U.N. Backs Ousted Honduran Zelaya

New York Times ^ | June 30, 2009 | Neil MacFarquharr

[NorwegianViking]

UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations marshaled an unusually broad effort on Tuesday to condemn the military seizure of power in Honduras, turning over the podium of the General Assembly to its ousted president and quickly passing a resolution sponsored by countries often at loggerheads, including the United States and Venezuela. The deposed president, Manuel Zelaya, said the “brutal” coup, including what he called a threat by soldiers to shoot him dead if he did not stop talking on his cell phone, was a blow against democracy. He called it “an act of aggression attacking the democratic will of the people.” Mr. Zelaya, greeted by sustained applause when he entered the chamber and sat in the Honduran seat on the assembly floor, said the resolution supporting him “expresses the indignation of the people of Honduras and of people worldwide.” The one-page resolution, passed by acclamation in the 192-member body, condemned the removal of the president as a coup and demanded the “immediate and unconditional restoration” of Mr. Zelaya as president.solution other than Mr. Zelaya returning to power. Mr. Zelaya was supposed to meet with Thomas Shannon, an assistant Secretary of State, on Tuesday or Wednesday on the sidelines of an Organization of American States meeting to hash out a response to the crisis in Honduras. White House officials said that there were no plans as of Tuesday afternoon for Mr. Zelaya to meet with Mr. Obama, but that could change, one administration official said.

[snowsislander]

The United Nations should itself be condemned.

I am sick of paying for an organization that can do nothing better than coddle thugs and wanna-be dictators.

This case is particularly egregious: this was a judicial removal of Zelaya, a man using methods heinous to the Honduran constitution to ride roughshod over the laws of the country.

The fact that it was the military that effected his removal is ancillary; there is no junta and there was no coup d'etat. The Honduran constitution is still in effect, and the legal successor of Zelaya has taken office in his stead.

[Tenacious 1]

Obama could grant himself another term by executive order.

Forget about the constitution. Who is following or checking on that these days.

[TigersEye]

UN backs overthrow of Honduran Constitution

Skip the State Run Media. Find your own news.

Honduras Defends Its Democracy

Honduras Crisis: Zelaya Is A Threat To Our Democracy

Coup Rocks Honduras

Coup in Honduras - Correction: This is NOT a coup

Honduras Natives Say Democracy Preserved

Supporters of Zelaya.

Supporters of Honduras' President Manuel Zelaya shout slogans outside the presidential residence in Tegucigalpa, Thursday, June 25, 2009. President Zelaya's attempt to hold a referendum Sunday on changing the constitution has pitted him against the country's top courts, the attorney general, military leaders and even his own party, all of whom argue the vote is illegal.(Photo/Fernando Antonio)

Supporters of Honduran rule of law.

Demonstrators opposed to Honduras President Manuel Zelaya, protest in Tegucigalpa, Friday, June 26, 2009. President Manuel Zelaya is promoting a Sunday referendum on constitutional changes that has plunged the country into crisis by setting the president at odds with the military, the courts and the legislature that have branded the vote illegal.

A man holds a constitution of Honduras as demonstrators opposed to Honduras President Manuel Zelaya, protest in Tegucigalpa, Friday, June 26, 2009. President Manuel Zelaya is promoting a Sunday referendum on constitutional changes that has plunged the country into crisis by setting the president at odds with the military, the courts and the legislature that have branded the vote illegal. (Photo/Esteban Felix)

Students wearing gags on their mouths protest against Honduras President Manuel Zelaya outside the Venezuelan embassy in Tegucigalpa, Thursday, June 25, 2009. President Zelaya's attempt to hold a referendum on reforming the constitution has pitted him against the country's top courts, the attorney general, military leaders and even his own party, all of whom argue the vote is illegal. (Photo/Fernando Antonio)

My thanks to Rome2000 and cripplecreek for finding and posting these photos on this thread.

[6SJ7]

A “Brutal coup” means Zelaya couldn’t use his cell phone. Harsh man, harsh.

[TheClintons-STILLAnti-American]

"Hang the marxist"

That was their mistake.

Not going all the way and executing him.

We'll have to learn from their mistake.

[Las Vegas Ron]

Wow, every day gets more and more bizarre...can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings.....shaking head

[rawhide]

Was this action today right after they condemned the corrupted election in Iran? I must have missed that?

[Technogeeb]

I don’t buy the story of the arrest at all; I think he resigned under threat of arrest and then fled.

Quite possible. According to one report, his office had a huge pile of cash, lists of enemies to be "detained", and other paperwork that suggested he was going to seize dictatorial power.

