Word: facto
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...mission to North Korea last June -- Clinton Administration officials insisted that this time the former President was being held to a tightly limited brief. The delegation was not permitted to make any deals with the three Haitians, who all had to go: Armed Forces Commander Cedras, the de facto dictator; chief of staff Philippe Biamby, now thought to be the strongest of the trio; and police chief Michel Francois, once the chief tough guy. The Americans could only negotiate on "the modalities" of getting the three out of the country: how many family members each leader could take with...
...legalism, Cedras added that he would first have to get the approval of the figurehead president Jonnaissant. By 3 p.m. Friday Cedras called Carter back with (surprise!) Jonnaissant's O.K. Clinton had Lake announce a short while later that the delegation would be going to talk to "the de facto leadership of Haiti" -- a marked softening of rhetoric from his chief's talk the night before about "Cedras and his armed thugs." Talking to them even now, said senior Administration officials, is important domestically and internationally to show that they have not passed up a chance to resolve the situation...
...course, Clinton can't afford to fire the Secretary in the months or weeks leading up to the elections. But notwithstanding the President's bind, he has set a dangerous precedent by making former President Carter his de facto chief diplomat. Carter currently holds neither elected office nor appointed post. He is not part of an official chain of command in which he can be held accountable for any of his decisions...
...interfere. U.S. forces on the island, meanwhile, increased to 6,000, including about 1,800 Marines who moved ashore at Cap-Haitien in the north. BTW: A U.S. official confirmed to the Associated Press that American commandos had been in Haiti for weeks, set to kidnap Haiti's de facto ruler, Lieut. General Raoul Cedras, during an invasion...
...ambivalence over whether the Haitian leader could be shoved from power by force of argument or force of arms. Last week senior Administration officials staked out policy positions far in front of a President who has not yet made up his mind. "One way or another, the de facto government is going to be leaving," declared Secretary of State Warren Christopher. "Their days are definitely numbered...