(23 Feb 2004)
Cap-Haitien
1. Various aerials of Cap Hatien with smoke from burning buildings and fires
2. Aerial showing airport
3. Various aerials of Cap Hatien with smoke from burning buildings and fires
Port-au-Prince
4. Various of planes on tarmac
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Frank Rodriguez, Dominican Republic Pilot:
"The police station and another building (were burning). There was a building on flames the other one looked like it had burnt down."
QUESTION: "There was also a hijack this morning?"
"Yes, they highjack one of the airplanes from one of the companies here, from Tropical Airlines, seven guys with machetes and guns and stuff, they requested to be left at the end of the runway and they just flew them here and they didn''''t try to do anything to the pilots."
Gonaives
6. Residents protesting against president Aristide
7. Rebels
8. SOUNDBITE: (English) Buteur Metayer, Rebel Leader:
"I think the international community can get Aristide out of power. Only they can do it. I don''''t accept to give my gun and stay with Aristide in Haiti, then the international community goes out and I have to stay with Aristide in Haiti. That''''s not good for me."
Port-au-Prince
9. Burnt out vehicles
10. Various of small street protests against president Aristide
STORYLINE
Rebels in Haiti on Sunday seized the government''''s last major bastion in the north, Cap-Haitien, shooting off celebratory rounds in the air as people looted and several torched buildings sent a pall of black smoke over the city.
Rebels in the city centre said their force of about 200 met little resistance except at the airport, where they said eight people were killed in fighting with militant civilians loyal to President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
Thousands of people shouting "Down with Aristide!" marched with a convoy of about 40 rebels in eight commandeered cars.
Some looted the pro-Aristide Radio Africa station, then rebels shot up the building while a crowd clapped.
A plane was commandeered from the airport during the fighting, a Tropical Airways manager said.
It appeared it might have been taken by fleeing Aristide supporters.
The plane was flown to Port-au-Prince.
Earlier, about 10 armed men stormed the police station and freed about 250 prisoners.
The police fled, according to a witness, who lives next door.
It was unclear whether the attackers were Aristide militants or the rebels, who have torched a score of police stations and freed prisoners since the uprising against Aristide began on February 5.
Teenagers looting the police headquarters paraded in police hats and body armour, rebels handed over keys of cars to residents and drank from beer bottles as people hefted away weapons, typewriters, mattresses, even doors.
Radio Kiskeya reported people were plundering the port, looting containers on the wharf.
The guerrillas said they were led by rebel leader Guy Philippe, the former police chief of the city, who has threatened for days to attack Cap-Haitien, the country''''s second-largest city of about 500-thousand people divided between supporters and detractors of Aristide''''s government.
Also in town was Louis-Jodel Chamblain, co-leader of an army death squad that killed hundreds.
Meanwhile protests against president Aristide continued in both rebel-held Gonaives and Port-au-Prince.
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