Gore Cites Peaceful Path for Haiti Chiefs

Haiti’s military regime still has time to avoid an invasion by relinquishing power on its own, Vice President Al Gore said Sunday.

Invasion is “not inevitable if the illegal dictators in Haiti decide to comply with the world community’s wishes and demands embodied in the United Nations resolution . . . and leave of their own accord,” he said.

Gore appeared to be softening a statement last week by Deputy Defense Secretary John M. Deutch that about 10,000 U.S. soldiers would be sent to Haiti, either to remove the military rulers or restore order if they left voluntarily.

Deutch did not say when that might happen.

Gore said the junta is “going to leave one way or another” because the United Nations has demanded it and the United States has an interest in seeing democracy restored there and limiting the flow of Haitian refugees.

The U.S. Administration has long held out the prospect of military intervention if the junta does not restore elected President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, ousted three years ago.

Speaking Sunday from the world population conference in Cairo, Gore was asked on NBC’s “Meet the Press” what would justify the loss of American lives if the United States sent troops Haiti.

“Haiti is right in our neighborhood, right in our back yard, so to speak, and we now have a Western Hemisphere . . . in which every country with the exception of Haiti and Cuba has a freely elected democratic government, and that is important to us,” he said.

“And when there is a free, democratic election and the people choose their leaders and there is an illegal takeover where democracy is hijacked and expelled, that’s important to us, especially when we’re swamped with refugees as a result.”

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, long an advocate of stronger action in Haiti, welcomed plans to send soldiers there.

“I think Mr. Clinton has the right idea about Haiti,” Jackson said Sunday on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” “He needs to implement it quickly, because the longer he delays and waits, the more innocent people die.”

Meanwhile, a senior member of Congress said Saturday that secret activities are under way that may be able to avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti.

Rep. Lee H. Hamilton (D-Ind.) said the United States is close to military intervention in Haiti “unless we can have a dramatic diplomatic initiative . . . or perhaps some opening that might come through some of the secret activities that are going on.

“I can’t be specific about that, but there are some activities,” Hamilton, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said on CNN’s “Newsmaker Saturday” program.