Expand All Collapse All Extent 16 folders, approximately 597 pages Summary This collection consists of records regarding Operation Able Manner. Begun five days before the beginning of the Clinton Administration, the Coast Guard operation achieved the interdiction of over 25,000 Haitian migrants at sea, many of whom were taken to the American naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for processing. Operation Able Manner concluded in November 1994 after the return of President Aristide to Haiti. The records in this collection include cables, emails, and memoranda discussing the operation. See also, collection "Operation Safe Haven," FOIA 2011-1045-F. Scope and Content Note The materials in FOIA 2011-1040 are a selective body of documents responsive to the topic of the FOIA. Researchers should consult the archivist about related materials. FOIA 2011-1040-F consists of correspondence, email, forms, memoranda, printed materials, resumes, and statements related to Operation Able Manner, the Coast Guard’s response to the large number of migrants fleeing Haiti during the early 1990s. In 1981, the governments of the United States and Haiti reached an agreement allowing the U.S. Coast Guard to intercept Haitian vessels carrying undocumented migrants and to repatriate those Haitians found not to have a legitimate asylum claim. As political and economic unrest resulted in increased migration from Haiti, President George Bush signed Executive Order 12807 on May 24, 1992. This E.O. stated the Coast Guard should intercept migrants on the high seas and return them to Haiti. The formal effort to interdict the Haitian migrant vessels, Operation Able Manner, thus began on January 15, 1993, five days before President William Jefferson Clinton took office. Faced with the prospect of an overwhelming migration from Haiti, President Clinton chose to continue the Operation and the Bush Administration’s policy while also pushing for the return of democratically-elected President Aristide, who had fled Haiti after a military coup in September 1991. President Aristide returned to Haiti after U.S. military intervention in September 1994, and Operation Able Manner formally concluded on November 26, 1994. The Coast Guard interdicted 25, 177 Haitian migrants during the conduct of the Operation, with the highest volume of interdictions occurring in June and July 1994. As the number of migrants became too large for Coast Guard vessels, many were taken to the American naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for processing. The repatriation of these Haitians continued until early 1995. The Automated Records Management System consists of White House email concerning US operations concerning Haitian and Cuban refugees/ migrants. The email from this collection is best described as reports making reference to Operation Able Manner or Operation Able Vigil. However, some email consists of policy development concerning Haitian and Cuban refugees. Cables, emails, and memos discussing Operation Able Manner can be found in the NSC Cable, Email, and Records Management Systems. However, the majority of the records related to this FOIA case are closed for national security reasons. Record Type Textual System of Arrangement Records that are responsive to this FOIA request were found in this collection area – Clinton Presidential Records: ARMS Emails, and Clinton Presidential Records: NSC Cable, Email and Records Management Systems. The Automated Records Management System (ARMS) is a database that contains email records of the Executive Office of the President. This system maintained unclassified Presidential email. The ARMS dataset is comprised of 6 sub-series of email records called “Buckets.” The buckets include NPR, OPD, POTUS, WHO, CEA, and Default. ARMS emails are arranged chronologically by creation date. Access Collection is open to all researchers. Access to Clinton Presidential Records is governed by the Presidential Records Act (PRA) and the Freedom of Information Act (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 (17 USC, 101) 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. Subject Headings Emigration and immigration Haiti Haitians Cuba Cubans Refugees Refugee camps Cuba--Guantánamo Bay Naval Base Processed by Staff Archivist, 2012. Previously restricted materials are added as they are released. Last Modified Date 2012-01-05 Container List The following is a list of documents and folders processed in response to FOIA 2011-1040-F: Box 1 Clinton Presidential Records: Automated Records Management System [Email] OPD [OA/ID 250,000] [Cuban and Haitian Refugee) [04/14/1994 – 05/03/1994] WHO [OA/ID 500,000] [Cuban and Haitian Refugee) [09/13/1994] WHO [OA/ID 500,000] [Operation Able Manner, Operation Able Vigil] [03/23/1994 – 09/23/1994] Default [OA/ID 1,100,000] [Operation Able Manner, Operation Able Vigil] [09/09/1997 – 08/24/1999] Box 2 Clinton Presidential Records: NSC Cable, Email, and Records Management System NSC Cables Jan 1993 – Dec 1994 [Operation Able Manner] Clinton Presidential Records: NSC Cable, Email, and Records Management System (continued) [01/20/1993 – 03/31/1993] [OA/ID 505000] [04/05/1993 – 08/05/1993] [OA/ID 505000] [10/17/1993 – 12/30/1993] [OA/ID 505000] [01/03/1994 – 03/29/1994] [OA/ID 505000] [04/01/1994 – 05/27/1994] [OA/ID 505000] [06/10/1994 – 08/31/1994] [OA/ID 505000] Jan 1995 – Dec 1996 [Operation Able Manner] [02/01/1995 – 04/08/1996] [OA/ID 510000] NSC Emails A1 – Record (Jan 93 – Sept 94) [Operation Able Manner] [03/25/1994 – 04/18/1994] [OA/ID 570000] A1 – Non-Record (Apr 94 – Sept 94) [Operation Able Manner] [04/06/1994 – 04/14/1994] [OA/ID 580000] NSC Records Management [Operation Able Manner] 9303281 [OA/ID 148] 9401652 [OA/ID 186] 9405546 [OA/ID 204]