March 3, 2004
www.guardian.co.uk

KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) - Fourteen Caribbean nations rejected joining any peacekeeping force for Haiti Wednesday, criticizing Western nations in their response to the rebellion against President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

Prime Minister P.J. Patterson said the Caribbean Community was "extremely disappointed" at the involvement of "Western partners" in the hasty departure of Aristide.

Speaking for the 15-nation trading bloc, Patterson claimed that the council failed to respond to its appeals to help Aristide by sending an international armed force to restore order in Haiti.

"We believe that we put forward a very compelling case before the Security Council on Thursday of last week. The Security Council failed to respond then," said Patterson.

Aristide fled into exile on Sunday as rebels closed in on the capital following a weeks long rebellion. Aristide claimed U.S. troops forced him to flee.

"We could not fail to observe that what was impossible on Thursday could be accomplished in an emergency meeting on Sunday. We are disappointed in the extreme at the failure to act," Patterson said.

"In the prevailing circumstances, the leaders do not envisage their participation in the multinational peacekeeping force authorized by the U.N. Security Council," the leaders said in a statement ending an emergency meeting on Haiti.

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