Obama says Honduran ouster was 'not legal'

[JohnBrowdie]

ok, let's get this straight.  a stolen election in iran is ok.  murdering students in the street draws a mild shaking of The Messianic finger.

a coup that cuba condemns and chavez threatens to intervene in militarily?   he jumps all over it.

I don't know a thing about zelaya, but I do know that I hate the sorts of tyrants that we suddenly find ourselves agreeing with most of the time.

Obama says Honduran ouster was 'not legal'     

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama says the weekend ouster of Honduran leader Manuel Zelaya was a "not legal" coup and that he remains the country's president.

Obama spoke to reporters in the Oval Office on Monday after meetings with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe. Obama said he wanted to be very clear that President Zelaya is the democratically elected president.

Obama pledged the U.S. to "stand on the side of democracy" and to work with other nations and international entities to resolve the matter peacefully.

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[Miss Mia]

They had kidnapped the Venezuelan ambassador, that's why Chavez threatened to invade.

The guy was installing a dictatorship.  He wanted a vote from the people on allowing him to run for another term.  The Supreme Court said no that's unconstitutional, and the Congress told the military to not enforce the vote.  Then the guy fired the head of the military, and the Supreme Court said "um, no" and then that's when the military coup took place. They've supposedly installed someone as an intern-president, and they're supposed to have their normal elections soon. 

This is what I *think* from my readings, but I'm not sure exactly.

Chavez has also said that this was done by the US CIA, as you know the School of Americas is located in Honduras.

Not that our government hasn't staged coups in Central American before...

[JohnBrowdie]

They had kidnapped the Venezuelan ambassador, that's why Chavez threatened to invade.

The guy was installing a dictatorship.  He wanted a vote from the people on allowing him to run for another term.  The Supreme Court said no that's unconstitutional, and the Congress told the military to not enforce the vote.  Then the guy fired the head of the military, and the Supreme Court said "um, no" and then that's when the military coup took place. They've supposedly installed someone as an intern-president, and they're supposed to have their normal elections soon. 

This is what I *think* from my readings, but I'm not sure exactly.

Chavez has also said that this was done by the US CIA, as you know the School of Americas is located in Honduras.

Not that our government hasn't staged coups in Central American before...

yes, yes, yes.  that and more. 

but please don't try to defend chavez, for God's sake.  it's sick.

[Miss Mia]

yes, yes, yes.  that and more. 

but please don't try to defend chavez, for God's sake.  it's sick.

I'm not defending Chavez, I'm just stating that's the order of events.  He pulled off his threat to invade once they got their ambassador back. 

[Mike220]

Just a bit of trivia. SOA is in Fort Benning, GA. A bunch of people get arrested there every year for jumping the fence at protests.

But of course, Ole Ugo is going to blame us.

[JohnBrowdie]

I'm not defending Chavez, I'm just stating that's the order of events.  He pulled off his threat to invade once they got their ambassador back. 

the ousted prez and chavez were leftist pals from way back.  and the first person claiming that anything happened to his ambassador was him.  thanks, I tend to disbelieve everything that comes out of his mouth.   and there is much evidence and wisdom that would support that approach.

[JohnBrowdie]

Just a bit of trivia. SOA is in Fort Benning, GA. A bunch of people get arrested there every year for jumping the fence at protests.

But of course, Ole Ugo is going to blame us.

the iranians are even blaming us, and we did backflips and contortions to try to stay on their good side.  there is a moral to this story, by the way, but I am sure the crowd in the white house in incapable of hearing it, much less learning it.

[Miss Mia]

the ousted prez and chavez were leftist pals from way back.  and the first person claiming that anything happened to his ambassador was him.  thanks, I tend to disbelieve everything that comes out of his mouth.   and there is much evidence and wisdom that would support that approach.

Sigh, I clearly stated that it was what I *thought* happened, but wasn't sure.  I'll just refrain from discussing it anymore, since I'm clearly not knowledgeable enough.

[Mike220]

the iranians are even blaming us, and we did backflips and contortions to try to stay on their good side.  there is a moral to this story, by the way, but I am sure the crowd in the white house in incapable of hearing it, much less learning it.

I caught that whole Iran thing.

"Don't want to take sides so they can blame us..."

"The Great Satan is responsible for the riots..."

Is there anything we don't get blamed for? And no, the mental defectives that rule us will not catch the lesson, even if it kicked them in the balls.

[JohnBrowdie]

I caught that whole Iran thing.

"Don't want to take sides so they can blame us..."

"The Great Satan is responsible for the riots..."

Is there anything we don't get blamed for? And no, the mental defectives that rule us will not catch the lesson, even if it kicked them in the balls.

ah, but the world respecks us now that george bush is gone. :

n. korea, the iranians, now the hondurans are even putting their thing down on us, fer cryin' out loud. 

[JohnBrowdie]

Sigh, I clearly stated that it was what I *thought* happened, but wasn't sure.  I'll just refrain from discussing it anymore, since I'm clearly not knowledgeable enough.

No one knows what's true when chavez is involved.  That's one of the problems

[JohnBrowdie]

how unsurprising.  wow.  thank god we got hopey change and healing and unity and all that.

WSJ Update: Obama Worked To Prevent Ouster of Honduras President

 The Obama administration worked in recent days to prevent President Manuel Zelaya's ouster, said a senior U.S. official. The State Department, in particular, communicated to Honduran officials on the ground that President Barack Obama wouldn't support any nondemocratic transfer of power in the Central American country.

"We had some indication that a move against Mr. Zelaya was afoot," said a U.S. official briefed on the diplomacy. "We made it clear it was something we didn't support."

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton joined Obama Sunday in criticizing the Honduran coup and calling for the restoration of the democratic process.

"We call on all parties in Honduras to respect the constitutional order and the rule of law, to reaffirm their democratic vocation, and to commit themselves to resolve political disputes peacefully and through dialogue," Clinton said in a statement.

Link

[Vonne]

The guy was installing a dictatorship.  He wanted a vote from the people on allowing him to run for another term.  The Supreme Court said no that's unconstitutional, and the Congress told the military to not enforce the vote.  Then the guy fired the head of the military, and the Supreme Court said "um, no" and then that's when the military coup took place. They've supposedly installed someone as an intern-president, and they're supposed to have their normal elections soon. 

This is what I *think* from my readings, but I'm not sure exactly.

I've unfortunately been a bit lacking, with staying abreast of the news as of late.  But, that was essentially my understanding of the situation also.  Which leaves me a bit bewildered, why our government, the European Union, and other Western democracies are crying foul.  Shrugs.

[Vonne]

Obama says Honduran ouster was 'not legal'

YET

The military ousted Zelaya with the backing of Honduras' political establishment, including the Supreme Court, Congress and Zelaya's own party. He was insisting on following through with a referendum on constitutional change that the Supreme Court ruled illegal.

Yahoo News AP

I really must admit... I'm just failing to grasp this...

[JohnBrowdie]

well, if you also take into consideration the administrations apparent willingness to deal with the Iwannadinnerjacket regime, the only way I can make sense out the obama foreign policy is that they have a strong preference for the status quo, irrespective of how thuggish, brutal, or illegitimate it may be.