President Manuel Zelaya of Honduras has been arrested by army troops ahead of a controversial constitutional referendum on whether to allow him to run for re-election. The referendum had been opposed by elements within the military. Reuters - Honduran soldiers detained leftist President Manuel Zelaya on Sunday in a constitutional crisis over his attempt to win re-election, government officials said. Troops took Zelaya, an ally of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, from his residence to an unknown location, Eduardo Reina, the president's private secretary, told Reuters.
Reuters - Honduran soldiers detained leftist President Manuel Zelaya on Sunday in a constitutional crisis over his attempt to win re-election, government officials said.
Troops took Zelaya, an ally of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, from his residence to an unknown location, Eduardo Reina, the president's private secretary, told Reuters.
Honduran President Manuel Zelaya has been arrested by troops ahead of a controversial constitutional referendum.Mr Zelaya's secretary said that the president had been taken to an airbase outside the capital, Tegucigalpa. The move comes days after the president sacked the armed forces chief, who had refused to back the referendum plan. Mr Zelaya, elected for a non-renewable four-year term in January 2006, wants a vote to enable him to seek a new term. A reporter for the Associated Press news agency said he had seen dozens of soldiers surround the president's house on Sunday morning and about 60 police guarding the house.
Honduran President Manuel Zelaya has been arrested by troops ahead of a controversial constitutional referendum.
Mr Zelaya's secretary said that the president had been taken to an airbase outside the capital, Tegucigalpa.
The move comes days after the president sacked the armed forces chief, who had refused to back the referendum plan.
Mr Zelaya, elected for a non-renewable four-year term in January 2006, wants a vote to enable him to seek a new term.
A reporter for the Associated Press news agency said he had seen dozens of soldiers surround the president's house on Sunday morning and about 60 police guarding the house.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, Jan. 30, 2009 - The commander of U.S. Southern Command arrived here yesterday to reaffirm the United States' strategic partnership with Honduras and praise the solid bilateral and interagency cooperation that is delivering tangible success. Navy Adm. James G. Stavridis met with President Jose Manuel Zelaya Rosales, Defense Minister Aristides Mejia Carranza and Defense Chief Maj. Gen. Romeo Orlando Vasquez Velasquez to discuss security challenges of mutual concern: primarily illicit drug, arms and human trafficking. These, he said, threaten not just national, but also regional stability. Stavridis also met with U.S. Ambassador Hugo Llorens and his embassy country team, as well as U.S. Military Group Honduras to explore ways to improve military-to-military training, education and other support to the Honduran government. Declaring an "excellent state of cooperation between our two militaries," Stavridis lauded tremendous progress within Honduras' 11,000-member military.
Navy Adm. James G. Stavridis met with President Jose Manuel Zelaya Rosales, Defense Minister Aristides Mejia Carranza and Defense Chief Maj. Gen. Romeo Orlando Vasquez Velasquez to discuss security challenges of mutual concern: primarily illicit drug, arms and human trafficking. These, he said, threaten not just national, but also regional stability. Stavridis also met with U.S. Ambassador Hugo Llorens and his embassy country team, as well as U.S. Military Group Honduras to explore ways to improve military-to-military training, education and other support to the Honduran government. Declaring an "excellent state of cooperation between our two militaries," Stavridis lauded tremendous progress within Honduras' 11,000-member military.
In the meantime, I hope it's sunny in Scotland. :)
School of the Americas-Trained Military Detains and Expels Democratically-Elected President ZelayaEarly this morning approximately 200 Honduran soldiers arrived at President Manuel "Mel" Zelaya's residence, reportedly fired four shots, and detained the President. Zelaya told TeleSUR that the soldiers took him to an air force base and put him on a plane to Costa Rica. Zelaya told TeleSUR from San Jose, Costa Rica, "They threatened to shoot me." Honduras' ambassador to the Organization of American States, Carlos Sosa Coello, reports that the president has been beaten up.Zelaya told TeleSUR that he doesn't believe it was regular soldiers who kidnapped him. "I have been the victim of a kidnapping carried out by a group of Honduran soldiers. I don't think the Army is supporting this sort of action. I think this is a vicious plot planned by elites. Elite who only want to keep the country isolated and in extreme poverty."Zelaya fears for the safety of his family, who remains in Honduras. He pleaded with TeleSUR viewers to seek a way to "have a dialogue with these soldiers so that they don't harm my family, so that they don't shoot anybody. We can settle our differences through dialogue."
