Bush Nixes Haiti Intervention

Foreigners fled the country amid isolated looting Wednesday as pressure mounted for President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to step down and a rebel leader leading a popular uprising said the clock was ticking for an attack on the capital.

As drama unfolded around the impoverished country, Aristide's two daughters flew to the United States and a convicted drug trafficker testified in the United States that Aristide controls 85 percent of the cocaine flowing through the nation.

While diplomats tried to negotiate a political settlement to end the crisis, rebel leader Guy Philippe — speaking in Haiti's second-largest city of Cap-Haitien that was captured by insurgents Sunday — told The Associated Press his troops are ready to attack Port-au-Prince but he wants to see if Aristide cedes power first.

"We're ready. We just want to give a chance to peace," he said.

Philippe had given various deadlines for his threatened attack on the city, most recently next Sunday, his 36th birthday.

French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin called for the establishment of a civilian peacekeeping force in Haiti, France's former colony. French diplomats at the United Nations said the force could be sent to Haiti if government of national unity is formed.

"This international force would be responsible for guaranteeing the return to public order and supporting the international community's action on the ground," Villepin said.

The statement came shortly after U.S. President George W. Bush said the United States was encouraging the international community to provide a strong "security presence" in Haiti as America and its allies continued to work for a political solution.

As CBS' Mark Knoller reports, President Bush, meanwhile, told members of the black congressional caucus that he has no plans to send U.S. troops to Haiti to prop up President Aristide's government. In a written statement, the White House says the U.S. is working with the international community to arrange a political settlement there, and that humanitarian assistance for the Haitian people is a priority.

The U.S. Coast Guard on Wednesday intercepted a freighter with 22 Haitians on board off the coast of Miami Beach, hours after Bush urged Haitians not to flee their homeland.

An opposition coalition, meanwhile, formally announced its rejection of a U.S.-backed proposal for Aristide to remain president, sharing power with his political rivals. The political opposition, which denies links with the rebels, insists Aristide resign.

De Villepin condemned Aristide for the crisis and hinted strongly he should resign.

"As far as President Aristide is concerned, he bears grave responsibility for the current situation," his statement said. "Every one sees that this is about opening a new page in the history of Haiti."

French and U.S. diplomats say Aristide used police and supporters to crush dissent, contributing to the violence and failed to fight corruption in the police and judiciary.

Druglord Beaudoin "Jacques" Ketant, who blames Aristide for his brother's killing last year, testified in court Wednesday after being sentenced to 27 years. His testimony could present even more problems for the embattled president.

"He turned the country into a narco-country," Ketant said. "The man is a druglord. He controlled the drug world in Haiti."

Ira Kurzban, a Miami attorney for the Haitian government, flatly dismissed the allegations from "a lying, convicted drug dealer" who faced a life sentence unless he got a plea bargain.

Ketant, 40, was fined $15 million and ordered to forfeit another $15 million, mostly property that is out of reach in Haiti. Prosecutors said he smuggled his way to a "Midas-like" fortune, including an US$8 million villa, four other houses, paintings by Monet and Picasso, US$5 million cash and bank accounts in Haiti and the Bahamas.

Ketant received three months short of the maximum under a plea deal for money laundering and allegedly shepherding 41 tons of drugs for Colombia's Cali, Medellin and Baranquilla cartels through Haiti to the United States from 1987 to 1996.

He was indicted in 1997 but lived a life of luxury until last June. Aristide threw him out of the country after Ketant and his bodyguards were accused of beating an official at an elite school attended by his son and the children of Haitian officials and U.S. diplomats.

Haitian government spokesman Mario Dupuy said Foreign Minister Joseph Antonio and Aristide's chief-of-staff, Jean-Claude Desgranges were on their way to Paris to meet with de Villepin.

Opposition leaders said they did not know when they might be able to get to Paris for a similar meeting with de Villepin, because of the chaos in the streets.

Radio stations reported Aristide's two children, Christine, 7, and Michaelle, 5, left the country on an afternoon flight. Radio Vision 2000 said their initial destination was New York.

Roads in the capital were blocked by Aristide militants who set up dozens of barricades. They were initially erected to prevent rebels from entering the capital, but on Wednesday the militants began robbing people at the barricades.

Police initially did nothing but later arrested a dozen people accused of robbing people at roadblocks on the way to the airport.

American Airlines said three of its five daily flights to the United States were delayed because crew and passengers were trying to get through the roadblocks. Air Jamaica canceled its flights to Haiti indefinitely.

Looters struck two warehouses in Port-au-Prince on Wednesday, stealing US$200,000 worth of medical equipment and food from one and US$300,000 worth of tropical wood from the other.

Armed looters trying to plunder a frozen foods warehouse were turned back by security guards who fired warning shots.

"Five guys with guns went over the wall, they started shooting and tried to take the stuff but we prevented them," said Nelson Jean Seguil, 37, a security guard.

U.N. non-essential staff and their families were being evacuated.

"The situation is bad and it's becoming worse," said Francoise Gruloos-Ackermans, UNICEF coordinator for Haiti.

Overnight, people tried to set fire to a car dealership on the airport road. A bar in the upscale Petionville suburb was set ablaze at night and some shops around it were vandalized.

The Spanish Embassy in the Dominican Republic was evacuating Spanish citizens, Spanish Embassy spokeswoman Patricia Corrales said in Santo Domingo, the capital of the neighboring country.

Canada and the Dominican Republic said small teams of their soldiers were on their way to Haiti on Wednesday to protect their embassies. Canadian Maj. Mike Audette said the Canadians would join soldiers to prepare for the possible evacuation of more than 1,000 Canadians.

Mexico sent a military airplane to evacuate about three dozen Mexican diplomats and other citizens, and offered to take people from other countries.

The last of 56 Mormon missionaries in Haiti left Wednesday.

"We decided to leave because we heard things are going to get pretty crazy," said Joel Tougas, a church elder from Deep Cove, Canada. "We're hoping to come back when there's peace."

Guy Lockrey, an auto worker from Flint, Mich., was forced to abandon his car at a barricade and was walking to the airport with his suitcase when police picked him up.

"We didn't feel any tension until we got close to the capital," said Lockrey, who had driven from west-central Haiti, where he was helping build a church.

Fearing an exodus of Haitians fleeing the violence, the Dominican Republic doubled the number of troops along its 360-kilometer (225-mile border) with Haiti.

In Cap-Haitien, at least two men were killed Wednesday — one shot by rebels for allegedly looting, and another shot by unidentified gunmen who accused him of being an Aristide militant.

The Red Cross said that raised the toll to 20 dead in Cap-Haitien, and the overall toll from fighting in the three-week-old rebellion to about 80.