Obama position on Honduras in 2009 and on Egypt 2012 quite similar

Barack Obama wants the virulently anti-Semitic and very dangerous Muslim Brotherhood in charge of Egypt. In 2009, he wanted Manuel Zelaya, a Hugo Chavez stooge, to be reinstated as president of Honduras after Zelaya was constitutionally removed from office and replaced by a man named Roberto Micheletti. At one point, it was reported that Israel and the Mubarak- led Egypt were two of only four countries that supported Micheletti.

Today, Mubarak is gone, and two entities are fighting for power in Egypt - holdover forces from the Mubarak regime and the Muslim Brotherhood; Obama is openly siding with the Brotherhood.

Via Los Angeles Times:

U.S. officials said Monday that they were "deeply concerned" by an Egyptian military decree giving its ruling generals sweeping powers to pass laws and decide whether to go to war, issued just as Egyptians finished casting their votes for its new president.

“We have, and will continue, to urge the [Supreme Council of the Armed Forces] to relinquish power to civilian-elected authorities and to respect the universal rights of the Egyptian people and the rule of law,” Pentagon Press Secretary George Little told reporters.

And of course, let's not forget the quotes from the woman who refused to acknowledge that Jerusalem is the Capital of Israel, State Department spokesman, Victoria Nuland:

"This is a critical moment in Egypt, and the world is watching closely," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland was quoted as saying by the Associated Press on Monday. "We are particularly concerned by decisions that appear to prolong the military's hold on power."

Chavez is anti-Semitic; so was Manuel Zelaya. It was reported that Zelaya's Chief Propagandist endorsed Hitler and the Holocaust. At one point, while holed up in the Brazilian embassy, Zelaya had delusions of persecution about Jews poisoning him with radiation beams. That's the guy the Obama administration supported in 2009.

Meanwhile, the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt is frothing at the mouth to attack Israel. the Military, though not in love with Israel, is certainly more rational. It wants the Brotherhood on a leash. Clearly, Obama does not.

It was this same Los Angeles Times that refused to release a tape of Obama at a Party for another virulent anti-Semite - Rashid Khalidi - in 2008, before the election.

Khalidi worked for the media arm of Yasser Arafat's PLO and even dedicated his book to Arafat in 1982.

h/t FPM

Hugo Chavez thinking US Gave him Cancer?

In 2009, Hugo Chavez stooge - and then deposed president of Honduras - Manuel Zelaya, was hiding inside the Brazilian embassy there, in an attempt to make some kind of statement. While there, the Miami Herald reported that Zelaya believed the sore throat he had was the result of toxic gases and that 'Israeli mercenaries' were torturing him with 'high-frequency radiation.'

Now, Chavez is apparently blaming the United States for giving him cancer.

Via Bloomberg:

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez hinted that the U.S. may be behind a “very strange” bout of cancer affecting several leaders aligned with him in South America.

Chavez, speaking a day after Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, said the Central Intelligence Agency was behind chemical experiments in Guatemala in the 1940s and that it’s possible that in years to come a plot will be uncovered that shows the U.S. spread cancer as a political weapon against its critics.

“It’s very difficult to explain, even with the law of probabilities, what has been happening to some of us in Latin America,” Chavez said in a nationally televised speech to the military. “Would it be so strange that they’ve invented technology to spread cancer and we won’t know about it for 50 years?”

No wonder Marxists are insane.

The Alex Jones website accused the Miami Herald of making up the story about Zelaya. I would love to get their take on the credibility of Chavez's charges.

h/t Weasel Zippers

Did Operation Castaway allow Guns to 'Walk' into Honduras?

Sipsey Street's track record has been so good, I don't hesitate to post this. We know that Operation Fast and Furious was run out of the Phoenix ATF office and was primarily about letting guns 'walk' into Mexico. Now, it's being reported that an ATF SAC (Special Agent in Charge) in Tampa may have been involved in a similar operation that allowed guns to 'walk' into Honduras. The name of the program was apparently Operation Castaway. The SAC who oversaw it - Virginia O'Brien - had previously been a SAC at the Phoenix office.

Via Sipsey Street:

SAC O’Brien was previously the Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Division, was later promoted to the Deputy Assistant Director of ATF, but then stepped down to the position in Tampa. Whether the allegations of our source refer to the on-going Operation Castaway remains at this hour unclear, but our source is certain that O'Brien has allowed the "walking" of straw-purchased firearms to Honduras using the same failed strategy as the Phoenix Field Division's Operation Fast and Furious. That Operation Castaway involved arms smuggling to Honduras is also certain.

"This is confirmed as accurate," the correspondence continued. "There are emails in existence where O’Brien has advised those involved that Tampa does not have to report their walked guns because Tampa FD is not a part of Southwest Border or Project Gunrunner."

"From a first person source she is shitting herself trying to cover it up," the report stated.

It will be very interesting to learn the timeline of this one. In the summer of 2009, Honduras president - and Hugo Chavez stooge - Manuel Zelaya was constitutionally removed from office. Shockingly, the Obama administration tried to go to the mat over re-installing Zelaya; Obama referred to Zelaya's removal as an illegal 'coup.' The interim president, Roberto Micheletti, didn't hand over the reigns until November and the situation there was touch and go for several months.

Was this operation going on at the same time Honduras was dealing with this Constitutional crisis?

If so, it would have been quite King Georgian of this administration to arm the bad guys in Honduras.

