include groups that, (according to myriad sources including sworn testimony before Congress by U.S. officials, reporters, and reports of Haitian recipients of covert aid,) were funneling drugs to the U.S. while in the pay of U.S. intelligence agents.
Message from a Jailed Priest in Haiti Fr. Gerard Jean-Juste shares a small dark jail cell with 18 other men in Haiti... There are no formal charges against Fr. Jean-Juste. He has not seen a judge and it is not clear he ever will. No judge will review his case because it is "too political." The police wrote down that he is jailed for "disturbing the peace." The unelected government of Haiti says he was "aiding the uprising" and that they have all the evidence they need to hold him.
To my sisters and brothers To my sisters and brothers in Haiti, a land that I love deeply; nothing can compare to the devastation you've suffered recently. Our flooding here in America is a trifle inconvenience next to the horror of two massively devastating floods you've endured this year. As always, my heart goes out to you... Haiti Flood Death Toll Passes 700
Finally, some good news from Finally, some good news from Haiti: They play, peace wins. Haitians have been enjoying a sporting carnival as... Brazil's... World Cup-winning footballers took on the national side in Port-au-Prince.... But the excited Haitians - some of whom climbed trees next to the stadium to get a view - did not seem to care. The smiling football diplomacy couldn't be further from the scene six months ago, when armed rebels were demanding the resignation of former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. (latest word has me going back in November)
Dominican, Haiti Floods Death Toll Dominican, Haiti Floods Death Toll Nears 2,000 The death toll from devastating floods and landslides in Haiti and the Dominican Republic rose to at least 1,950 on Wednesday with the discovery of more than 1,000 bodies in a Haitian town. The toll rose dramatically when the bodies were found in Mapou, a rural southeastern Haitian town where communications are poor, said Margareth Martin, the head of the civil protection office for Haiti's Southeast region. Rescue workers dug through mud and debris for bodies three days after torrential rains sent rivers of mud and swirling waters through Hispaniola, the Caribbean island shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Haiti's death toll stood at 1,660, including 1,000 in Mapou, 500 elsewhere in Haiti's Southeast region, 158 in the riverside town of Fond Verettes, and two in the south, at Port-a-Piment. *Um, excuse me here, but WTF is that? 50k? Since when is it acceptable that the world's richest country, known for exploiting the world's poorest countries, won't even send enough aid money TO EVEN BUY A HUMMER! This is a disaster that will likely kill more than 911, and where's the mass media? They're all in a twitter about Kobe Bryant. Bless the people and spirit of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and bless those who respond with true caring and their best effort.
This week marks the  This week marks the 1 year anniversary of my voyage to Haiti. I'll be posting snippets and memories of the trip for the next several days, including pictures. Our primary guide in Haiti, Djaloki Dessables, has written an amazing article called "Western Debt; The Invisible External Debt of our Western World." We have learned from our Elders, who themselves learned from our Ancestors, that the Divine Source created several worlds connected with each other. From our human perspective there is the visible world, where Humans consciously dwell and the invisible world, where Ancestors and Spirits dwell, as well as to where Humans make frequent incursions, usually unconsciously. Without getting into a detailed description of the Spirits, let us say for the moment, that they roughly correspond, in western words, to immaterial energies whose effects can be perceived by Humans at the physical, emotional, mental or psychic level, such as moods, archetypes or natural forces... The article goes on to state that thi balance has been unsettled because of our forgetfulness, and we are in a state of 'debt' to the spiritual realm. Taking sacred actions reverses these debts.
Opinion from the Little Haiti Opinion from the Little Haiti community in Miami: 'There, it's a fight just to live' "We just want the best for Haiti. Everyone has their own view on what Bush has done and I'm not for or against him or Aristide. We want it to get better. That's it," says Celeste. Ordinarily, the domestic political consequences of US policy towards Haiti are negligible. But this is an election year and there are thousands of Haitian votes at stake in Florida - the 50/50 state - where any one of the diverse tribes that constitute Miami-Dade County could make a real difference to the outcome.
History reveals our debt to History reveals our debt to Haiti Our history and Haiti's are intertwined, and our fates could easily have been different. A turn down one path, and Haiti might have become a thriving democracy. A turn down another path, and the United States might have been just a small neighbor of the French Empire.
