THE EDITOR, Sir:
CONGRATULATIONS ON your excellent editorial and strong, insightful opinion in the Gleaner Online of March 3, calling for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the departure of President Jean Bertrand Aristide from Haiti. Your editorial was a breath of fresh air among the many Caribbean and other Western newspaper commentaries that were either skirting the issue or pandering sweet niceties in order not to appear to be offending the Bush administration.
Your editorial did in fact accomplish that which must be done to ensure that the seemingly hegemonical Bush regime does not continue its international pomposity and arrogant disregard for the so-called Third World and their leaders. I join you also in commending the stance of CARICOM chairman and Jamaican Prime Minister the Hon. P. J. Patterson on the Aristide debacle.
To highlight the important accomplishments of your editorial, it must be reiterated that:
1). America's greatness will only be real and stable as its leaders continue to uphold democracy, justice and regard for international decency. These traits have been on very shaky grounds since the Bush administration was put in place by the US Supreme Court.
2). President Aristide must be allowed to tell the world his version of what happened to force him out of Haiti and what role the US military and government officials played in his removal.
3). CARICOM leaders must maintain their stance for a strictly legal transition from the Aristide administration to a new Haitian leadership, refusing to recognise any government of Haiti that does not meet the legal criteria.
4). Caribbean nations and other Third World leaders must be wary of the Bush administration and the rest of the world should monitor this Washington regime hawkishly to pre-empt and nip in the bud a potentially devastating Hitler-like world power developing under George W. Bush and company.
5). It is now clear that Bush deceived the world on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and therefore might be using deception again in the matter of President Aristide's "resignation" as Haiti's leader.
These points, Mr. Editor, must be underscored and debated by Jamaicans and the rest of the world. Your editorial was an excellent point of reference to begin the discussion.
I am, etc.,
REV. MERVIN STODDART
INMerv@hotmail.com
P.O. Box 150953
Altamonte Springs
Florida
Via Go-Jamaica
