THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 16, 1994 TAG: 9409160561
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: LOS ANGELES TIMES
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Short : 39 lines
The CIA launched a major covert operation this month to try to topple Haiti's military regime without a full-scale U.S. invasion but so far the attempt has failed, officials said Thursday.
The secret operation included an attempt to recruit officers in the Haitian armed forces to undermine the country's leaders, Lt. Gen Raoul Cedras, Brig. Gen. Philippe Biamby and Lt. Col. Michel-Joseph Francois, they said.
U.S. agents were authorized to offer money, communications equipment and weapons to ``friendly elements'' in the military in hopes that their actions would provoke the collapse of the regime or at least weaken it severely.
The officers targeted included not only suspected political dissidents hidden inside the military but also what one source called ``freelancers'' who might be motivated by money or a desire for power.
That effort was only one part of what officials described as a broad-scale effort to ``destabilize'' the military regime, which seized power from Haiti's elected president in 1991 and then defied U.S. and United Nations demands to step down.
``We are using every means at our disposal to get rid of this regime in hopes of avoiding the necessity of an invasion,'' said one senior administration official involved in Haiti policy. ``Every means.''
Another aide said the Haitian military has proven more cohesive than U.S. intelligence officials initially expected.
``We have seen evidence of tension among (the top three Haitian leaders), but it hasn't led to anything yet,'' said one.
KEYWORDS: HAITI by CNB