Disarmament Deadline Passes in Haiti

A disarmament deadline passed without progress Wednesday, foreshadowing a power struggle for Haiti's U.S.-backed government with rebels unwilling to surrender control since they ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide in February. Haitian police and government officials set the deadline in July for the rebels, former soldiers and Aristide supporters to disarm by Sept. 15 without facing arrest. The deadline, however, disintegrated with a loosely worded accord signed over the weekend that called for more dialogue. The rebels, which include former soldiers who overthrew Aristide the first time in a 1991 coup, have grown more vocal in their demands. The former soldiers say Aristide illegally disbanded them and they are now owed backpay and jobs. They say they will not disarm until their demands are met - a point of contention with Haiti's struggling police, who are trying to maintain a fragile peace. [more ]