Haiti Update Another update forwarded to me from Renee, an American working in Haiti with disabled and homeless children. Well, things see to be getting back to, somewhat, normal here. Michael was It's been a few days since I wrote you, so let me fill you in on has been The most visible, or maybe I should say audible, event on Sunday and Monday There was at least one killing in the area on Sunday. The killing wasn't We had heard that the ports were looted over the weekend which made us a Apparently there were reports in the U.S. media that a lot of orphanages The country is without cable television now because TeleHaiti was broken So far I haven't seen any American troops. I think they are staying Word is that American Airlines will start flying again on Friday. I hope You will be getting another email from me today or tomorrow that is an Thanks for all your prayers, support and friendship. Peace,
Kidnap Diplomacy:'Tell the world it Kidnap Diplomacy:'Tell the world it is a coup.' Multiple sources that just spoke with Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide told Democracy Now! that Aristide says he was "kidnapped" and taken by force to the Central African Republic. Congressmember Maxine Waters said she received a call from Aristide at 9am EST. "He's surrounded by military. It's like he is in jail, he said. He says he was kidnapped," said Waters. She said he had been threatened by what he called US diplomats. According to Waters, the diplomats reportedly told the Haitian president that if he did not leave Haiti, paramilitary leader Guy Philippe would storm the palace and Aristide would be killed. According to Waters, Aristide was told by the US that they were withdrawing Aristide's US security.
Looting spreads through Port-au-Pince amid Looting spreads through Port-au-Pince amid reports that US troops forced Aristide out, and another first hand report from American volunteer Renee, working in Fermathe, a few miles up the mountain from the capital. What follows is a condensed email forwarded to me. Well, I guess most of you heard by now that Aristide has left the country. I don't know if this is a good thing. I don't know that this is a bad thing... What comes next, who is in charge, will this calm tensions, and many other questions remain to be asked and, hopefully, answered. It is too soon to predict what happens now. I hope and pray this placates the opposition and is accepted without violence by Aristide's supporters and that new arguments and bloodshed don't come from it.
Embattled Aristide 'leaves Haiti' Mr Embattled Aristide 'leaves Haiti' Mr Aristide is said to be on his way to neighbouring Dominican Republic from where he will seek asylum, according to news agencies in Haiti. UPDATE: I've been told by my local Haitian friend Ivan that the rebels have seized the Sisters of Mercy charity hospital in Port-au-Prince. This disturbs me; it's a children's hospital, and is likely being plundered for it's medical supplies while the children who suffer greatly go without. Please keep these innocent and helpless children in your thoughts.
Port-au-Prince braces for attack What Port-au-Prince braces for attack What follows is a portion of an email sent out by an American working at St. Joseph's Home for Boys, where I stayed last April for my all-to-brief visit in Haiti. I can't stop thinking about that home and the Delmas neighborhood, and pray that no violence comes to them. The rebels are talking about moving on Port-au-Prince next and Aristide supporters have put roadblocks up around the capital to try and stop them. But, nothing has happened yet. There are lots of rumors flying around though. Any of you have been in Haiti before aren't surprised at that. I'm listening to the rumors, but for now I am getting most of my information off of CNN and the internet, just like most of you. That is not the most comforting or reliable way to get the news, as I am sure you have experienced. I spent one report on CNN today yelling at the television. So...it seems as if we are in a time of limbo. Not sure what is going to happen and when something will happen. Life is very much the same here. Michael [the founder of St. Joseph's] was up at Wings [also founded by Michael, a residence for developmentally disabled children] today and he said things are normal in Petionville. It is very quiet in Fermathe, as always. I walked up to the market area this afternoon to get a pate and the woman I always buy from looked at me a little surprised and said, "Oh, you didn't leave." The sounds of Karnival have filled the last few nights...
Haitian rebels advance on Port-au-Prince Haitian rebels advance on Port-au-Prince while American policy towards Haiti becomes further entrenched in the mud.
Over a hundred vivid images Over a hundred vivid images from last year's Carnaval in Haiti. Hopefully next year, they will celebrate again.
I'm afraid that this might I'm afraid that this might be a case of too little, too late: Aristide Agrees to Haiti Peace Plan As thousands of looters rampaged through Cap-Haitien Sunday, rebel leader Guy Philippe predicted a quick victory over Aristide's partisans, who sought to block any advance by erecting flaming barricades on the highway into the capital, Port-au-Prince, from the north. "I think that in less than 15 days we will control all of Haiti," Philippe said at a Cap-Haitien hotel as he swigged from a bottle of beer. I'm also a bit disturbed that, so far, only France has agreed in principle to send in a peacekeeping mission. The international community has been watching this carnage, sitting on their hands, talking plenty but not doing a single thing, not even dispatching relief and medical supplies to the affected areas. If this violence escalated, there could be an all-out collapse in Haitian society, at a cost far greater than peacekeepers, supplies, or the milquetoast peace agreements put forward by generally apathetic neighbors who have the power to stop this.
Venezuela and Haiti: Covert intervention Venezuela and Haiti: Covert intervention for oil and overt non-intervention for spinelessness.
Haiti revolt spreads to new Haiti revolt spreads to new town
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i am jay joslin: a spirit-fed mountain hopping lover of everything, an ordained lefty-veggie-homo, and bon-vivant go-go dancing with all the messenger mockingbirds of morning.
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