Read it all.

Honduras Back in the News (Not Good)

When would-be dictator Manuel Zelaya was legally removed from power back in 2009, the interim president who replaced him - Roberto Micheletti - took on the world and won. Zelaya, a Hugo Chavez stooge and leftist, attempted to permanently install himself as the president of Honduras; the congress and the military removed him because the Honduran Constitution specifically states that no president can serve more than one term. What ensued was an international crisis with all of the world's powers aligned against the interim government.

Micheletti remained in power just long enough to see elections take place a few short months later. His replacement as president, Porfirio Lobo, is making a big mistake right now in allowing Zelaya to return to Hondura - a Very BIG mistake.

Via CNS News:

An agreement signed in Colombia this week allowing the ousted former Honduran president, Manuel Zelaya, to return home and resume political activity without fear of prosecution marks “a great day” for the Honduran people, according to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

But in the view of Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the accord sets the stage for Zelaya and his leftist ally, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, to further damage democracy in the small Central American country.

“Hugo Chavez’s handprints are all over this deal,” Ros-Lehtinen said in a statement. “He can’t wait to have Zelaya back in Honduras so he can begin pulling the strings again and undermine that nation’s democracy.”

Clinton, by contrast, said on Monday that the U.S. “commends” the Chavez regime for its role in securing the agreement.

Micheletti's resolve in 2009 was unmatched in modern times. He did not buckle in the face of very strong international and hemispheric pressure from the U.N., the O.A.S., and the United States but in hindsight, he made one mistake. Instead of arresting Zelaya and putting him on trial, Micheletti exiled the former leader. Now Zelaya is coming back without condition. Look for Zelaya to work day and night to amend the Constitution so that he can be reinstalled.

Though Micheletti set a high standard for courage, Lobo has proved with this agreement that he doesn't meet that standard.

Read it all.

WIKILEAKS CABLES POINT TO OBAMA SUPPORT FOR HUGO CHAVEZ

It was a saga that carried on for months beginning in the summer of 2009. Honduran president Manuel Zelaya was constitutionally removed from office for attempting to stay in power. The only thing the judicial, legislative, and military branches failed to do when removing Zelaya was follow the most strict interpretation - instead of detaining him, they exiled him. The Obama administration was adamant that Zelaya be returned to office and that his removal was the result of a coup. Such a stance flew in the face of the facts.

Zelaya, a protege of Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, was a would-be dictator. It was obvious that the Obama administration was backing a thug but thanks to cables released by Wikileaks, the why can be more clearly sustantiated.

Via Wall Street Journal:

Lots of hypotheses have been floated to explain why the Obama administration went to such extremes last year to try to force Honduras to reinstate deposed president Manuel Zelaya.

Now the release of two WikiLeaked cables from the U.S. embassy in Tegucigalpa strengthens one of those theories: that the U.S. knew Mr. Zelaya was a threat to democratic Honduras but had decided the country should tolerate his constitutional violations in the interest of realpolitik.

Practically speaking, Hugo Chávez was the man to please. After a decade in power, the president of Venezuela's influence around the region was notable. George W. Bush had clashed with him. Barack Obama was out to prove that they could get along, as evidenced by the warm handshake at the Summit of the Americas in Port of Spain in April 2009.

Honduras offered a bonding opportunity. Mr. Zelaya was a protégé of Mr. Chávez. Standing up for him as democratically elected was a way to score points with Latin America's hard left.

Obama allied with the hard left? Say it ain't so!

In the quintessential underdog story, Honduras stood up to the world - including Obama - and won.

The two cables provide two different perspectives. The first was from Charles Ford, who was U.S. ambassador to Honduras during the Bush administration. In 2008, he warned of Zelaya:

The insightful diplomat also recognized Mr. Zelaya's disdain for other institutions. He "resents the very existence of the Congress, the Attorney General and Supreme Court." That resentment rose to the surface in June 2009 when the Supreme Court ruled that a referendum on his re-election was unconstitutional. Mr. Zelaya responded by leading a mob to break into a military installation where the ballots for his initiative were being stored.

Ford's successor, Hugo Llorens provided the other perspective, which was one that showed support for Zelaya after his removal from office. However, unlike Ford, Llorens - the Obama administration by extension - had no defense for standing with Zelaya.

Mr. Llorens sent his own legal analysis to Washington. In it he acknowledges that there might have been a case to be made against Mr. Zelaya for a number of violations of the constitution. But he also claims that there is "no doubt" that the Supreme Court's decision to issue an arrest warrant for Mr. Zelaya was "a conspiracy" with Congress and the attorney general.

In the many months that have passed since Honduras stood up for its own Constitution - and won - their colleagues in Venezuela have chosen to stand down as Chavez gobbles up more and more power.

h/t Weasel Zippers

LATEST BARRACK COLUMN ON WORLD NET DAILY

As I watched the saga between Arizona Governor Jan Brewer and Barack Obama unfold, I began thinking of how similarly Obama tried to bully Honduras last year when it constitutionally removed would-be dictator Manuel Zelaya from office. Obama called it an 'illegal coup'. The problem for Obama was that interim president Roberto Micheletti never backed down......and won.

via WND:

When Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed S.B.1070, giving police in her state the authority to arrest people who could not prove they were in the country legally, her state became a target of Barack Obama before the ink was dry. It wasn't the first time Obama called on his mastery of Saul Alinsky to deal with a government that did something he vehemently opposed. On June 28, 2009, the government of Honduras forcibly removed its president, Manuel Zelaya, who was attempting to discard that country's constitution by ensuring a lifetime appointment as president through referendum. The ensuing interim government became an Obama target as well.