This is why Chávez accuses the CIA of being behind the coup. Zelaya, on the other hand, claims that he had the support of the Obama administration before the weekend and wasn't accusing the USA of being behind the coup.
The excuse for the coup has been a Constitutional referendum. The Army was going to be uncooperative in setting up the polling stations etc, so he sacked the chief of staff. But the parliament and the Supreme Court opposed the president´s move and he didn´t name a replacement.
So the situation is very confused. A man of words and not of deeds is like a garden full of weeds; a man of deeds and not of words is like a garden full of turds — Anonymous
So, if the Referendum had gone ahead it would have been called a "self-coup" by an opposition in control of the legislative and judiciary branches of government. A man of words and not of deeds is like a garden full of weeds; a man of deeds and not of words is like a garden full of turds — Anonymous
Neither side's hands look clean in this, but the Honduran President seems the least-wrong. Conservatives want live babies so they can raise them to be dead soldiers. - George Carlin
By the way, watch CNN's Elise Labott trying to back the US administration into an inconsistency:
Background Briefing on the Situation in Honduras
QUESTION: Yeah, but now you're invoking the - I'm sorry, but now you're invoking the constitution to return him. So did you think that what he was doing was in line with the constitution?SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: No, but there's a big distinction here because, on the one instance, we're conducting about conducting a survey, a nonbinding survey; in the other instance, we're talking about the forcible removal of a president from a country. So I think we can distinguish between those terms - those two in terms of what's constitutional and what might be left to institutions.But I think what's important to remember about the survey is that it was just that. It wasn't even a formal vote. It was a nonbinding survey. And the issue of whether it was legitimate or illegal did not revolve around the survey itself. It revolved around who conducted it and whether or not this could be conducted by the government and which institution in the government could conduct it, and whether or not as it's being conducted state security forces could be used to both manage and secure the equipment that was being used for the survey and provide security. And that's where the divide occurred within Honduras. It was about who conducted this survey, with several institutions in Honduras insisting that the Honduran Government could not conduct it, at least not in the way that President Zelaya had suggested.And from our point of view, what was important was not inserting ourselves and trying to make a determination of what was legal or illegal, but trying to insist that the Hondurans find a way to resolve this in a way that was in accord with their constitution.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: No, but there's a big distinction here because, on the one instance, we're conducting about conducting a survey, a nonbinding survey; in the other instance, we're talking about the forcible removal of a president from a country. So I think we can distinguish between those terms - those two in terms of what's constitutional and what might be left to institutions.
But I think what's important to remember about the survey is that it was just that. It wasn't even a formal vote. It was a nonbinding survey. And the issue of whether it was legitimate or illegal did not revolve around the survey itself. It revolved around who conducted it and whether or not this could be conducted by the government and which institution in the government could conduct it, and whether or not as it's being conducted state security forces could be used to both manage and secure the equipment that was being used for the survey and provide security. And that's where the divide occurred within Honduras. It was about who conducted this survey, with several institutions in Honduras insisting that the Honduran Government could not conduct it, at least not in the way that President Zelaya had suggested.
And from our point of view, what was important was not inserting ourselves and trying to make a determination of what was legal or illegal, but trying to insist that the Hondurans find a way to resolve this in a way that was in accord with their constitution.
He claims that there were phone calls into the country from neighbouring coutries, from the OAS, and from the USA which helped stop a coup before the weekend.
QUESTION: Washington Post. There was a report in El Pais newspaper this morning - actually, it was an interview with President Zelaya, in which he said that there had been a coup plot afoot in recent days and it was only stopped by actions of the U.S. Embassy. Can you tell us about that or tell us if that's not correct? SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: I think the only thing we can say at this point is that we were very clear with the different sectors of Honduran political life and Honduras's different political institutions that any resolution to the political conflict in Honduras had to be democratic and constitutional, and that we would not abide or support any extra-constitutional actions.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: I think the only thing we can say at this point is that we were very clear with the different sectors of Honduran political life and Honduras's different political institutions that any resolution to the political conflict in Honduras had to be democratic and constitutional, and that we would not abide or support any extra-constitutional actions.
