Press Release from Congresswoman Barbara Lee
Ninth Congressional District of California
U.S. House of Representatives

PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release Contact: Nathan Britton
6/28/05 (202) 225-2661


House Approves Barbara Lee's Effort to Stem Arms to Haiti

(Washington, DC) - Tonight, the House approved by voice vote a
measure introduced by Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) that will end free arms transfers from the United States to Haiti.

"The Haitian National Police are intimidating, murdering, and executing the poor and political opposition with weapons transferred free of charge from the United States to the Government of Haiti, and this is simply unacceptable," said Lee.

The measure, which Lee was joined in introducing by Representatives John Conyers (D-MI), Maxine Waters(D-CA) and Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-MI), was an amendment to the Foreign Operations Appropriations bill, and requires a limitation on all transfers of excess property to the Government of Haiti in order to stop State Department transfers of free, excess arms and ammunition from the United States to the Haitian
National Police force. Since 2004, as many as 3,000 weapons have been transferred to Haiti free of charge from the United States, and in all probability have gone to arm the Haitian National Police force.

The United Nations and human rights groups have expressed concern about the involvement of Haitian police in political violence and human rights abuses.

"The United States must not be complicit in helping to arm criminals
and human rights abusers," said Lee. "This amendment is about
accountability and saving Haitian lives and the House has taken an
important step in protecting human rights by approving it."

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