One of Alinsky's rules Obama learned well was to "pick the target, freeze it, personalize it and polarize it." It is a tactic of intimidation designed to break an opponent's will. The target's reaction is critical. If the target is not intimidated, the tactic fails. To this point, Brewer is not backing down; she has shown no signs of blinking despite Obama's public statement that he would direct Eric Holder's Justice Department to look into possible legal action against Arizona. Then came the protests and boycotts, designed to demonize one of America's 50 states as racist.

Alinsky would be proud – but the target, Brewer, still wasn't backing down. It was time to ratchet up the pressure by going outside the United States for allies. Assistant Secretary of State Michael Posner, while meeting with Chinese officials to discuss human rights, admitted to bringing up the newly signed Arizona law as an example of such a violation in his own country. Arizona was soon being alienated and polarized by the Obama administration on an international stage.

I hope you Read it All.

FORMER MINUTEMAN DOING INTERVIEWS ON BARRACK COLUMN

Arizona resident, former Executive Director of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps., and current head of a group called the Patriots Coalition, Al Garza is doing media interviews and the subject matter is a column I wrote recently. Garza, a former Marine of hispanic descent has done more for defending America's sovereignty than most will ever dream of doing. He is a true patriot.

Regarding the interviews Garza is doing... As I've been watching this Arizona immigration battle take place between the White House and Governor Jan Brewer, it reminded me of what took place in Honduras last year. Interim president of that country, Roberto Micheletti found himself alone against the world. The pressure that was applied to him was unimaginable.

Leading the charge against Micheletti was the Barack Obama administration. Micheletti became president when sitting president, aspiring dictator, and Hugo Chavez stooge Manuel Zelaya was constitutionally removed from office. Obama called it a "coup". He then aided in getting nations and dictators to align against Micheletti, a scenario that seems to be repeating itself in Arizona.

Micheletti stood strong and politically defeated the world. However, in typical Obama fashion, the blame was placed on Zelaya's erratic behavior and not Micheletti's courage. Lost on the Obama administration in the use of that excuse is the irony of Honduras constitutionally removing a would-be dictator who behaved erratically.

Via Special Guests:

ALINSKY FAILING IN ARIZONA? Governor of Border State Refusing to be Intimidated by President; It Just Might be Working

Barack Obama is likely regretting his decision to pull his current DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano out of her position as Governor of Arizona. Her replacement there – Jan Brewer – is standing up to the Obama administration as well as to Eric Holder's Department of Justice over a recently signed law that will be tough on illegal immigration. Obama appears to be having a difficult time finding the solution in his Rules for Radicals handbook, authored by his ideological mentor, Saul Alinsky. Perhaps because it isn't in there.

The state of Arizona is increasingly finding itself being alientated on the world stage, many believe with the approval and encouragement of the president of the United States. Whether it's the Assistant Secretary of State apologizing for Arizona to the Chinese or the Mexican president chastising that state in front of a joint session of congress, significant pressure is being brought against Brewer and her state over the recent signing and passage of an immigration law there. Cuba's Castro and Venezuela's Chavez have also expressed vocal opposition to Arizona.

Al Garza, President of the Patriots Coalition and resident of Arizona, has seen this before – in Honduras. Last year interim president of Honduras, Roberto Micheletti stood strong against not only Obama but the United Nations, the Organization of American States, the European Union, and the aforementioned Castro and Chavez.

Micheletti was victorious in defeating virtually the entire world by refusing to compromise his principles; Garza is calling for Governor Brewer to follow the same formula in order to defeat the same tactics.

I'm not sure where Micheletti stands with respect to SB 1070 in Arizona but my guess is he and Governor Brewer would have much in common. It might be worth her reaching out to him. It would be an extremely strong statement to Obama.

Be Sure to Visit Special Guests to read the entire column.

Al Garza's Patriot's Coalition

REMEMBER HONDURAS?

That small country of Honduras was in the news quite a bit between June 28th, 2009 and November elections there. It was high stakes and high drama for an underdog nation that was taking on the world. Sitting president of that country, Manuel Zelaya attempted to install himself as dictator; the Constitution was followed by the other branches of government, thereby preventing it.

The Obama administration sided with the world against interim leader Roberto Micheletti, who stuck to his guns and his principles to defeat the world. Regardless of what people might say or how it is spun, Obama's Alinsky-ite / Community Organizing tactics failed to bully Honduras on a world stage.

The AP reported just this past April 30th that the U.S. Ambassador to Honduras basically conceded defeat but in true Obama fashion, blamed someone else. In this case, that someone else was Zelaya himself. In fairness, Zelaya was a certifiable kook but the White House lost an international battle when everything BUT Zelaya was stacked in Obama's favor.

U.S. officials who voiced strong opposition to Honduras' coup last June now say the ousted president took an "erratic and imprudent course of action" in the months leading up to his overthrow.

The comments from U.S. Ambassador Hugo Llorens mark the first time U.S. officials have so directly criticized former President Manuel Zelaya for his pre-coup actions.

Llorens told about 300 community leaders at a Thursday meeting of the Honduran Cities Association that the November election of President Porfirio Lobo was a crucial step toward putting this poor Central American country back on track.