Maybe Hugo Chavez could shut his whore mouth? Conservatives want live babies so they can raise them to be dead soldiers. - George Carlin
WASHINGTON -- U.S. diplomats are working to ensure the safety of deposed Honduran President Manuel Zelaya and his family as they press for restoration of constitutional law and his presidency. President Barack Obama called Sunday for "all political and social actors in Honduras to respect democratic norms, the rule of law and the tenets of the Inter-American Democratic Charter" as the Central American crisis unfolded. For those conditions to be met, Zelaya must be returned to power, U.S. officials said. Knowing trouble was brewing in Honduras over several weeks, the Obama administration warned power players there, including the armed forces, that the United States and other nations in the Americas would not support or abide a coup, officials said. They said Honduran military leaders stopped taking their calls. Two senior administration officials briefed reporters by phone on condition of anonymity, under ground rules set by the State Department. One predicted a consensus will quickly fall into place across the Americas, via the Organization of American States, that the coup was an "illegal and illegitimate act that cannot stand."
President Barack Obama called Sunday for "all political and social actors in Honduras to respect democratic norms, the rule of law and the tenets of the Inter-American Democratic Charter" as the Central American crisis unfolded.
For those conditions to be met, Zelaya must be returned to power, U.S. officials said.
Knowing trouble was brewing in Honduras over several weeks, the Obama administration warned power players there, including the armed forces, that the United States and other nations in the Americas would not support or abide a coup, officials said. They said Honduran military leaders stopped taking their calls.
Two senior administration officials briefed reporters by phone on condition of anonymity, under ground rules set by the State Department. One predicted a consensus will quickly fall into place across the Americas, via the Organization of American States, that the coup was an "illegal and illegitimate act that cannot stand."
Iran has arrested eight staff members at the British embassy in Tehran (pictured) on accusations of having a role in post-election riots. Iran's foreign minister has said ties with Britain may be downgraded after both governments expelled diplomats. AFP - Iran has arrested eight local staff at the British embassy in Tehran on accusations of having a role in post-election riots, the Fars news agency reported on Sunday. "Eight members of the local staff at the British embassy who had a considerable role in the recent riots have been arrested," the agency said without quoting a source.
AFP - Iran has arrested eight local staff at the British embassy in Tehran on accusations of having a role in post-election riots, the Fars news agency reported on Sunday. "Eight members of the local staff at the British embassy who had a considerable role in the recent riots have been arrested," the agency said without quoting a source.
The UK has demanded the immediate release of Iranian staff at its Tehran embassy who were arrested on Saturday.Iranian media earlier reported that eight local staff at the mission had been detained for their "considerable role" in post-election riots. UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband called the arrests "harassment" and dismissed the allegations as baseless. Relations between the countries are strained after Tehran accused the UK of stoking unrest, which London denies. Iran has repeatedly accused foreign powers - especially Britain and the US - of stoking the unrest that swept the country after the 12 June election, which handed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a decisive victory.
The UK has demanded the immediate release of Iranian staff at its Tehran embassy who were arrested on Saturday.
Iranian media earlier reported that eight local staff at the mission had been detained for their "considerable role" in post-election riots.
UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband called the arrests "harassment" and dismissed the allegations as baseless.
Relations between the countries are strained after Tehran accused the UK of stoking unrest, which London denies.
Iran has repeatedly accused foreign powers - especially Britain and the US - of stoking the unrest that swept the country after the 12 June election, which handed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a decisive victory.
The United States and Russia are locked in a fundamental dispute over how to counter the growing threat of cyberwar attacks that could wreak havoc on computer systems and the Internet.Both nations agree that cyberspace is an emerging battleground. The two sides are expected to address the subject when President Obama visits Russia next week and at the General Assembly of the United Nations in November, according to a senior State Department official. But there the agreement ends. Russia favors an international treaty along the lines of those negotiated for chemical weapons and has pushed for that approach at a series of meetings this year and in public statements by a high-ranking official.
Both nations agree that cyberspace is an emerging battleground. The two sides are expected to address the subject when President Obama visits Russia next week and at the General Assembly of the United Nations in November, according to a senior State Department official.
But there the agreement ends.
Russia favors an international treaty along the lines of those negotiated for chemical weapons and has pushed for that approach at a series of meetings this year and in public statements by a high-ranking official.
