SANTO DOMINGO.— The Xinhua news agency has reported that the groups which rose up against Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide were armed and trained by the United States in the Dominican Republic, according to a preliminary report presented today.

That statement is the provisional conclusion by the Haiti Investigation Committee made up of religious and legal representatives from several different countries and created in 1991 by former U.S. Justice Secretary Ramsey Clark.

"Two hundred soldiers from the U.S. Special Forces arrived in the Dominican Republic with the authorization of President Hipólito Mejía as part of a military operation to train Haitian rebels," revealed the report that was circulated in the Dominican capital, Santo Domingo.

Father Luis Barrios and lawyer Brian Concannon, both members of the committee, presented the preliminary results of the investigation that contradicts the Dominican authorities, who described the handing over of weapons to rebel Haitians as "surreal and fanciful."

According to the report, Aristide reiterated to the committee that "he had not resigned (from the presidency of Haiti) and was kidnapped (last March 1) by the U.S. government" so as to remove him from power.

Committee member Teresa Gutiérrez asked how it came about that rebel leaders were able to train and arm themselves in the Dominican Republic if Mejía’s government had assured his Haitian counterpart (Aristide) on several occasions that he would not allow that kind of activity on his territory.

Speaking at a press conference, Barrios said that the committee possessed many reports confirming that the Haitian conspirators were armed and trained in Dominican military camps situated in the eastern region of San Isidro and the western areas of Haina and Neiba.

"It is clear that Dominican territory was also used by the U.S. government for the purpose of providing support to the Haitian opposition," stated the priest who, along with other committee members, mentioned various incidents including the deaths of two Dominican soldiers involving armed members of the Haitian coup faction.