[News] Barbara Lee: Tell the T.R.U.T.H. about Haiti

[News at freedomarchives.org]

NEWS from CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE
9th District, California

Tell the T.R.U.T.H. about Haiti

March 9, 2004

Congresswoman Barbara Lee Questions Bush Administration Officials
at International Relations Subcommittee Hearing March 3

12 page PDF file for H.R. 3919
(coming soon)

Congresswoman Barbara Lee Introduces TRUTH (The Responsibility to Uncover 
the Truth about Haiti) Act - H.R. 3919

Bill Would Establish Independent Commission

Washington, DC - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA), Congressional Black 
Caucus Haiti Task Force Co-Chair, today introduced the TRUTH (The 
Responsibility to Uncover the Truth about Haiti) Act today, which calls for 
an independent bipartisan commission to uncover the facts about the Bush 
Administration's involvement in the recent coup d'etat in Haiti. The bill 
was co-sponsored by CBC Haiti Task Force Co-Chair John Conyers and 23 other 
Members.

The TRUTH Act calls for the commission to investigate, among other 
questions, the following:
    * Did the U.S. Government impede democracy and contribute to the 
overthrow of the Aristide government?
    * Under what circumstances did President Jean-Bertrand Aristide resign, 
and what was the role of the United States Government in bringing about his 
departure?
    * To what extent did the U.S. impede efforts by the international 
community, particularly the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries, to 
prevent the overthrow of the democratically-elected Government of Haiti?
    * What was the role of the United States in influencing decisions 
regarding Haiti at the United Nations Security Council and in discussions 
between Haiti and other countries that were willing to assist in the 
preservation of the democratically-elected Government of Haiti by sending 
security forces to Haiti?
    * Was U.S. assistance provided or were U.S. personnel involved in 
supporting, directly or indirectly, the forces opposed to the government of 
President Aristide?
    * Was U.S. bilateral assistance channeled through nongovernmental 
organizations that were directly or indirectly associated with political 
groups actively involved in fomenting hostilities or violence toward the 
government of President Aristide?

Following the makeup of the WMD commission called for in H.R. 2625 
legislation by Congressman Henry Waxman (D-CA) last year, the TRUTH 
commission would be made up of ten members, five chosen by the Democratic 
congressional leadership and five by the Republican congressional leadership.

"The Bush Administration's efforts in the overthrow of a 
democratically-elected government must be investigated," said Lee. "All of 
the evidence brought forward thus far suggests that the Administration has, 
in essence, carried out a form of 'regime change,' a different variation 
than it took in Iraq, but still regime change. The American people and the 
international community deserve to know the truth, and this bill will offer 
the opportunity to investigate the long-term origins of the overthrow of 
the Haitian government and the impact of our failure to protect democracy."


Tell the T.R.U.T.H. about Haiti


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