Nicaragua rejects UN peacekeeper deployment in Honduras

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Xinhua

Nicaragua rejects UN peacekeeper deployment in Honduras
2009-07-20 09:41:53

MANAGUA, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega on Sunday rejected the idea of deploying UN peacekeeping troops in Honduras to defuse the political tension following the June 28 coup.

Speaking at a military ceremony, Ortega said the only viable way to solve the Honduran crisis is a full respect for the resolutions passed by the Organization of American States and the United Nations by the post-coup leader Roberto Micheletti.

Nicaragua shares a long border with Honduras.

"We call on Honduras' soldiers to stop repressing their brothers and to stop dyeing the territory of brother nation Honduras with blood," he told some 500,000 audience at La Fe Place, the biggest public square in the capital of Managua.


Read more: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-07/20/content_11737332.htm

[Robbien]

1. Just what Honduras doesn't need, more men with guns

What was the UN thinking?

Nice that Ortega is taking this stance.

[dipsydoodle]

2. Also helps prevent

anyone else creeping in unannounced and under cover. USA - know your place.

[arcos]

3. I agree the only way out is full respect for OAS and UN resolutions...

Which doesn't exclude UN peacekeepers, especially because it is Honduras' own military that is repressing people.

Right now, I'd say the the threat of violence is pretty real, and that should be avoided at all cost. UN peacekeepers seem like a good idea to me.

[Robbien]

4. Peacekeepers are never keepers of the peace

They are just an additional armed force to be used by The Powers That Be to suppress civilians. It usually turns out that more atrocities are made by foreign peacekeepers than by that of internal policing forces.

[arcos]

5. The Honduras regime is not recognized by anyone...

Only anti-Zelaya people in Honduras actually think Micheletti is the legitimate President.

Everyone else, including all right wing governments in the continent, don't recognize him. I really don't think UN peacekeepers would help The Powers That Be.

[Robbien]

6. Without a legitimate government body who would UN peacekeepers

report to? Right now all armed forces in Honduras follow Micheletti's commands.

Even if peacekeepers where keepers of the peace, right now is not the time for foreign armed men to be entering the country.

[arcos]

7. Actually, considering Zelaya may return any time now...

I think it is the perfect time for UN peacekeepers. The illegal government plans to arrest Zelaya when he comes in, and that will cause a civil war. UN peacekeepers may actually cause the government to rethink this. It is additional international pressure, much needed after the momentum has died out quite a bit.

[Robbien]

8. What do you expect the peacekeepers to be doing in the meantime?

If they are not to be following the illegitimate government orders, then what orders are they to be following? If they are not to be following government orders, do you believe Micheletti will allow them entry? Do you expect them to get in actual fights with government forces or just stand around twiddling their thumbs "giving the impression of international pressure".

And if Zelaya doesn't return any time now, then what are these guys supposed to do?


Ortega is right to not send them in now.

[arcos]

9. No, he probably would not allow them entry...

Which would be yet another embarrassment to the illegitimate government of Micheletti.

Zelaya will return, all indications are he will do so this week.

[endarkenment]

10. See for example Haiti.

The peacekeeping force there was used to prevent the restoration of the democratically elected government.

[David__77]

11. I agree. No "peacekeepers."

How Orwellian is that term anyway? They are armed forces, not "peacekeepers." I do not support a UN armed force in Honduras. If the legitimate government of Honduras headed by President Zelaya asks for assistance from a country, that may be another matter.