The United States is to dramatically overhaul its anti-drug strategy in Afghanistan, phasing out its opium poppy eradication programme, the US envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan has said. Richard Holbrooke said on Saturday that poppy eradication - for years a cornerstone of US and UN drug trafficking efforts in the country - was not working and was only driving Afghan farmers into the hands of the Taliban. "Eradication is a waste of money," Holbrooke said on the sidelines of a G8 foreign ministers' meeting on Afghanistan, during which he briefed regional representatives on the new policy. "It might destroy some acreage, but it didn't reduce the amount of money the Taliban got by one dollar. "It just helped the Taliban. So we're going to phase out eradication," he said.
The United States is to dramatically overhaul its anti-drug strategy in Afghanistan, phasing out its opium poppy eradication programme, the US envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan has said.
Richard Holbrooke said on Saturday that poppy eradication - for years a cornerstone of US and UN drug trafficking efforts in the country - was not working and was only driving Afghan farmers into the hands of the Taliban.
"Eradication is a waste of money," Holbrooke said on the sidelines of a G8 foreign ministers' meeting on Afghanistan, during which he briefed regional representatives on the new policy.
"It might destroy some acreage, but it didn't reduce the amount of money the Taliban got by one dollar.
"It just helped the Taliban. So we're going to phase out eradication," he said.
A public hearing organised by a UN team investigating alleged war crimes by Israel and Hamas during the Gaza war is under way.
The public hearings, which are a part of the information-gathering work of the fact-finding mission, will enable victims, witnesses and experts from all sides in the conflict to speak directly to the international community.
Obama included a five-paragraph signing statement with the bill, including a final paragraph that outlined his objections to at least four areas of the bill.... "Provisions of this bill...would interfere with my constitutional authority to conduct foreign relations by directing the Executive to take certain positions in negotiations or discussions with international organizations and foreign governments, or by requiring consultation with the Congress prior to such negotiations or discussions," Obama said in a statement. "I will not treat these provisions as limiting my ability to engage in foreign diplomacy or negotiations," he added. The sections in question would compel the administration to direct its World Bank representatives to pressure that institution to use metrics that "fairly represent the value of internationally recognized workers' rights. Organized labor groups had pushed for a revision of those standards. The World Bank section would also push the bank to account for the costs of greenhouse gas in pricing out projects, and would require development banks to more fully disclose operating budgets.... According to the University of California at Santa Barbara's "American Presidency Project," Obama has issued five other signing statements since taking office.
"Provisions of this bill...would interfere with my constitutional authority to conduct foreign relations by directing the Executive to take certain positions in negotiations or discussions with international organizations and foreign governments, or by requiring consultation with the Congress prior to such negotiations or discussions," Obama said in a statement. "I will not treat these provisions as limiting my ability to engage in foreign diplomacy or negotiations," he added.
The sections in question would compel the administration to direct its World Bank representatives to pressure that institution to use metrics that "fairly represent the value of internationally recognized workers' rights. Organized labor groups had pushed for a revision of those standards.
The World Bank section would also push the bank to account for the costs of greenhouse gas in pricing out projects, and would require development banks to more fully disclose operating budgets....
According to the University of California at Santa Barbara's "American Presidency Project," Obama has issued five other signing statements since taking office.
Hmmm 'War Bill'? | CBS | 18 June 2009
The Senate passed the measure on a one-sided 91-5 vote despite complaints from several senators about the add-ons that pushed the total more than $20 billion above the funding request Obama made two months ago. The House approved the bill on Wednesday by a much closer 226-202 vote. The White House and its Democratic allies insisted that this will be the last time Congress will be compelled to pass an emergency war bill, or supplemental, that is outside the normal budget process and thus goes directly to an increase in the national debt.
The White House and its Democratic allies insisted that this will be the last time Congress will be compelled to pass an emergency war bill, or supplemental, that is outside the normal budget process and thus goes directly to an increase in the national debt.
a/k/a H.R. 2346 a/k/a Gitmo Relocation Manual Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.
BHO list, Presidential signing statements, 2009
NB. Two versions of H.R.2346 statement. Following is text as entered into the Federal Register.
Statement on Signing the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2009 June24,2009 I want to thank the Members of Congress who put politics aside and stood up to support a bill that will provide for the safety of our troops and the American people. This legislation will make available the funding necessary to bring the war in Iraq to a responsible end, defeat terrorist networks in Afghanistan, and further prepare our Nation in the event of a continued outbreak of the H1N1 pandemic flu.
