Political Quotes

“a week ago today the last of the United States troops who had been sent to Haiti came home. These brave soldiers, as well as others from countries around the world, helped bring enormous changes to that troubled nation, that troubled neighbor of the United States. Last Tuesday's withdrawal provides us an opportunity to reflect upon what has been accomplished, what is left to be done, and what special role the United States--and particularly those of us who have a responsibility in the National Government of the United States--will play in this next series of chapters of the nation of Haiti. There has been considerable attention focused on the problems that remain in Haiti, and any observer would admit that there are very substantial challenges yet to be overcome in that nation. But I believe that an analysis would also require some comparison of what is the circumstance in Haiti today, in April of 1996, as compared to the recent past. Let us take the period of 1993. Haiti in 1993 was a scene of anarchy and lawlessness. Haiti's military dictatorship ruled by machete. There had been an estimated 3,000 political killings per year during the reign of terror of the military dictatorship. I remember, Mr. President, visiting a Catholic church in downtown Port-au-Prince where a Government official had been removed from a mass in front of his terrorized family and friends, taken into the street, and summarily executed.”