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| Caribbean-Latin America | |||
| US freezes military ties with Honduras | |||
| 2009-07-02 | |||
| [Iran Press TV Latest] Pentagon officials claim the US has postponed all military cooperation with Honduras which has been hosting American troops for more than two decades. On Wednesday, Defense Department Spokesman Bryan Whitman said, "We've postponed any activities in Honduras right now while we are assessing the situation," AFP reported. Currently about 600 US forces operate rotationally in the Soto Cano air base some 80 kilometers from the capital, Tegucigalpa. The base has been housing the Americans since the 1980s. Two days before, The Miami Herald had quoted the United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM), which overseas the country's Central and South American operations, as saying that no changes had been imposed on the duty descriptions of the troops. Earlier in the day, the Latin American membership of the Organization of American States (OAS) claimed it was mandated to return the rule of people to the turmoil-hit Central American nation. The Washington-based grouping ordered its Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza to "undertake, together with representatives of various countries, diplomatic initiatives aimed at restoring democracy and the rule of law." The regional players gave the interim Honduran Leader Roberto Micheletti, whom they accuse of seizing power by force from the President Jose Manuel Zelaya Rosales, a 72-hour deadline to restore the exiled leader. The Washington-based body said Tegucigalpa would face suspension from the body unless it respected the ultimatum. AP says: The Obama administration said Wednesday it has suspended joint military operations with Honduras to protest a coup that forced President Manuel Zelaya into exile. Officials said the administration is still reviewing the possibility of cutting off U.S. aid. At the State Department, spokesman Ian C. Kelly said the department's top diplomat for the Americas, Thomas Shannon, met with Zelaya at OAS headquarters on Tuesday evening. Kelly would not reveal details, except to say Zelaya thanked the administration for supporting his unconditional return to power. Kelly said he was not aware of any plan to recall the U.S. ambassador from the Honduran capital. Another official, speaking on condition of anonymity in order to discuss internal deliberations, said the administration believes it stands a better chance of achieving a peaceful outcome if it keeps a diplomat in Tegucigalpa. The official also said the U.S. was not advocating that the matter be taken up by the U.N. Security Council.
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| Posted by:Fred |
| #7 our President is not well informed Got that part right anyway. or well educated either, *Yes I know he supposedly graduated from Hahvahd, it shows either he bought his diploma, or used influence, he sure as hell did not absorb the knowledge offered. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2009-07-02 16:39 |
| #6 Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman would not be specific, but the suspension could have broad implications because the United States runs a large Central American security and counternarcotics operation from a jointly run air base in Honduras. Whitman said only operations affecting Honduras itself are on hold. No one should be questioning Barry's motives on this one. I fail to see General Jim Jones footprint on any of this. In fact, I've not seen much of him lately. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2009-07-02 08:12 |
| #5 A rehearsal? |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2009-07-02 05:41 |
| #4 Uphold and defend the constitution is all the Honduran Military did there - the Honrudan Supreme Court gave the Honduran Army the order to oust the lawbreaker ZeLiar for violating the Honduran constitution in contravention to Honduran Congress and the Honduran Supremes. When will the dominant media tell the truth about this? My guess is never since it show Obama to either be a complicit fool who is stooging for Chavez, or a fucking stupid moron who acted but didn't know the law. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2009-07-02 03:07 |
| #3 Not sure how many of SOUTHCOM would obey that order,bman. Could be all sorts of treaty obligations that suddenly rear their ugly heads. |
| Posted by: Shieldwolf 2009-07-02 01:05 |
| #2 BS. You back Honduras now or my backing for this government ceases. Back Israel as well. I do not play games with ignorance or bad policy that refutes law. Iran I put up with, this I shall not. |
| Posted by: newc 2009-07-02 00:40 |
| #1 Obama could still order our troops to work in conjunction with Venezuela and Nicaragua to enforce the mandates of the OSA and UN. I'm begining to believe our President is not well informed about who our friends are. |
| Posted by: bman 2009-07-02 00:29 |