"We understood very well that former President Zelaya pursued an erratic and imprudent course of action in the management of the country, and the growing opposition to his polarizing style," Llorens said.

Did Llorens actually concede defeat while citing "growing opposition to (a) polarizing style"? Perhaps Mr. Llorens should step back and look at how his boss in the White House fits that description. The irony here is that Zelaya is being blamed for Obama's loss in Honduras while his attributes that are allegedly responsible for that defeat are very much applicable to how Obama is governing his own country. Can anyone say health care and immigration? Two instances of many in which Obama has shown that he can generate growing opposition to a polarizing style.

Read it all.

NEW LOW FOR STATE DEPARTMENT: APOLOGIZE FOR ARIZONA

Not only is the U.S. State Department - headed by Hillary Clinton - apologizing for one of the United States - Arizona - but it is doing so to China. Even at that, Assistant Secretary of State Michael Posner apparently decided to bring up the matter of Arizona's new immigration law all by himself.

Via Powerline, here's what the AP had to say:

Posner said in addition to talks on freedom of religion and expression, labor rights and rule of law, officials also discussed Chinese complaints about problems with U.S. human rights, which have included crime, poverty, homelessness and racial discrimination.

He said U.S. officials did not whitewash the American record and in fact raised on its [sic] own a new immigration law in Arizona that requires police to ask about a person's immigration status if there is suspicion the person is in the country illegally.

Raised on its own?! First of all, the way that is worded is completely disingenuous. SB 1070 does NOT permit police to ask someone's immigration status if they suspect the individual to be illegal. If, in the course of stopping an individual for criminal behavior or other infraction, an officer determines said individual to be in the country illegally, that officer is to enforce the law.

But what's most disturbing about this is that an arm of the Obama administration is actually alienating one of its own states in international negotiations with a country who isn't exactly in love with America right now.

Paging Roberto Micheletti....

This move by Posner is almost reminiscent of how the Obama administration handled the situation in Honduras. That started when a communist stooge of Hugo Chavez - Manuel Zelaya - was constitutionally ousted on June 28th. Honduras was alienated by the U.N., the OAS, and the Obama administration, which all sided with Zelaya.

The interim president, Roberto Micheletti, withstood enormous international pressure and he was ultimately victorious when Zelaya was defeated in elections. What happened with Posner and the Chinese is potentially worse because it could serve to alienate Arizona internationally in a way not all that dissimilar from how Honduras was alienated.

Obama lost in Honduras. He needs to lose in Arizona too. That will require a very strong resolve on the part of Gov. Jan Brewer; she has done extraordinarly well in this regard so far. It would also be nice to see Texas Gov. Rick Perry be to Arizona what Israel and Taiwan were to Honduras - allies at a time when the latter desperately needed them.

So far, Perry's been a bit of a girlie man.

h/t to Hot Air for the Powerline link.

VICTORY IN HONDURAS IS DEFEAT FOR OBAMA

Porfirio Lobo was the conservative candidate in Honduras and now he is that country's president-elect. It is important to realize that there is absolutely no way Lobo would be in this position if not for the courageousness of a man named Roberto Micheletti who was a member of the Liberal party.

To truly appreciate what Micheletti did is simply awe-inspiring. It is the quintessential David v. Goliath story. At one point, there were only two countries in the world that supported the ouster of Manuel Zelaya and subsequent installation of Micheletti on June 28th - Taiwan and Israel.

At many points along the way, Micheletti felt pressure to an extent most will never fully appreciate. At one point, his nephew was found murdered and there was rampant speculation that the murder was politically motivated.

Roberto Micheletti has exhibited a level of courage rarely seen in this day and age and he did so in the face of United Nations opposition, Organization of American States opposition, Obama opposition (which still exists), Hugo Chavez opposition, Castro brother opposition, Daniel Ortega opposition, and an annoyingly persistent ousted president Manuel Zelaya who snuck into the Brazilian embassy.

Yet, the Obama administration has hit rock bottom on this issue and continues to dig. After voters overwhelmingly turned out in Honduras to peacefully elect Lobo and say NO to socialism, Obama says the elections are not good enough when it comes to resolving the constitutional crisis in that country. VOA reports:

The U.S. State Department says Sunday's presidential election in Honduras was a significant, but insufficient step, to end to political crisis that began there in June with the ouster of President Manuel Zelaya. U.S. officials are stopping short of recognizing opposition candidate Porfirio Lobo as the country's next president.

The State Department says the Honduran election met international standards for fairness and transparency and it has commended Porfirio Lobo for what it termed an "ample victory".

But at the same time, it stopped short of formally recognizing Lobo as the country's next president and says Honduras must still take steps toward political reconciliation before it can emerge from the isolation brought by the June 28 ouster of President Zelaya.

Lobo has a very rocky runway ahead of him upon which he must launch a successful presidency when he takes office but the way was cleared by Micheletti who by all accounts, simply wants to handover the presidency and fade away.

Meanwhile, the Obama administration continues to stomp its feet and cry foul.





h/t to FR

HONDURAS: ELECTIONS HELD AND TURNOUT BAD FOR ZELAYA

Since Hugo Chavez lackey Manuel Zelaya was removed from the presidency forcibly on June 28th, the international community - including the Obama administration - has aligned and done virtually all it could to reinstate Zelaya. Interim president Roberto Micheletti has stood his ground and by all accounts, it's paying off. The Wall Street Journal reported that voter turnout for the elections held today has been very strong. That doesn't seem to bode well for Zelaya since he called for people to boycott the elections.

