tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341954168256070610.post7116054827535142839..comments2023-09-12T01:15:08.356-07:00Comments on Honduras Coup 2009: Advice for Hillary ClintonRAJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00097415587406899236noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341954168256070610.post-26111371865272096102009-09-03T00:54:10.109-07:002009-09-03T00:54:10.109-07:00I should let RNS respond, but cannot resist: the &...I should let RNS respond, but cannot resist: the "interagency" comment seems like a slip of the tongue. It hints at some deep negotiations going on between the hawkish elements that, as you note, have not been replaced.<br /><br />But it is hard not to see this as absolutely about the head of the State Department wanting not to take the side of a left-leaning government, especially when there are things deemed more importsnt on the government's agenda. I don't really think there is much strategic concern about losing the base in Honduras, or even maquilas. Honduras, even under Zelaya, was pro-maquila (they got exceptions to the raised wage law) and backed off on converting Palmerola to civilian use even in the wake of a serious air disaster. <br /><br />And Zelaya was clearly not going to be succeeded by someone interested in pursuing even his relatively mild brand of populism, let alone more. The right-wing press foaming at the mouth about Chavez in Honduras ignores the fact that joining Petrocaribe was widely seen as an economic necessity, and the US is unlikely to misread that signal.<br /><br />For me, this is like the feeling of finding out that the contra war was not even about Central America, really. US policy in Latin America seems always to be subordinate to US policy elsewhere; Honduras doesn't matter as such. Honduras as an obstacle to confirming State department appointments, maybe. But Honduras itself? I have never seen evidence that the US <b>has</b> a policy on Honduras. Honduras is at best a means to other ends; or at worst, once those ends are achieved, something to be comfortably ignored.RAJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00097415587406899236noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341954168256070610.post-21264825382350776392009-09-02T11:13:27.564-07:002009-09-02T11:13:27.564-07:00The official said this is an inter-agency decision...<i>The official said this is an inter-agency decision "that everybody has to be comfortable with."</i><br /><br />That certainly creates the impression that some other agency than the State Dept. is not "comfortable" with it. <br /><br />Defense Department? <br />(AF personnel at Soto Cano reported "no change" to SOAWatch delegation member on July 8 or 9, well after U.S. had supposedly cut cooperation with Honduran military. Given landing of plane/helicopter carrying Zelaya at base before flying on to Costa Rica, given closeness and strength of relationship, given that Gen. Vasquez and rest of high command still have their visas and unfrozen bank accounts, given retention of Gates and general willingness of Obama to cater to DoD on all but a few points... )<br /><br />National Security Council? <br />(Roger Noriega hired to lobby them among others for coup-backing maquiladora owners. Doubtful that staff house has been fully cleaned since Jan. 20)<br /><br />Or State Dept high official blowing smoke to cover exposed posterior of Secretary of State?Nellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01969732734453586544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341954168256070610.post-23136217928436814792009-08-31T18:17:55.149-07:002009-08-31T18:17:55.149-07:00RAJ,
I think YOU should be the Secretary of State!...RAJ,<br />I think YOU should be the Secretary of State!<br />-PablitoSinPistolaPablitoSinPistolahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08995432554366758167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341954168256070610.post-65067982038940413402009-08-31T15:42:24.121-07:002009-08-31T15:42:24.121-07:00On June 26th, in response to Kristin Bricker's...On June 26th, in response to Kristin Bricker's post on Narconews warning that a coup seemed to be building, I posted that I hoped he was wrong, but in Latin America, paranoia is your friend. <br /><br />Anyone in Latin America who has watched the peculiar behavior of our State Department over the last two months without concluding that the US has taken a turn back to the bad old days hasn't been paying attention. That doesn't mean that that's what's actually happened, just that it has always paid to assume the worst. <br /><br />I cannot believe that the US would, against the express wishes of all of South America minus Colombia, would install additional military bases. Hillary might as well have gone down to Unasur personally to bare her teeth and growl. <br /><br />--Charles of MercuryRisingAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com