Rumors have been flying for days, but it is now confirmed: the Haitian government HAS issued a passport to ex-president Bertrand Aristide, ousted in a Bush Administration-backed coup in 2004. Still considered the most popular leader among Haitians, his return is sure to stir up passions.

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Breaking from Al Jazeera:

Aristide lives in exile in South Africa but remains popular among many back home as a champion of the poor [source]

In a move that worried the US, Haiti has issued a diplomatic passport for ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, clearing the way for his return from exile, just in time for a presidential election runoff.

Interior Minister Paul Antoine Bien-Aime said the diplomatic passport was handed over via an intermediary to Aristide's Miami-based lawyer Ira Kurzban, who was due to deliver it to Aristide.

Kurzban confirmed that he was given the ousted leader's diplomatic passport during a brief stopover in Haiti's capital.

"Yes, I have it,'' he said on Tuesday, while his evening flight back to Miami was on the tarmac in Port-au-Prince's international airport.

But it remained unclear exactly when Aristide, a former priest and Haiti's first democratically elected
president in 1990, might make the trip home from his exile in South Africa.

Kurzban said he asked Haiti to establish a security plan for Aristide in accordance with a law requiring the government to provide security for former presidents - to ensure a smooth transition.

US 'wary'

Aristide, ousted from Haiti by an armed revolt in 2004, said in January he was ready to return "today, tomorrow, at any time" to his poor Caribbean homeland, which is struggling to recover from a crippling 2010 earthquake. (continued)

For the full Al Jazeera article, CLICK HERE.

Submitter: Mac McKinney

Submitters Bio:
I am a student of history, religion, exoteric and esoteric, the Humanities in general and a tempered advocate for the ultimate manifestation of peace, justice and the unity of humankind through self-realization and mutual respect, although I am not a pacifist, nor do I believe in peace at any price, which is no peace at all but only delays inevitable conflict. There are times when the world must act. Planetary consciousness is evolving, but there are many retrograde forces that would drag us back down.

I have also written one book, a combination of poetry, photography and essays entitled "Post Katrina Blues", my reflections on the Gulf Coast and New Orleans two years after Katrina struck. Go to the store at http://sanfranciscobaypress.com/ to purchase. And I also have a blog called Plutonian Mac.