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Haitian Insurrection
Aired February 23, 2004 - 15:02 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.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Up first this hour, chaos in Cap- Hatien, precautions in Port-au-Prince. As we've been reporting, Haiti's second largest city is in the thick of a 3-week-old revolt, and Haiti's capital is in the rebels' crosshairs. U.S. Marines en route to guard a U.S. embassy that's closed until they get there, and maybe much longer than that.
CNN's Lucia Newman joins us now live on the from Port-au-Prince.
Lucia, what's the latest?
LUCIA NEWMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Miles.
Well, I'm speaking to you right now from the Port-au-Prince International Airport, where 50 U.S. Marines are expected to land at any moment. As you mentioned, the U.S. embassy is closed; personnel has been sent home until a safe environment at the embassy has been established. All non-essential personnel have already been sent out of the country. In fact, all morning long Americans and Canadians from both those embassies were leaving the country here at the airport, as well as ordinary citizens from France, Mexico, Canada and the United States. All of them very, very frightened about the situation that's unfolding here.
As you mentioned, in Cap-Haitien yesterday, the second largest city in this country, it was attacked by some 200 heavily armed rebels. They took over the city with very, very little resistance, Miles. There were reports of losing yesterday, and today, and we understand that Aristide supporters whom, up until a few days ago were terrorizing opponents of the government, have now gone into hiding for fear of vendettas and reprisals against them.
And at the same time, CNN has learned that the international community has presented a modification of a peace proposal that had been put forward to the opposition and the government over the weekend. It would call for the organization of American states to guarantee that President Aristide meet the commitments, which include power sharing with the opposition. The opposition has only two more hours; that's the deadline to decide on whether or not to agree to the proposals that seeks a political settlement to this crisis -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: CNN's Lucia Newman in Port-au-Prince. Thanks much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired February 23, 2004 - 15:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Up first this hour, chaos in Cap- Hatien, precautions in Port-au-Prince. As we've been reporting, Haiti's second largest city is in the thick of a 3-week-old revolt, and Haiti's capital is in the rebels' crosshairs. U.S. Marines en route to guard a U.S. embassy that's closed until they get there, and maybe much longer than that.
CNN's Lucia Newman joins us now live on the from Port-au-Prince.
Lucia, what's the latest?
LUCIA NEWMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Miles.
Well, I'm speaking to you right now from the Port-au-Prince International Airport, where 50 U.S. Marines are expected to land at any moment. As you mentioned, the U.S. embassy is closed; personnel has been sent home until a safe environment at the embassy has been established. All non-essential personnel have already been sent out of the country. In fact, all morning long Americans and Canadians from both those embassies were leaving the country here at the airport, as well as ordinary citizens from France, Mexico, Canada and the United States. All of them very, very frightened about the situation that's unfolding here.
As you mentioned, in Cap-Haitien yesterday, the second largest city in this country, it was attacked by some 200 heavily armed rebels. They took over the city with very, very little resistance, Miles. There were reports of losing yesterday, and today, and we understand that Aristide supporters whom, up until a few days ago were terrorizing opponents of the government, have now gone into hiding for fear of vendettas and reprisals against them.
And at the same time, CNN has learned that the international community has presented a modification of a peace proposal that had been put forward to the opposition and the government over the weekend. It would call for the organization of American states to guarantee that President Aristide meet the commitments, which include power sharing with the opposition. The opposition has only two more hours; that's the deadline to decide on whether or not to agree to the proposals that seeks a political settlement to this crisis -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: CNN's Lucia Newman in Port-au-Prince. Thanks much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
