OAS: Honduras Must Restore President Manuel Zelaya In 3 Days Or Risk Suspension

Source: Huffington Post

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration said Wednesday it has suspended joint military operations with Honduras to protest a coup that forced President Manuel Zelaya into exile. The U.S. withheld stronger action in hopes of negotiating a peaceful return of the country's elected leader.

The Organization of American States, meeting in Washington, gave Honduran coup leaders three days to restore Zelaya to power _ under threat of suspending Honduras's OAS membership. Afterward, several officials said the administration is still reviewing the possibility of cutting off U.S. aid.

Robert Gibbs, the White House press secretary, said, "We continue to monitor the situation and will respond accordingly as events transpire."

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.


Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/01/oas-honduras-must-restore_n_223685.html

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This is a big change. It seems the death squads, murders of protestors, tortures, human rights abuses, suspension of human rights, suspension of the Constitution, illegal detentions without warrants or rights, and a parade of wing-nut Pinochelettis has had some impact on more sober minds, finally! Now, let's see if we can get the criminal coup out of there without giving them amnesty as a reward for their murderous ways!

They should get jail time but they get to keep their heads attached to their necks. Sounds reasonable to me.

GOP Delegation Violates the Logan Act
Are Republicans Breaking US Law in Honduras?
By BRENDAN COONEY - http://www.counterpunch.org/cooney10072009.html


As if the right needed to add to its anti-democratic pedigree, Republican leaders have flocked to Tegucigalpa to bolster the junta in Honduras.

Nine Congressional Republicans – including seven in the past week as the crisis heats up -- have now met with Roberto Micheletti, who took power after a military coup June 28.

This is a coup that has been denounced by everyone from the Organization of American States to the United Nations, which passed a resolution calling “categorically on all states to recognise no government other than that” of the elected president, Manuel Zelaya. No state has recognized Micheletti as president.

But U.S. Republicans have.

“He is the president of Honduras,” said Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, on Monday. “Some people tell me 'de facto' government, but under the Constitution of the Republic I am seated here with the president of this country and it’s a great honor.”

Leading us further down the rabbit hole is South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint, ...........

"Thomas Shannon, met with Zelaya at OAS headquarters on Tuesday evening."

I thought Zelaya was still in the Brazilian Embassy with a guard outside.

Today (Thursday) should determine how the situation evolves as a high-level mission of foreign ministers, OAS, UN and various ambassadors are trying to untangle the impasse, now 102 days old.