It is certainly likely that he had collaborators in the military to aid him, and some of them might have followed his orders to let him escape rather than bring him before the courts.

That Chavez is enraged makes perfect sense; he was apparently collaborating with the illegal revolutionary scheme (he was even supplying the ballots and ballot boxes for the illegal "referendum"). What is strange, however, is the response of the US State department and Obama. It seems unthinkable, but their actions suggest they knew about the illegal revolution and were collaborating with Zelaya.

That is clearly a high crime.

[popdonnelly]

So now the U.N. is the interpreter of the law in Honduras? I guess sovereignty is now gone. So the U.N. wants to overrule the government of Honduras and put a dictator wannabe back in power?

I don’t support the Federal government’s position with regard to Honduras at all.

[PAR]

I really don’t get this. There are various credible news reports that claim Zelaya’s ouster was legal, yet the media, U.N., Obama, etc. continue to claim that this was a coup and that Zelaya was tossed out illegally by just the military. None of these sources, including our adminstration, even attempt to adress the logical and coherent claims made by the Honduran Supreme Court, the legislature, and the military.

Does the U.N. and Obama dispute what the government of Honduras has said? If so, let’s hear why. Seems to me that by not even addressing the government’s version, they are tacitly admitting they are unable to do so. So if they believe that Zelaya should be able to regain power, do they also believe that he should be able to violate the terms of the Honduran constitution by holding the referendum? Where in the hell does Obama stand on this? Thus far, the only logical interpretation is that he favors Zelaya’s ability to disregard the rule of Honduran law in an effort to maintain power. Am I missing something here?

[workerbee]

the only logical interpretation is that he favors Zelaya’s ability to disregard the rule of Honduran law in an effort to maintain power. Am I missing something here?

Nope. Don't think you are, FRiend.

[Jeff Head]

Actually, I think there was one death. The military also went to take into custody a leftist legislator who was helping instigate the illegal referendum trying to change the constitution.

Apparently he resisted and was killed in the exchange.

[Califreak]

Who wasn’t expecting that?

[Cobra Scott]

I agree, it is a high crime, but I wonder if zero and hill were caught completely off guard, and assumed any unrest was an evil western coup-d’etat and attempted to distance themselves from the headlines; now they are trying to save face so they can go get some more ice cream.

It is not completely ironic that in 2007 Zelaya sought to outlaw all news reports of violent crime and his courts squashed it; a month later he used executive priveledge and a twisted interpretation of his powers to require broadcasting of his propaganda by all news outlets, shades of ABC...

I just hope that any order requiring our troops to support that dictator wannabe are challenged as unlawful, because I would hate to see true freedom loving hondurans pitted against americans. There is no reason for it and Reagan is undoubtedly spinning in his grave.

[Chances Are]

Awwww....

Well, what can ya do?

CA....

[Oztrich Boy]

Zelaya sounds like your typical tossed tyrant,...

I was thinking "middle-school girl"

Manuel Zelaya, said the “brutal” coup, including what he called a threat by soldiers to shoot him dead if he did not stop talking on his cell phone, was a blow against democracy

[missthethunder]

(That is clearly a high crime.)

Very good!!

What did Obama know and when did he know it????

[downtownconservative]

Okay, a sissy tyrant...

[livius]

"The United States has changed a great deal,” [Zelaya] said at the news conference...

Well, he's right on that one, unfortunately.

This is insane, not only that the UN would call for the restoration of a would-be tyrant who was LEGALLY and CONSTITUTIONALLY removed by his own country, but that Bambi and the UN seem to believe that Honduran law is simply meaningless because it doesn't give them the outcome they want.

[Jeff Head]

The blow against democracy was being planned and carried out by Zelaya himself as he tried to institute a referendum calling for changing the Honduras constitution. That referendum was illegal and not a due process under the Honduras constitution for changing the constitution.

The Supreme Court of that nation ruled against it (properly so) and the President was planning to use the Executive Branch to implement it anyway. That's when the Supreme Court and a majority of the legislature called for the military's assistance...and they gave it, in support of the Hionduras constitution which Zelaya was attempting to subvert.

And so the telling thing about what happened in Honduras is this: EVERY Marxist in the Western Hemisphere is against it, including the Marxist Obama who is arm-and-arm with his marxist friends, Chavez and Castro on this.

That tells you that what the Honduras military did at the request of its Supreme Court and w/support from its legislature was correct, and avoided a move by Marxists to circumvent the Honduran constitution and entrench marxism in Honduras.

Bravo for the Honduras Supreme Court and military...and down with on Obama's marxist dogma, policies, and ideology!

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