Voter turnout was seen as a crucial factor in persuading more countries to back the poll. Although it started out light, it appeared to pick up considerably, and Honduran election officials said it was high enough to keep the polls open for an additional hour. High turnout could represent another setback for Mr. Zelaya, who had urged supporters to boycott the poll.

Mr. Zelaya's removal at gunpoint in June caused a stir in Honduras and abroad, where the global community condemned the ouster as a coup. Honduras's political institutions, including its congress and supreme court, backed the ouster as the legal removal of a president who they said was illegally trying to get himself re-elected -- charges Mr. Zelaya denies.

Interestingly, both Zelaya and Micheletti are from Honduras' liberal party but the turnout and early returns indicate that a conservative candidate is going to win.

Neither of the two men claiming to be president during the past five months -- Mr. Zelaya and interim President Roberto Micheletti -- was on the ballot. Instead, Hondurans chose between Mr. Lobo of the conservative National Party and Elvin Santos of the Liberal Party -- to which both Mr. Zelaya and Mr. Micheletti belong.

The vote, seen as punishing the Liberal Party for the crisis, hands power to Mr. Lobo, a conservative rancher who was narrowly beat by Mr. Zelaya four years ago. "It's going to be Pepe this time," said Higenio Garcia Ponce, 74, an agricultural laborer who said he had just voted for Mr. Lobo. "There was a rupture in the Liberal Party over what happened with Zelaya."

Frankly, Micheletti is probably rooting for Lobo based on what he's had to deal with since assuming power - power he appears to be all too willing to relinquish (unlike Zelaya).

Micheletti should be considered a hero of Honduras. He has stood on principle and he has stood against the world. While he hasn't crossed the finish line yet, he appears to have won. The United States has already indicated that it will recognize the winner of this election.

Only the U.S., Costa Rica and Panama have said they will accept the winner, though other countries, including Mexico and Canada, appear to be leaning that way as well. The government is betting that U.S. recognition will lead other nations to back down from earlier positions. "They may not recognize the elections Sunday itself, but I believe they will at some point in the future," Mr. Lobo said Saturday.

If the results of this election come out the way it looks like they might, Micheletti will have been far more victorious than Lobo. What Micheletti will have accomplished with the election of a conservative and a smooth transition of power with the world against him is nothing short of Churchillian.

Well done, Roberto.

Read the ENTIRE WSJ piece.

HONDURAS: ZELAYA BUSTED....AGAIN

Talk of reinstatement of Manuel Zelaya as president of Honduras last month appears to have been premature. He is still holed up in the Brazilian embassy and Roberto MIcheletti is still in power. If you remember, the reason for Zelaya's ouster on June 28th was that all branches of government determined he was attempting to use a referendum to stay in power beyond his one term in office, a move strictly prohibited by the Honduran constitution.

All along, Zelaya has denied that he was attempting to do such a thing. Now we learn courtesy of the Canadian Press that Zelaya will not accept any deal calling for his reinstatement if he must endorse the elections.

The RECORD reports:

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras - Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya insisted late Saturday that he will not accept any deal to restore him to office if it means he must recognize elections later this month.

In a letter addressed to President Barack Obama, Zelaya also repeated his accusation that Washington reversed its stance on whether the Nov. 29 vote should be considered legitimate if he was not in office.

There is another fascinating dimension in all of this. In particular, assuming the November 29th elections proceed as scheduled and there is a peaceful transition of power, it will have meant that the interim Honduran government, led by Micheletti will have not only defended its own constitution but it will have defeated nearly unanimous international opposition with the United States, under Barack Obama arguably being the most aggressive in its support of Zelaya (behind only Hugo Chavez).

Here's the part of the article that highlights both the U.S. backing off this battle and Zelaya's childish immaturity:

Washington has said it supports Zelaya's reinstatement, but the pact set no deadline for his return to office. And after brokering the deal, U.S. diplomats indicated Washington would support the elections, which had been scheduled before the coup, as long the deal was implemented.

"The future that you show us today by changing your position in the case of Honduras, and thus favouring the abusive intervention of the military castes ... is nothing more than the downfall of freedom and contempt for human dignity," Zelaya said in the letter to Obama. "It is a new war against the processes of social and democratic reforms so necessary in Honduras."

Throughout this entire ordeal, Zelaya has put his personal quest for power above what is best for his country, which points to Micheletti being justified in replacing him. This latest bit of yammering is just further evidence of that. If Zelaya were truly interested in peacefully ending all of this, he would work out a deal that would allow him to return to Honduras while ceding power.

Lastly, don't you know that Micheletti is counting the minutes until he can step down? He's like a quarterback in the 4th Quarter, trying to protect a lead. Just run out the clock and get the W.

Speaking of W's, the first president of the United States, George Washington, could have been king but didn't want it. He could have stayed in office as president but he didn't want to. His legacy is great indeed. Something tells me that Micheletti's legacy will be grand as well (once all of these passions cool). Maybe it's just one of those paradoxes in life. Those who lead out of a sense of duty and service and not necessarily a desire to lead, make better leaders than those whose quest for leadership outweighs all other considerations.

h/t to FR

HONDURAS: MICHELETTI NEPHEW SHOT EXECUTION STYLE

Though still too early to draw conclusions, the nephew of sitting president Roberto Micheletti has been found dead in his country. Enzo Micheletti was not just found dead. His body was found with his hands tied behind his back and he appears to have been executed. The BBC reports:

The nephew of the interim President of Honduras Roberto Micheletti has been found dead in what the police are calling an execution-style killing.

