Aristide says he was forcibly removed from Haiti by U.S. forces.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)

Byline: Frank Davies

WASHINGTON _ The Bush administration on Monday vehemently denied ousted Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide's claim that he "did not resign" and was "kidnapped" by U.S. diplomatic and military officials.

Aristide's first day in exile, spent in the Central African Republic, was as contentious as his four-year rule, as two members of the U.S. House of Representatives who have supported Aristide relayed his message that he was physically forced to leave by U.S. forces. He later made the charges himself in telephone interviews.

"I'm telling you the truth. I'm a victim of a coup d'etat," Aristide told CNN during a phone interview from the Central African Republic. He said that U.S. forces "kidnapped" him and forced him to leave Haiti.

"That's nonsense," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said. "It was Mr. Aristide's decision to resign."

Secretary of State Colin Powell also vigorously denied the kidnapping charge, calling it "absolutely baseless, absurd," and offered new details about Aristide's hasty departure from Haiti Sunday morning.

The secrecy surrounding the operation and lack of witnesses also fueled rumors about what happened.