Former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide on Monday accused the United States of forcing him out of office in a coup d'état, but the United States denied it.  

In an interview with the Cable News Network (CNN), Aristide said that a group of US troops came to him and "forced" him to leave his country after a bloody rebellion.

"They were not Haitian forces. They were ... Americans and Haitians together, acting to surround the airport, my house, the palace," Aristide told CNN from the Central African Republic.

"And then, despite of diplomatic conversations we had, despite of all we did in a diplomatic way to prevent them to organize that massacre which would lead to a bloodshed, we had to leave and spent 20 hours in an American plane," he said.

However, the United States denied allegations that it was US forces that kidnapped Aristide and forced him to resign and leave his country.

"We did not force him on to the airplane. He went onto the airplane willingly, and that's the truth," Secretary of State Colin Powell told reporters at the State Department.

Speaking at a Pentagon briefing, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld also denied that US forces abducted Aristide to the plane.

"I don't believe that's true that he is claiming that. I just don't know that that's the case," Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told reporters.

"I'd be absolutely amazed if that were the case. There may be somebody saying that he's saying that, but I don't believe that," he added.

The White House called the charge as "nonsense."

"It's nonsense, and conspiracy theories like that do nothing to help the Haitian people realize the future that they aspire to, which is a better future, a more free future, and a more prosperous future," White House spokesman Scott McClellan responded at a separate briefing.

"We took steps to protect Mr. Aristide, we took steps to protect his family as they departed Haiti. It was Mr. Aristide's decision to resign, and he spelled out his reasons why," he said.

McClellan also disclosed that President George W. Bush called Spanish Prime Minister Maria Aznar on Monday to discuss the latter's recent trip to Colombia, as well as the situation in Haiti and in Venezuela.

Earlier, Aristide, who fled to the Central African Republic on Sunday, reportedly told some US lawmakers by phone that he was actually kidnapped by US forces and left his country against his will.

(Xinhua News Agency March 2, 2004)