Guy Philippe in the News Again

[bcholmes]

I hadn't noticed this story until someone mentioned it to me at a Haiti meeting last night: Guy Philippe is in hiding.

Background: Guy Philippe was the leader of the rebel force that sought to overthrow the Aristide government in 2004. After Aristide was forced out, Guy Philippe, after a well-staged sit-down with evangelist K.A. Paul, renounced violence in favour of democratic forms of regime change. He also ran to be President in 2006. Most Haiti activists that I know take it as a given that Philippe was trained by U.S. Special forces in Equador, that he was given weapons by the U.S. government while he was in the Dominican Republic, just prior to the rebellion/coup in 2004, and that he was doing the bidding of the U.S., French and Canadian governments and a group of wealthy Haitian business elites when he lead the rebellion.

During the period of the coup, Philippe's forces joined up with Wilfort "Ti Wil" Ferdinand, the head of a group called the Artibonite Resistance Front. This quotation is interesting:

Philippe shared the podium with Ferdinand in late March 2004 when US-installed prime minister Gerard Latortue was flown into Gonaives by US military helicopters accompanied by David Lee, Canadian ambassador to the Organization of American States. During a mock celebration of Aristide's ouster, Latortue publicly praised the men as misunderstood "freedom fighters" while ambassador Lee nodded his head in approval.

— "Drugs and Politics in Haiti", Haiti Action

According to Kevin Pina, a journalist in Haiti, Ferdinand was indiscreet on the radio, recently:

[...] on May 26 after he gave a lengthy interview on local radio station Radio Gonaives FM. Although news of Ferdinand's arrest received scant attention in the international press it was one of the top stories throughout Haiti the following day.

During this interview:

he repeated assertions he had made days earlier on another radio station in the capital. He claimed that he was being pressured by "certain members of the business community" to take up arms against the current government of President Rene Preval. He explained that these were some of the same business leaders that had financed their paramilitary operations against Aristide and ended with "I would rather commit suicide than raise arms against this government." [emphasis added]

So, what happens? The next day, the US DEA came knocking on Ferdinand's door. According to the DEA, Ferdinand has gone all Manuel Noriega. Ferdinand is in custody.

Apparently Guy Philippe didn't take this as a hint, because he's gone on the radio as well:

According to Pina, on May 27, after the arrest of Wilfort Ferdinand, another coup participant, Philippe went on Haitian radio and "began to name names of business and political leaders who backed the paramilitary insurgency against Aristide's government by providing arms, ammunition and logistical support."

— "Real Reason for Haiti Raid", John Yewell, Monterey County Herald

and:

Philippe's list included members of what was then touted as the "peaceful opposition" in Haiti that led demonstrations in the capital and other cities demanding Aristide's resignation. High on the list was Andy Apaid the leader of the civil society organization called the Group 184.

[...]

Philippe's list also included the leadership of several political parties that were part of a United States Agency for International Development funded program in the 90's and who recently ran candidates in UN-sponsored elections in Haiti. Among others fingered by Guy Philippe were Evans Paul of KID/Alyans, former senator Dany Toussaint of the MODEREH, Serges Gilles of PANPRA (note: FUSION currently) and Himmler Rébu of the GREH.

— "Drugs and Politics in Haiti"

So, um. Last week, the DEA came knocking on Philippe's door. Unfortunately, he wasn't home.

Shortly after dawn Monday, five helicopters, two airplanes and at least a dozen DEA and Haitian agents converged on the southern town of Les Cayes and the northwestern town of Gonaives, both known receiving points for South American cocaine bound for the United States.

The agents raided Philippe's two-story home in Les Cayes but found only his wife, two children and maid. Philippe led the 2004 rebellion that toppled former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide and has denied past accusations of drug trafficking.

A U.S. law enforcement official said authorities were surprised they didn't find Philippe and had already prepared a press release announcing his capture.

— "Haiti, U.S. to Continue Joint Offensives", Stephen Jacobs, Guardian Unlimited

That last bit has me feeling a bit sorry for the law enforcement officials: forced to change their press releases at such a late date.

This story wouldn't be complete if I didn't mention this bit: a former DEA agent responds to the Monterey article:

Without mentioning Philippe's indictment, Yewell gives an implausible explanation as fact — that the DEA was used by the Haitian government to silence Philippe because he had "begun to name names of business and political leaders who backed the paramilitary insurgency against Aristide's government ..."

[...]

In my 20 years with the DEA, I have never seen a situation where the agency was used to promote a foreign government's political agenda.

— "DEA isn't a political pawn"

Dude. You don't get it. The DEA isn't a pawn of the Haitian government.

Comments

Drugs and Politics in Haiti

[(Anonymous)]

Excerpt from Drugs and Politics in Haiti by Kevin Pina. Full article found at:http://www.haitiaction.net/News/HIP/7_24_7/7_24_7.html

HIP - The US Drug Enforcement Agency's recent attempt to hunt down former policeman, paramilitary commander and presidential candidate Guy Philippe on drug charges can be traced back to a recent arrest in the town of Gonaives, Haiti.

Haitian police and Argentinean units of the UN arrested Wilfort Ferdinand, alias Ti Wil; on May 26 after he gave a lengthy interview on local radio station Radio Gonaives FM. Although news of Ferdinand's arrest received scant attention in the international press it was one of the top stories throughout Haiti the following day. Much of the reporting in the Haitian press focused on the shared history of Wilfort Ferdinand and Guy Philippe in leading paramilitary forces that helped to oust the government of Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

In early February 2004, Wilfort Ferdinand along with Butteur Metayer, Winter Etienne and Dieujuste Jeanty, led armed gangs to attack police stations in the Artibonite region in a bid to oust Aristide's government. They left a bloody trail in their wake including the summary execution of Aristide supporters in the streets of several cities. Their group, called the Artibonite Resistance Front, later joined with the small but well-armed paramilitary groups that invaded Haiti from the Dominican Republic under the leadership of Guy Philippe and former death squad commander Jodel Chamblain. Ferdinand and the others quickly claimed allegiance to Philippe and publicly referred to him as their "commander-in-chief" in press interviews.