Expand All Collapse All Extent 83 folders, approximately 1,694 pages Summary This collection contains materials from the White House staff office of the National Security Council (NSC), from 1994. Records include correspondence, memoranda, newspaper articles, press releases, reports, and talking points. The majority of the materials are letters from President Clinton to various members of Congress. The President's letters are in response to congressional members whose original correspondence questioned the President's authority to use force without prior approval by Congress. Talking points explain the arguments for military intervention to various groups that the President met at the White House, including the Congressional Black Caucus, or to various news organizations and wire services. Reports include the justification of economic fund transfers in support of the reconstruction of Haiti, the public affairs strategy for possible military intervention, or the notification to Congress as required by the War Powers Resolution, when U.S. forces were deployed. Scope and Content Note The materials in FOIA 2006-0187-F are a selective, not necessarily all inclusive, body of documents responsive to the topic of the FOIA. Researchers should consult the archivist about related materials. FOIA request 2006-0187-F contains materials from the White House staff office of the National Security Council (NSC), from 1994. Specifically, the responsive documents are the numbered documents of the NSC Records Management System (RMS). In December 1990, Father Jean-Bertrand Aristide had been elected President of Haiti, only to be forcibly overthrown by the Haitian military during September of 1991. With Aristide arrested and expelled from the country, power to govern Haiti was assumed by a trio of military dictators led by General Raoul Cedras. Faced with the continued political repression and severe economic hardship if they remained in Haiti, thousands of Haitians left the country in boats and attempted to enter the United States as refugees. Intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard, most of the refugees were returned to Haiti. Beginning in late 1993, however, there occurred a new wave of Haitian boat people headed for Florida. Concerned about the deteriorating situation in Haiti and the resurgence of refugee efforts to enter into the U.S., the Clinton Administration intensified its diplomatic and economic pressures on General Cedras to relinquish power and reinstate President Aristide. Cedras refused to do so. By the summer of 1994, President Clinton was moving closer to the decision that military intervention into Haiti was unavoidable. The Clinton Administration pushed an authorizing resolution through the U.N. Security Council. The U.N. resolution, passed by the Security Council on July 31, 1994, authorized a multinational military force to invade Haiti, forcibly depose the Cedras junta, and restore governing power to democratically elected President Aristide. By this time President Clinton had already decided to send U.S. troops to Haiti and had issued the necessary orders. But, while the American invasion force was enroute to Haiti, the U.N. resolution was adopted. With the resolution's adoption, the Cedras regime gave in to U.S. demands. On September 18, 1994, Cedras agreed that he and the other military leaders would step down and Aristide would resume governing power. As part of the agreement, 20,000 U.S. troops began to arrive in Haiti on September 19. On October 15, Aristide returned to Haiti and was reinstated as President. The Records Management System files of the National Security Council comprise all the responsive documents for 2006-0187-F. The RMS numbered documents were submitted to President Clinton through his National Security Advisor at the time, Anthony Lake. While other NSC staff members prepared the original responses, the final document was typically authored and sent by Lake to the President. The majority of the documents contain congressional correspondence dealing with President Clinton’s authority to use the U.S. military in Haiti without prior approval of Congress. Also included are talking points prepared for President Clinton at events or groups, like the Congressional Black Caucus, arguing in favor of possible military intervention. Also contained are letters to President Clinton from various individuals or non-governmental organizations that debate the pros and cons of a military invasion. Other letters congratulate the President on the successful intervention in Haiti without largescale military combat. Other documents include memos to the President regarding the transfer of Foreign Military Financing Funds to the Economic Support Fund for economic reconstruction in Haiti. Other files contain congressional and public affairs strategy for the possibility of military intervention. Record Type Textual System of Arrangement Records responsive to this FOIA request were found in one collection area—Clinton Presidential Records: Clinton Presidential Records: NSC Cable, Email, and Records Management Systems. Access Collection is open to all researchers. Access to Clinton Presidential Records is governed by the Presidential Records Act (PRA) (44 USC 2201) and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 USC 552, as amended) and therefore records may be restricted in whole or in part in accordance with legal exemptions. Copyright Documents in this collection that were prepared by officials of the United States government as part of their official duties are in the public domain. Researchers are advised to consult the copyright law of the United States (Title 17, USC) which governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Provenance Official records of William Jefferson Clinton’s presidency are housed at the Clinton Presidential Library and administered by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) under the provisions of the Presidential Records Act (PRA). Subject Headings Haiti Lake, Anthony War Powers Resolution (United States) Congressional Black Caucus Processed by Staff Archivist, 2008. Previously restricted materials are added