Enzo Micheletti's body was discovered on Sunday in woodland near Choloma, 250 km north of the capital, Tegucigalpa.

Police say his hands were tied behind his back and his body was riddled with bullets.

The TIMES OF INDIA is also reporting on the story as National Police spokesman Orlin Cerrato provided more details about another man that was killed.

Col. Concepcion Jimenez was gunned down Sunday night in front of his Tegucigalpa house....Col. Jimenez died Sunday night at Tegucigalpa's Military Hospital shortly after being shot while getting out of his car in front of his house in a southern district of the capital.

The suspects in the killing are "three or four young men who were in a taxi", Cerrato said.

Jimenez headed the Honduran armed forces' Industria Militar, which makes uniforms and other equipment for the military.

It will be very interesting to see how Micheletti deals with this news. While reports are that there is no evidence of a connection between the Honduran crisis and this murder, tell that to Micheletti. Until all of the facts are known, he's got to be wondering and is quite possibly being very hard on himself. As difficult as it would be, it will show an even deeper level of courage and strength if Micheletti continues to hold the hard line and not give in.

The reaction of the White House will be interesting to see as well. I can't believe there won't be sympathies expressed by the Obama administration. If there isn't, it will reveal an even deeper low.

h/t to DRUDGE

ZELAYA HEADED TO SPAIN?

Nobody's been closer to what's going on in Honduras than Fausta, which is why this report, while unconfirmed, should be considered credible speculation. Earlier today, it was reported that ousted Honduran president, anti-semite, and Hugo Chavez stooge Manuel Zelaya may be returning to his former position as president.

However, FAUSTA'S BLOG is now reporting that Zelaya may actually be headed to Spain as part of the deal. If this is true, all of the cowards in the world who would otherwise do the right thing should read the Roberto Micheletti memoir whenever it comes out.

If this is true, it will have meant that the leader of a small country (Micheletti in Honduras) took on not only the Organization of the American States, the United Nations, and the United States AND DEFEATED them all.

Yes, it's early but if this ends up being true, it would be a MAJOR slap in the face to the Obama Administration and Hugo Chavez. Have no fear you Obamautomatons. Your leader is getting good as distancing himself from his own embarassments.

C Ya, Manny! Buh Bye now!

REUTERS: SHILLING FOR ZELAYA

This may be a sign that Roberto Micheletti's government is beginning to win the stand-off. Reuters coverage of what's going on there seems to have moved away from implied support of the Obama administration's policy of reinstating ousted president Manuel Zelaya and toward blatantly biased reporting.

Quoting REUTERS:

Suspicious deaths. Beatings. Random police shootings. Life under the de facto government of Honduras at times feels uncannily like Latin America's dark past of military rule.

In the three months since soldiers overthrew leftist President Manuel Zelaya and marched him out of the country in his pajamas, international and Honduran human rights groups say security forces have committed a litany of abuses.

Lost on Reuters, apparently, is all of the reckless behavior of Zelaya who is the individual who should be feeling the most heat over all of the unrest there.

Between crossing into Honduras by foot to make some statement and his recent surfacing in the Brazilian embassy, it is clearly Zelaya who is inflaming any tensions in Honduras. Check out THIS verbiage!!

Repression of protests against the coup increased after Zelaya slipped back into the country on Sept 21, took refuge in the Brazilian embassy and called his backers onto the streets.

Note how repression increased after Zelaya surfaced in the Brazilian embassy and not BECAUSE of it.

UTTERLY PATHETIC, yes but it may indicate that Micheletti may be winning the standoff. Be sure to read the whole article.

Case in point. WND is reporting that Honduran Foreign Minister Patricia Rodas appears to be making a plea to the United Nations for more attention.

"It is getting worse every day," Rodas explained to a sparsely attended news conference at U.N. headquarters today.

The meeting with reporters was viewed as an attempt to gain attention for a campaign many have seen as "losing steam."

How interesting that the Reuters piece comes across as an attempt to carry the water for the likes of Rodas when it had been much less subjective in the past. This seems to indicate that Zelaya is losing (by extension, so is Obama) and Micheletti is winning.

Micheletti needs to KEEP HOLDING ON! He is on the right side of this fight.

JIM DEMINT REPORTS BACK FROM HONDURAS

A prime example of why John Kerry didn't want Republican Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) to travel to Honduras on a fact finding mission. If you remember, Kerry tried to blackmail DeMint by preventing the trip because DeMint was holding up ambassadorial appointments as a member of the Foreign Relations Committee.

It seems Mr. DeMint has written a column for the WALL STREET JOURNAL that details what he found. As suspected, Micheletti's government was further vindicated by DeMint's trip, which seems to explain Kerry's alleged blackmail attempt.

After visiting Tegucigalpa last week and meeting with a cross section of leaders from Honduras's government, business community, and civil society, I can report there is no chaos there. There is, however, chaos to spare in the Obama administration's policy toward our poor and loyal allies in Honduras.

