Click here to see and hear Roger Noriega basically lie to House of Representatives’ International Relations Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere regarding what he knows about a number of figures who had been in exile from Haiti, but who had returned and helped precipitate the recent U.S.-favored coup. Among the many human rights violations of these anti-democratic forces, Noriega denied knowing about these, presented to him by the Subcommittee:
- Guy Phillipe: trained by the U.S. military in Ecuador, killed 26 members of the Lavalas party, trafficked drugs
- Andy Apaid: American citizen and owner of more than 10 Haitian sweatshops, supported the opposition to Aristide, and opposed Aristide’s attempt to pass minimum wage laws
- Jean Tatoune: helped perpetrate a massacre
- Louis Jodel Chamblain: responsible for murdering thousands of Haitians as “right hand” of Emmanuel “Toto” Constant (who in turn was not only the murderous leader of FRAPH, which precipitated the ’91-’94 coup; he was on the CIA payroll; he reportedly resides in New York)
(More information on these figures is widely available; see, e.g., Haiti Progres.)
Noriega is in charge of Latin America for the Administration, but denies knowing any of this. Further, he was chief of staff under vocal Aristide opponent, Sen. Jesse Helms, in the course of which appointment, he would have known in detail about these figures.
Noriega’s cross-examiners included Donald Payne (D-NJ), Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY), and Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA).
Under examination by Rangel, Noriega in effect admitted that the U.S. gave Aristide a “deal he could not refuse”: If he did not resign, his security would be removed and rebel forces would be allowed to kill him and his family; but if he did resign, the U.S. would conduct him to safety.
Waters got Noriega to admit that the U.S. would protect the new Chief Justice sworn in as head of Haiti, whereas it would not protect democratically elected President Aristide, demonstrating a double-standard.
Noriega also denied knowing about the tens of thousands of M-16s and M-60s the U.S. sent to the Dominican Republic that subsequently ended up in the hands of anti-government forces in Haiti.
