THE LEDGER-STAR
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, September 19, 1994 TAG: 9409190205
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: FROM WIRE REPORTS
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Short : 40 lines
The White House suspects that spies tipped off Haitian military leaders that planes full of paratroopers were coming - persuading them to capitulate.
``Clearly, they had people near Fort Bragg (N.C.) watching the 82nd Airborne take off,'' a senior Clinton aide said. ``It's the logical explanation for us.''
The administration says a key factor in persuading Lt. Gen. Raoul Cedras to step aside was the word that the invasion had been launched.
But former President Jimmy Carter said today that nearly derailed the talks.
``The launching of the first wave while we were still trying to negotiate peace was a very disturbing thing to us and to them,'' said Carter on CNN.
Shortly before 7 p.m. Sunday, the Air Force C-130s and C-141s started taking off. The four television networks voluntarily agreed not to broadcast reports about such military movements.
Soon after, the Haitian high command knew all about it.
In his Oval Office address, President Clinton vaguely said the Haiti junta had ``received evidence'' about the flights from Fort Bragg.
Administration sources privately said spies in the United States seem to have contacted Haiti minutes after the flights were airborne.
The Haitian army chief of staff, Brig. Gen. Philippe Biamby, then rushed into the meeting where Cedras was meeting with Carter and indicated that the invasion was under way.
Within an hour, Cedras and his cohorts reached the agreement that calls for their ouster, and Clinton recalled the paratroopers.
KEYWORDS: HAITI SPIES by CNB