That policy was set in a snap decision the day Mr. Zelaya was removed from office, without a full assessment of either the facts or reliable legal analysis of the constitutional provisions at issue. Three months later, it remains in force, despite mounting evidence of its moral and legal incoherence.

Calling the Obama adminstration's policy toward Honduras a "snap decision" without the "facts" is actually giving him the benefit of the doubt and a bit kind. Assuming that's all it was would likely mean another beer summit, this time with different guests. Obama would speak to the White House press corps. and tell them that he should have "calibrated" his "words differently". But unlike the fracas Obama caused domestically with his "police acted stupidly" comment, there has been no real political damage for his insistance on reinstating a would-be dictator and friend of Hugo Chavez, Daniel Ortega, and the Castro brothers.

I found two more very revealing things in DeMint's column. One is that the only person in Tegucigalpa that he met who insisted that Zelaya was ousted via coup was the U.S. Ambassador:

In a day packed with meetings, we met only one person in Honduras who opposed Mr. Zelaya's ouster, who wishes his return, and who mystifyingly rejects the legitimacy of the November elections: U.S. Ambassador Hugo Llorens.

When I asked Ambassador Llorens why the U.S. government insists on labeling what appears to the entire country to be the constitutional removal of Mr. Zelaya a "coup," he urged me to read the legal opinion drafted by the State Department's top lawyer, Harold Koh. As it happens, I have asked to see Mr. Koh's report before and since my trip, but all requests to publicly disclose it have been denied.

Again, take note of the socialist tendency to withold the truth because the positions taken by socialists are so untenable, sunlight would lead to certain defeat in the debate arena.

As further illustration of my point: John Kerry (D) tries to prevent DeMint from going on a fact-finding mission to Honduras and fails. While in Honduras, DeMint asks the U.S. Ambassador why the Obama Administration insists on siding with a would-be dictator. Said Ambassador doesn't answer DeMint's question but instead directs him to a legal opinion written by another Obama appointee, Harold Koh. When DeMint attempts to obtain that legal opinion, he can't get it.

Obama is acting stupidly on Honduras.

Be sure to read DeMint's ENTIRE COLUMN.

SHOWDOWN: JIM DEMINT V. JOHN KERRY

In light of everything that's happened since Honduran president Manuel Zelaya was removed from office on June 28th, it's really not surprising that John Kerry (D-MA) is trying to prevent Jim DeMint (R-SC) from traveling to Honduras.

The WASHINGTON POST reports that:

A simmering feud over U.S. policy toward Latin America burst into the open Thursday when Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) tried to prevent a fact-finding trip to Honduras by a Republican senator who is blocking two important diplomatic appointments.

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) denounced Kerry's move on the Senate floor and sought the intervention of the minority leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). The Republican leader appealed to the Defense Department to provide an aircraft for DeMint's trip and the Pentagon agreed to do so, according to the South Carolina senator's office.

"These bullying tactics by the Obama administration and Senator Kerry must stop, and we must be allowed to get to the truth in Honduras," DeMint said in a statement. His spokesman, Wesley Denton, called Kerry's action "unprecedented."

The Obama administration's stance that Zelaya was illegally removed is becoming an increasingly embarassing one.

I find it interesting that the oh, so idealistic and holier-than-thou liberal John Kerry, who invoked the name Genghis Kahn upon his return from Vietnam is on the side of a policy that is calling for the reinstatement of a would-be tyrannical dictator. A man who appears to be an anti-semite in addition to being best buds with Hugo Chavez, who is more than a little cozy with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

SOURCE OF HITLER RANT IN HONDURAS

Yesterday, I blogged about an article in Portuguese that made some disturbing claims about where the ousted president of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya stands on what Hitler did in the Holocaust. Information was somewhat vague because I had to rely on translations.

Here is some additional context from the CANADA FREE PRESS. Turns out the guy who needs to be looked at is someone identified as one of Zelaya's chief propagandists who leads Honduras' Radio Globo. His name is David Romero Ellner and by all accounts, he is a bad guy. His daughter allegedly accused him of molesting her for many years, starting when she was 10.

Radio Globo is also one of the media entities the Mainstream Media has attempted to portray as being singled out and bullied by the interim Honduran government, led by Roberto Micheletti, who continues to be vindicated on a nearly daily basis, simply by holding his ground and sticking to his guns. CFP reports:

David Romero Ellner and Radio Globo are significant because the media aims to make them into the newest martyrs of the Honduran government’s “crackdown” on civil rights. Reuters and other media outlets are already carrying touching narratives of the police raid on Radio Globo and David Romero Ellner continuing to carry on broadcasting over the web.

Your leftwing media at work.

It appears though that Ellner took some liberties with Zelaya's claims that Jewish mercenaries were poisoning him with radiation while he is holed up in the Brazliain embassy in Honduras. Here is what Ellner is quoted as saying on Radio Globo after Zelaya's comments.

“There are times when I ask myself if Hitler was or not correct in finishing with that race with the famous Holocaust. If there are people that do damage in this country, they are Jewish, the Israelis. I want to name, this afternoon here in Radio Globo, by name and last name, who are the two officers of the Jewish army who are working with the Armed Forces of our country and who are in charge of carrying out all these conspiracy activities and undercover actions and everything else that is happening to the President of the Republic.