I want to thank the Members of Congress who put politics aside and stood up to support a bill that will provide for the safety of our troops and the American people. This legislation will make available the funding necessary to bring the war in Iraq to a responsible end, defeat terrorist networks in Afghanistan, and further prepare our Nation in the event of a continued outbreak of the H1N1 pandemic flu.
How innocuous. The other is a presidential statement published by the Office of the Press Secretary, the "five paragraphs," 26 June 2009,of which only one sentence, the last, is newsworthy.
Today I have signed into law H.R. 2346, the "Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2009." This Act provides the necessary resources for our troops while supporting ongoing diplomatic and development efforts around the world. We face a security situation abroad that demands urgent attention. The Taliban is resurgent and al Qaeda is increasing its attacks from its safe haven along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. The funding provided in this Act will ensure that the full force of the United States is engaged in an overall effort to defeat al Qaeda and uproot this safe haven. At the same time, funding contained in this Act will provide resources to help create political and economic stability in post-conflict areas. These funds will assist Afghans and Iraqis in protecting and sustaining their infrastructure and building their capacity for more responsive and transparent governance. The Act also provides critical support for continued U.S. diplomatic and development activity in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. In addition, this Act includes funding for other domestic and international issues, including nearly $8 billion to enhance our Nation's capability to respond to the potential spread of the H1N1 flu outbreak. It also expands the resources available to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) by allowing it to boost its lending ability. Many developing countries are experiencing severe economic decline and a massive withdrawal of capital, and the IMF needs to make sure it has the resources necessary to effectively respond to the current financial crisis. However, provisions of this bill within sections 1110 to 1112 of title XI1, and sections 1403 and 1404 of title XIV2, would interfere with my constitutional authority to conduct foreign relations by directing the Executive to take certain positions in negotiations or discussions with international organizations and foreign governments, or by requiring consultation with the Congress prior to such negotiations or discussions. I will not treat these provisions as limiting my ability to engage in foreign diplomacy or negotiations.
We face a security situation abroad that demands urgent attention. The Taliban is resurgent and al Qaeda is increasing its attacks from its safe haven along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. The funding provided in this Act will ensure that the full force of the United States is engaged in an overall effort to defeat al Qaeda and uproot this safe haven.
At the same time, funding contained in this Act will provide resources to help create political and economic stability in post-conflict areas. These funds will assist Afghans and Iraqis in protecting and sustaining their infrastructure and building their capacity for more responsive and transparent governance. The Act also provides critical support for continued U.S. diplomatic and development activity in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
In addition, this Act includes funding for other domestic and international issues, including nearly $8 billion to enhance our Nation's capability to respond to the potential spread of the H1N1 flu outbreak. It also expands the resources available to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) by allowing it to boost its lending ability. Many developing countries are experiencing severe economic decline and a massive withdrawal of capital, and the IMF needs to make sure it has the resources necessary to effectively respond to the current financial crisis.
However, provisions of this bill within sections 1110 to 1112 of title XI1, and sections 1403 and 1404 of title XIV2, would interfere with my constitutional authority to conduct foreign relations by directing the Executive to take certain positions in negotiations or discussions with international organizations and foreign governments, or by requiring consultation with the Congress prior to such negotiations or discussions. I will not treat these provisions as limiting my ability to engage in foreign diplomacy or negotiations.
For comic relief, see also:
GWB list, Presidential signing statements, 2001-2008
------------- Section numbers are stripped from HTML display of the bill as enrolled. See pdf. 1 Department of State, Administration of Foreign Affairs, Diplomatic and Consular Programs (Including Transfer of Funds): §1110-1112 provides an amendment to 22 USC re: Climate Change Mitigation and Greenhouse Gas Accounting that authorizes Treasury to ensure "multilateral development banks rigorously evaluate" impact of financial operations on "country environmental and social safeguard sytems." This proposal for stress testing trade counterparties is called "Reform of the 'Doing Business' Report of the World Bank." 2 Other Matters, International Assistance Programs, International Monetary Programs, United States Quota, International Monetary Fund: §1403 authorizes Treasury "oversight and accountability" of "avoiding" duplication of missions and programs," in particular the Fund to a Heavily Indebted Poor Country (say, Palau). §1404 instruct the Treasury to instruct the US executive director at each of the International Financial Institutions to oppose loans to countries (excluding Palau) that provide support to "international" terrists.
Incidentally, §14101 et seq is the text of the INHOFE et al amendments prohibiting transfer and funding of Gitmo prisoners within the US. Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.
