PM ON INSECURITY AND DEPORTEES

UNCLAS PORT AU PRINCE 002359 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/EX AND WHA/CAR S/CRS SOUTHCOMALSO FOR POLAD STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAR INR/IAA (BEN-YEHUDA) WHA/EX PLEASE PASS USOAS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL HA SUBJECT: PM ON INSECURITY AND DEPORTEES REF: PAUP 2339 ¶1. (U) Prime Minister Jacques Eduoard Alexis on December 7 appeared before the chamber of deputies with the Superior Council for the National Police (CSPN) to discuss the government's continued efforts to combat gang violence in Port-au-Prince. The PM answered questions for several hours, justifying the executive's decision to continue negotiation with armed gangs that are largely responsible for the kidnappings that terrorize the capital city. Alexis argued that negotiating with gang members was within the GoH,s authority and then cited the recently published Baker Commission as support, which &recommends that the United States negotiate with Iran.8 He further explained that the GoH was unwilling to attack because there would be collateral risks to innocent victims. ¶2. (SBU) Alexis also attributed the rise in kidnapping to the return of criminal deportees from the U.S. To demonstrate his point, the prime minister went on to say that the kidnappers of the former finance minister &spoke English and consumed marijuana while they tortured (the minister).8 Alexis then falsely claimed that the United States had threatened to cut aid to Haiti and impose visa sanctions if the GoH suspended the deportation program. (Note: In direct response to questions by journalists, press officer clarified this point, noting that these statements of cutting aid and the threat of visa sanctions were not true. End note.) The PM concluded the hearing, promising that the GoH would do better to curb kidnapping and insecurity. ¶3. (SBU) Comment: Alexis' spirited defense of negotiations with gang leaders is surprising and doing him no help politically. We believe that President Preval controlled those negotiations himself and pointedly did not involve Alexis. Civil society groups are increasingly mobilized against any compromise with gang leaders. Preval himself appears to have given up on the negotiations: the DDR program has accepted no new participants since the last group entered six weeks ago and gang leaders in Cite Soleil have resumed kidnappings. (Post will provide a full update of the DDR program septel.) Most recently, Preval took a much tougher line in private with visiting Senator Dewine and Representative Schakowsky (reftel),insisting that his government would crack down on the gangs. ¶4. (SBU) Comment Continued: Despite post's and the Department's best efforts, Alexis seems unable to resist making political hay out of the deportee issue. Limited by President Preval in what he can speak about publicly and with little good news to deliver regarding government performance in any event, Alexis chooses to reinforce what most Haitians believe anyway and shift blame to the United States for the ongoing insecurity problems in Port-au-Prince. SANDERSON