Barbara Lee Haiti Arms Amendment included in State Department Authorization bill Amendment will require State Dept. to shed light on weapons transactions from the U.S. to Haiti

PDF Revised Report on United States Weapons Transfers, Sales, and Licensing to Haiti Amendment
please note that the amendment was altered. The start date for report information will be from October 1991-2005.
The bill text should be up on the web sometime next week. [June 9]

(Washington, DC) - Congresswoman Barbara Lee offered the Haiti Arms Report amendment to bring attention to the potential violation of the U.S. arms embargo to Haiti and the Bush Administration's approval of arms sales, transfers and license approval to U.S. private companies. Lee received bipartisan support for full disclosure from the State Dept. on weapons in Haiti and called on the Administration to reconsider the current practice of arming the Haitian National Police (HNP) as the House International Relations Committee took up the State Department Authorization bill today.

"Just last year, the Bush Administration approved a transfer of nearly 3000 weapons to the Haitian National Police," said Lee. "If the goal is to create an environment of security and safety in Haiti, the United States cannot be complicit in arming the very criminals responsible for raping, murdering and torturing hundreds of Haitians."

The Lee Haiti Arms Report requires an immediate report of all arms transfers, sales and licensing by the State Department. The report will cover transactions from the date of the embargo, October 4, 1991 to 2005.

"This amendment is about education and accountability. Currently, the Bush Administration is set to approve over $1.7 million worth of licenses to Grifon Inc. to sell 3,000 .38 caliber revolvers, 500 9mm pistols, 500 12 gauge combat shotguns, 200 Mini-14 rifles and Bushmaster to sell 100 M4 carbines to the Haiti National Police, Government of Haiti," said Lee. "I have no faith that these guns will be used to help Haiti or Haitians."

The measure offered by Lee, the senior Democratic woman on the House International Relations Committee, was approved unanimously in the committee.

Aysha House-Moshi
Senior Policy Advisor
Office of Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-9)
1724 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

202-225-2661

See Also

Flashpoints: Does Haiti need more arms? The United States government is secretly and illegally arming the U.S. installed coup government of Haiti on John Bolton's watch. Over the last few weeks more details have surfaced in terms of the extent of the illegal arms flow Apr 11