“After what I have learned, I ask myself why, why didn’t we let Hitler carry out his historic mission. Forgive me for the grotesque expression. But I ask myself after I have realized this and many other things. I believe it should have been fair and valid to let Hitler finish his historic vision…

There is definitely a Marxist resurgence taking place in Latin America and thanks to Micheletti, we are seeing what is behind its mask. Zelaya is obviously an anti-semitic marxist who has the support of Hugo Chavez and Chavez has been getting quite cozy with another anti-semitic Islamist named Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The Obama administration continues to support reinstating Zelaya, even after the latter continues to be exposed for a would-be tyrannical and now an anti-semitic dictator whose lead propagandist champions the cause of Hitler.

Two very disturbing realities about Barack Obama. He is showing either a weakness or unwillingness to confront Iran. He is supporting anti-semitic Marxists in our southern hemisphere.

And, oh yeah, starting at the age of 9, he was mentored by a radical member of the Communist Party USA, FRANK MARSHALL DAVIS.

Relationships do indeed matter.

Here is my EARLIER POST on this.

ZELAYA: PORTUGUESE TRANSLATOR NEEDED

Ok, this whole Zelaya in Honduras thing needs to get exposed in a big way (and Obama's support of him along with it). A translation of the video below, if true, would say some very dangerous things about what Zelaya believes. As I've posted before, ousted Honduran president Manuel Zelaya accused Jewish mercenaries of trying to assassinate him and poison him with radiation as he was holed up in the Brazilian embassy.

The MIAMI HERALD reported:

It's been 89 days since Manuel Zelaya was booted from power. He's sleeping on chairs, and he claims his throat is sore from toxic gases and "Israeli mercenaries'' are torturing him with high-frequency radiation.

"We are being threatened with death,'' he said in an interview with The Miami Herald, adding that mercenaries were likely to storm the embassy where he has been holed up since Monday and assassinate him.

Yes, that's outlandish but in addition to having been confirmed, it would add credibility to a report that says Zelaya is on board with Hitler's efforts to eliminate the Jews.

Renaldo Azevedo, who writes for a Portuguese site called VEJA has written what appears to be a disturbing article about Zelaya. If the translation on FREE REPUBLIC is right, one of the things Zelaya said is:

[Excerpt of Zelaya's radio address] "At times, I ask myself if Hitler had no reason to have terminated that race with the famous Holocaust. If there were people what caused damage to that country, it was the Jews, the Israelits. I want, this afternoon, on Radio Globo, to say, with name and surname, who are the officials of the Jewish Army that are working with the Armed Forces of our country and which are responsible for all those activities of conspiracy happening to the president of the Republic [Zelaya referring to himself].

TRANSLATORS NEEDED! If you know anyone who can translate Portuguese, please email me or comment on this post. Based on the wording of the Free Republic post, I'm having a difficult time understanding if these are words specifically out of Zelaya's mouth or interpretations by the director of Globo radio, an entity that supports Zelaya.

Here is a link to audio from what the Free Republic post says is David Romero, director of Globo radio, who supports Manuel Zelaya.

Translators needed for this as well.

Antisemitismo y Xenofobia en Radio Globo from Daniel Lean on Vimeo.

If any of this is true, it sinks Manuel Zelaya to a despicable new low and takes Obama with him.

Be sure to read additional translations of Zelaya's alleged RADIO ADDRESS.

VIDEO: NEWT SLAMS OBAMA ON HONDURAS

Even the far left needs to own up to this one. The Obama administration's stance on restoring Honduran president Manuel Zelaya is aging like a sweaty sock. The longer Roberto Micheletti holds his ground, the more Zelaya exposes himself for who he is.

On June 28th, he was removed from office and even the CONGRESSIONAL LAW LIBRARY has determined their actions to be completely constitutional, except for deporting Zelaya - a move that could arguably have been an extension of kindness by Micheletti, who otherwise would have had to arrest Zelaya and charge him with treason.

As Zelaya remains holed up in the Brazilian embassy, he has made outrageous claims that Israeli mercenaries are plotting to assassinate him and that he is being poisoned with radiation. While neither Hillary nor Obama will admit it, they've both gotta be rolling their eyes inside a face palm.

To her credit, Greta has picked up on this story in recent weeks. Here she is talking with Newt about the situation in Honduras:



Leaders in the United States needing a lesson in courage (there are many) should look to Roberto Micheletti because he provides it in spades. With each passing day, he seems to impress while Zelaya looks increasingly like someone in need of medication.

For a microcosm of what I'm talking about, look no further than the current situation. Initially, Zelaya appeared to have done an end run around Micheletti by popping up inside the Brazilian embassy. Micheletti's hard line even then coupled with Zelaya's nutty words and actions have actually served to turn up the heat on Brazilian leadership from within.

REUTERS is reporting that the longer Zelaya is in Brazil's Honduran embassy, the more domestic support Brazil seems to be losing.

Brazil's government is facing growing criticism at home over its handling of the Honduran crisis as senior lawmakers accuse it of allowing the ousted president to use its embassy as a political platform.

Manuel Zelaya, who was toppled as Honduran president by a coup on June 28, has set up camp in the Brazilian embassy with dozens of supporters and has given numerous interviews to foreign and domestic media.

That last part, about him giving numerous interviews might be part of the problem. On Thursday, the 24th, Zelaya caused many to wonder if his white cowboy hat is made of tin foil when he made the outrageous claims about Israeli mercenaries going after him in an interview with the MIAMI HERALD.

h/t to GP for the Newt video.