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CNN Live Today

Haiti Unrest

Aired February 18, 2004 - 10:16   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: In Haiti, A bloody uprising is reaching a boiling point, and the premier actually is warning of a potential coup. For the latest on the situation, turning to CNN, Lucia Newman, who joins us live by videophone from Port-au-Prince.
Lucia, what is the situation on the street today?

LUCIA NEWMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Well, On the streets of Tatatian (ph), which is Haiti's second most important city, the police and armed supporters of President Jean-Bertand Aristide are barricading everything amid fears that the armed rebels could be heading their way. In fact, yesterday, the airport in Tatatian was closed when rumors hit that a ship with the rebels onboard was just there in the bay waiting to come in. However, there is no solid evidence to corroborate that there is any sort of an eminent attack on the way.

However, all of this has been fanned by the news that Gi Salif (ph) the feared former police chief of the Tatitian is back in Haiti now. He slipped back into this country from the neighboring Dominican Republic over the weekend, and he has vowed to take over his former city.

In the meantime, the European Union is calling for calm, for a negotiated settlement to the conflict, but it is also condemning the violence, not only on the part of those who many decide are armed thugs, but also on the part of the Aristide supporters, who for a long time now, have been terrorizing the civilian peaceful opposition. And so while the government and the premier, as you mentioned, is warning that a coup is possibly under way, they're saying they need international help immediately. Neither the United States or France, who used to be the colonial power here, are willing to put up peacekeepers yet -- Carol.

LIN: And if that is the case, then what are the options that Jean Bertrand Aristide has in order to hold on to power there?

NEWMAN: What he would have to do, according to many analyst, is convince the opposition, the civilian opposition, the political parties that have been calling for his resignation, that he can be trusted to bring about new elections that this time will not be seen as fraudulent -- Carol.

LIN: Thank you very much, Lucia Newman, reporting live from Port-au-Prince.

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Aired February 18, 2004 - 10:16   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: In Haiti, A bloody uprising is reaching a boiling point, and the premier actually is warning of a potential coup. For the latest on the situation, turning to CNN, Lucia Newman, who joins us live by videophone from Port-au-Prince.
Lucia, what is the situation on the street today?

LUCIA NEWMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Well, On the streets of Tatatian (ph), which is Haiti's second most important city, the police and armed supporters of President Jean-Bertand Aristide are barricading everything amid fears that the armed rebels could be heading their way. In fact, yesterday, the airport in Tatatian was closed when rumors hit that a ship with the rebels onboard was just there in the bay waiting to come in. However, there is no solid evidence to corroborate that there is any sort of an eminent attack on the way.

However, all of this has been fanned by the news that Gi Salif (ph) the feared former police chief of the Tatitian is back in Haiti now. He slipped back into this country from the neighboring Dominican Republic over the weekend, and he has vowed to take over his former city.

In the meantime, the European Union is calling for calm, for a negotiated settlement to the conflict, but it is also condemning the violence, not only on the part of those who many decide are armed thugs, but also on the part of the Aristide supporters, who for a long time now, have been terrorizing the civilian peaceful opposition. And so while the government and the premier, as you mentioned, is warning that a coup is possibly under way, they're saying they need international help immediately. Neither the United States or France, who used to be the colonial power here, are willing to put up peacekeepers yet -- Carol.

LIN: And if that is the case, then what are the options that Jean Bertrand Aristide has in order to hold on to power there?

NEWMAN: What he would have to do, according to many analyst, is convince the opposition, the civilian opposition, the political parties that have been calling for his resignation, that he can be trusted to bring about new elections that this time will not be seen as fraudulent -- Carol.

LIN: Thank you very much, Lucia Newman, reporting live from Port-au-Prince.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com