Aristide vows to serve out term; Powell warns rebels

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — With one city under rebel control and his nation engulfed in violence, embattled Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide vowed Friday to serve out his term and said his early departure would only bring increased bloodshed to this impoverished Caribbean nation.

Dismissing critics who say he has become a repressive and authoritarian leader, Aristide fired back in a 50-minute interview with the Tribune by calling his opponents "terrorists" and by pledging to protect Haiti's fragile democracy against those seeking to oust him.

"I was fighting the dictatorship of Duvalier," said Aristide, referring to former President Jean-Claude Duvalier, who ruled Haiti from 1971 to 1986. "I couldn't tolerate a system rooted in dictatorship to be mine."

Aristide's comments came as U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell warned the opposition not to try to oust the president and said several nations were discussing the possibility of sending reinforcements for Haiti's police.

Looking relaxed but firm in his office inside Haiti's colonial-era presidential palace, the 50-year-old Aristide denied allegations that he had armed and unleashed gangs such as those that violently broke up Thursday's opposition rally in the capital and torched buildings and killed opponents in other cities.

He said Haitians falsely claiming to be his supporters were battling anti-government militants and urged opposition leaders to begin negotiations to quell the growing crisis in this nation of 8 million people.

"Moving from violence to violence is what we've had for the past 200 years — 32 coups d'etats," Aristide said. "Today we couldn't accept another coup d'etat."

In Washington, Powell told reporters there was no plan at this point for military intervention to quell the revolt, which erupted last week after months of protests against Aristide's presidency. But he said the U.S., Canada and Caribbean nations were discussing whether foreigners could be sent to help Haiti's 3,500-member police force.

Powell also expanded on his earlier comments warning the rebels against ousting Aristide, who was restored to power by a U.S. invasion a decade ago.

"We will accept no outcome that is not consistent with the constitution," Powell said after meeting with representatives of other Western Hemisphere countries at the State Department. "We will accept no outcome that in any way illegally attempts to remove the elected president of Haiti."