CANARD II: DOMINICAN RIFLES FOR HAITI

UNCLAS SANTO DOMINGO 001515

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR HAITI TASK FORCE, WHA/CAR

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: MARR PGOV HA DR
SUBJECT: CANARD II: DOMINICAN RIFLES FOR HAITI



1. Secretary of the Armed Forces Soto Jimenez told the press
on March 5 that the Dominican Republic has received no rpt no
arms from the USG and commented that the figure of 3,500
weapons used in questions to WHA Assistant Secretary Roger
Noriega might correspond to annual licensed imports of arms
(of all types) for sale by registered gun shops in the
country. These are not military weapons; they are pistols,
revolvers, hunting rifles and shotguns (never rifles) for use
by private security services. Import permits are issued by
the military, are monitored by the military and are stored in
military facilities until released to the authorized dealer.
He said that recent Dominican military purchases of weapons
have been limited to Galil rifles (Israel) and P-90 rifles
(Belgium) for use by Dominican special forces and none were
unaccounted for.


2. Embassy records confirm that the USG has not furnished
any weapons to the Dominican government since 1991 (that case
was for 1500 pistols). A current Foreign Military Financing
(FMF) case will provide 20,000 refurbished M-16 1A rifles but
none repeat none has yet been delivered; the first shipment
of 2,300 units is being assembled in the U.S.


3. As for the weaponry used in Haiti, merchants conversant
with trade on both sides of the border told Embassy members
that Guy Philippe and his crew moved through 5 provinces in 2
days with little or no opposition and in small numbers. It
is reported that two or three team members would arrive in a
town with bullhorns, announce the impending arrival to bring
out the population, and then Philippe would appear in the
company of about a dozen men. We understand that the arms
used on this movement and in the capture of Gonaives were
largely shotguns, hunting rifles, and pistols.


4. Rumor indicates that many of Haiti's illicit weapons,
especially the more sophisticated ones, enter through
narcotics trafficking circuits from South or Central America.
HERTELL