| Submit your comments on this article |
| Caribbean-Latin America |
| A way out of the mess in Honduras |
| 2009-10-12 |
| The United States is currently in the embarrassing position of refusing to recognize the government of Honduras which is supported by virtually all elements of civil society there and whose legal basis is supported by a report from the Law Library of Congress. Two excellent opinion articles in the Wall Street Journal describe the situation and point to a good exit strategy for the United States. One is by longtime Democratic strategist Lanny Davis and the other is by South Carolina Republican Jim DeMint. The solution is for the United States to recognize the elections scheduled for November 29. As both Davis and DeMint point out, there is no reason to doubt that these will be fair elections, in accordance with the constitution and laws of Honduras and will produce a new president who can be inaugurated on schedule next January. Yet the U.S. has been indicating that it will not recognize the elections. This is folly. Not many foreign policy problems come with a convenient exit date. This one does. The snap judgment of the White House and/or State Department that the ouster of President Manuel Zelaya was a "coup" was clearly a mistake. The military was not defying the orders of civilian authorities, but carrying them out (although there's a strong argument it should not have expelled Zelaya from the country). The Law Library of Congress report supports this position. The U.S. ambassador in Honduras told Senator DeMint that there is a report from State Department Legal Adviser taking the contrary position, but the administration will not make that public. But whatever the legalities, the November 29 elections are a way out. They will make moot the issue of whether Zelaya was legally ousted and whether the interim president Roberto Micheletti was legally installed. I fail to understand why it is in the interest of the U.S. government or in the interest of democracy in Honduras not to recognize the November 29 election. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #9 "hey! he's the |
| Posted by: Frank G 2009-10-12 22:26 |
| #8 "In this case it's realpolitik, mixed with a Fixed that for ya', Pappy. |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2009-10-12 22:22 |
| #7 A primary tenet of realpolitik is stability must be maintained. Doesn't matter if the government you wish to deal with is a dictatorship murdering its citizens. Instability is a no-no and the diplomatic process is paramount. In this case it's realpolitik, mixed with a bias toward for leftist regimes. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2009-10-12 22:00 |
| #6 In all seriousnes, why are conservatives surprised? Obama hates freedom. The only thing Obama loves is power, especially his own. Evil is as evil does. |
| Posted by: Maggie Ebbuter2991 2009-10-12 18:52 |
| #5 The new President's first act should be to close the Brazilian embassy and eject their diplomats for cause, arrest Mel for crimes against the people, and boot the US Air Force from their base for assisting the whole mess. |
| Posted by: mojo 2009-10-12 12:38 |
| #4 I'll take it a step further. I find this whole episode one of the most disturbing aspects of the Obama presidency so far. It is no less than an open display of support for tyranny over democracy, for thugocracy over the rule of law. If this is what we can expect from the leader of the Free World we're screwed. |
| Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 2009-10-12 12:29 |
| #3 The snap judgment of the White House and/or State Department that the ouster of President Manuel Zelaya was a "coup" was clearly a mistake. The writer is a blithering idiot if he thinks it was a mistake. Obama wants a commie drug lord in control of Honduras. |
| Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 2009-10-12 12:22 |
| #2 I fail to understand why it is in the interest of the U.S. government I can help you---just change it to "current U.S. government" |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2009-10-12 03:28 |
| #1 Wisdom simply stated. |
| Posted by: newc 2009-10-12 00:43 |