Of course, to do so, Aristide would have to disregard a constitutional prohibition against such a possibility and his repeated promises not to run again -- centerpieces of the Clinton Administration's case that a U.S. intervention in Haiti would lead to democratic rule.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Center For Security Policy

This split, nearly a century old, has been cracking back open for at least a decade (the post-Sept 11 consensus masked it for a bit, as did the earlier anti-Sovietism) but now promises to come to the fore again with Hagel.

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On that occasion, the government was brought down by none other than Mr Bertinotti, but so long as the centre-left sticks to its programme, he promises not to do it again.

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