New Information Regarding the 2004 Coup in Haiti

https://thegrayzone.com/2024/03/01/secret-cable-cia-haiti-coup/

See also: https://proto-protestantism.blogspot.com/2021/11/a-dominionist-evangelical-distortion-of.html

This piece from The Grayzone is timely as we see the US is poised to insert itself once again into the politics of Haiti. This time the US is attempting to utilize a proxy and has put a great deal of pressure on Kenya to take the lead in peacekeeping. Why? Because the US public does not want to see American soldiers on the ground in Haiti - at least not in significant numbers.

There is also the unspoken belief that Black Africans will have greater success in an environment like Haiti - and the optics are better as opposed to troops from traditional European-race imperialist powers.

For Kenya (though it could be argued the mission has very limited public support) it's an opportunity to 'step up' and take a leading role within Africa and to boost its profile by allying more closely and openly with Washington - which has long exerted a powerful hand in the affairs of the East African nation and its region. This is not controversial as outlets like The Atlantic Council openly express this.

At Washington's behest, Kenya invaded Somalia in 2011 and the US has maintained close ties with the Kenyan military and also has various facilities and/or bases in country. So while Haiti is the current focus, the Kenyan role is tied to a larger set of geopolitical issues in Africa - and even in the larger struggle with China in the African theatre.

Though it seems unlikely at present, you can be sure the US does not want to see Cuba intervene as it would have decades ago under Castro. It's worth noting that it was Aristide (who was overthrown in 2004) that attempted to normalize relations with Havana. The story of the US-orchestrated coup is told in the linked article. Interestingly or perhaps ironically (given the present situation on the ground) gangs were employed at the time to attack Aristide supporters. The 2004 coup wasn't the first time the US had played a hand in overthrowing him. It's a wonder he's still alive given the American track record for assassination and how this man has been a thorn in Washington's side.

Time and time again Haiti attempts to reform and heal its societal wounds. And yet this means the public backs a leader that is inevitably disliked by Washington - and thus there's some form of intervention. The US has long ruled the country through dictatorial proxies and the strong hand of the military - and yet is not above using street thugs. And to no one's surprise the assassins involved in the 2021 killing of Jovenel Moïse were connected to the United States and Colombia - which has a long legacy of US-connected Right-wing paramilitaries. Other figures involved in the US-instigated 2004 coup were also involved in the Moïse affair. In other words, Washington's (or more properly Langley's) fingerprints are all over the killing.

It's all rather ironic given the coverage in Evangelical circles of missionaries being rescued. One is reminded of the Boxer Uprising in China more than a century ago. The West manipulates and mangles these societies and then when there's resistance, they cry foul and claim innocence. I would never for a moment wish to sanction attacks on missionaries. Don't misunderstand what I'm saying. But I would hope these missionaries are truly independent and not working hand-in-glove with American government authorities or business interests connected to them. Some are and others are part of denominations that are. Regardless it's not hard to understand why the perception would be negative and I think of all the countries in the world to send missionaries to Haiti - the United States should probably be last on the list.

The Bush administration crippled Haiti in 2001 when Aristide returned to power by means of economic stranglehold and sanctions. Aristide was ousted and then just a few years later Haiti suffered the terrible 2010 earthquake. The country has never really recovered and is not permitted to.

There's a great deal more in the article - the agent on the ground involved in instigating the 2004 coup is a US intelligence operative with ties going back to Reagan-era actions in Central America and deeply involved with the narcotics trade and the various scandals associated with those operations. For readers familiar with this history, the article will read like a broken record.

Finally, while The Grayzone piece is a must-read, I offer it with hesitation. The site is not what it used to be. Like so many outlets, the combined Trump-Covid era has sown seeds of chaos and confusion and while there are good and informative articles on the site, there are also some bad ones. And more than once I have been disheartened to see names associated with the site appear with figures like Tucker Carlson and Glenn Beck - thus undermining their journalistic integrity. While I'm sure such appearances give a huge boost in terms of traffic and book sales, they demonstrate an unprincipled willingness to collaborate with elements that are every bit as evil and deceptive as the 'powers' they would speak truth to. The power in a society as complex as the United States is multi-faceted and picking one faction over another is myopic to say the least. You can't speak truth to power when you simply ally yourself with one of the political factions. At that point you're not a journalist - you're a partisan. Trump may seem anti-Establishment but his fascism is just as much a threat to society as a whole, and indeed the world - as is the Establishment. And Trump is not nearly so far removed as many tend to think.