as they are released. Last Modified Date 2010-08-16 Container List The following is a list of documents and folders processed in response to FOIA 2006-0187-F: Box 1 Clinton Presidential Records: NSC Cable, Email, and Records Management Systems (RMS) NSC Records Management System PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9405324 [OA/ID 2292] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9405378 [OA/ID 203] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9405490 [OA/ID 203] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9405546 [OA/ID 204] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9405587 [OA/ID 204] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9405633 [OA/ID 478] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9405640 [OA/ID 204] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9405736 [OA/ID 205] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9405745 [OA/ID 205] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9405774 [OA/ID 478] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9405798 [OA/ID 205] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9405830 [OA/ID 205] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9405907 [OA/ID 206] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9405918 [OA/ID 206] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9405934 [OA/ID 478] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9405958 [OA/ID 478] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9405961 [OA/ID 206] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9405974 [OA/ID 206] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9405976 [OA/ID 206] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9405977 [OA/ID 206] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9405986 [OA/ID 206] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9405992 [OA/ID 478] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9406063 [OA/ID 207] Box 2 PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9406102 [OA/ID 207] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9406110 [OA/ID 207] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9406114 [OA/ID 478] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9406128 [OA/ID 207] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9406233 [OA/ID 2294] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9406248 [OA/ID 207] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9406292 [OA/ID 208] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9406299 [OA/ID 208] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9406327 [OA/ID 208] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9406329 [OA/ID 208] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9406330 [OA/ID 208] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9406332 [OA/ID 208] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9406357 [OA/ID 479] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9406434 [OA/ID 209] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9406490 [OA/ID 209] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9406671 [OA/ID 210] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9406915 [OA/ID 211] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9406977 [OA/ID 480] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9407113 [OA/ID 480] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9407115 [OA/ID 212] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9407176 [OA/ID 212] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9407200 [OA/ID 212] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9407205 [OA/ID 212] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9407221 [OA/ID 212] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9407247 [OA/ID 212] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9407276 [OA/ID 213] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9407268 [OA/ID 480] Box 3 PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9407298 [OA/ID 213] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9407358 [OA/ID 213] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9407362 [OA/ID 480] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9407399 [OA/ID 213] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9407405 [OA/ID 213] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9407433 [OA/ID 480] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9407455 [OA/ID 213] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9407462 [OA/ID 213] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9407498 [OA/ID 480] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9407505 [OA/ID 480] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9407507 [OA/ID 480] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9407508 [OA/ID 480] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9407514 [OA/ID 214] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9407522 [OA/ID 214] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9407543 [OA/ID 214] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9407604 [OA/ID 481] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9407605 [OA/ID 481] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9407622 [OA/ID 214] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9407631 [OA/ID 214] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9407697 [OA/ID 481] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9407707 [OA/ID 481] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9407738 [OA/ID 214] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9407747 [OA/ID 214] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9407774 [OA/ID 215] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9407812 [OA/ID 215] Box 4 PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9407813 [OA/ID 215] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9407880 [OA/ID 215] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9407885 [OA/ID 215] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9407892 [OA/ID 481] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9408002 [OA/ID 216] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9408104 [OA/ID 481] PRS-Presidential Records [Haiti and Lake] 9408511 [OA/ID 218]