Yes. The initial NYT report made it seem like maybe they were trying to leave themselves some wiggle room, but Crowley's statement as reported in WaPo seems more definitive.
U.S. Terminates $22 Million in Aid to Honduras Ginger Thompson, New York Times, September 4, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/04/world/americas/04honduras.html Washington - Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, responding to calls to increase pressure on the de facto Honduras government, announced the termination on Thursday of about $22 million in United States aid that was suspended immediately after President Manuel Zelaya was deposed. "Restoration of the terminated assistance will be predicated upon a return to democratic, constitutional governance in Honduras," said the State Department announcement. ... The State Department also announced that it was revoking the visas of several people who had been identified as members or supporters of the current Honduran government. And officials said that, as matters stand, the Obama administration would not recognize the upcoming Honduran presidential elections. ... A clash also appears to be brewing between the administration and some Latin American countries over whether to recognize the Honduran election scheduled to take place this autumn. Several countries, including Brazil, Mexico and Chile, have said they would not recognize an election overseen by the de facto government. The United States, Canada and Caribbean countries have so far not taken a formal position, saying that an election may be the only peaceful way to end the conflict that has polarized Honduras. ... U.S. May Not Recognize Results of Honduran Vote Mary Beth Sheridan, Washington Post, Friday, September 4, 2009 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/03/AR2009090302624.html The U.S. government on Thursday toughened its stance against Honduras's coup leaders and supporters, threatening to put them "in a box" by not recognizing the winner of a presidential election set for November. The de facto government had hoped that the election would provide an end to the crisis that has gripped the Central American country since the ouster of President Manuel Zelaya on June 28. The balloting had been scheduled well before Zelaya was detained and whisked out of the country by the military. But U.S. officials said for the first time that they would continue to shun the country unless Honduran leaders went back to a negotiated plan that would allow the return of Zelaya with limited powers until the expiration of his term in December. "Based on conditions as they currently exist, we cannot recognize the results of this election. So for the de facto regime, they're now in a box," said State Department spokesman Philip J. Crowley. "And they will have to sign on to the San Jose accords to get out of the box." He was referring to the plan for Zelaya's return, which was negotiated in the Costa Rican capital. The announcement amounted to a gamble that the threat would finally force the de facto government to back down. So far, that government, led by longtime congressman Roberto Micheletti, has resisted intense international pressure, both economic and political. ... The U.S. moves were applauded by Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, who has encouraged a negotiated settlement. "The coup regime has engaged in undemocratic practices that cast a dark shadow over elections scheduled for November. Those elections will lack legitimacy unless the regime embraces and faithfully implements the San Jose Accord," he said in a statement. Major Latin American countries have said they would not recognize the results of the November election unless the coup is reversed. -- Robert Naiman Just Foreign Policy www.justforeignpolicy.org [email protected] Senator Feingold Calls for Timetable for U.S. Troop Withdrawal from Afghanistan http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/exit-afghanistan On Sun, Sep 20, 2009 at 11:43 AM, c b <[email protected]> wrote: > First I have heard of this. Is it true ? If so, it's pretty significant. > > Charles > > "Perhaps most significant is the announcement that the U.S. government > will not recognize the results of the November elections if they occur > under the de facto regime" > > > > > Some other measures announced by the U.S. government may be more > effective in cutting off air supply to the coup than the weak > sanctions and contradictory military cut-off. Visas were revoked for > coup members, including leader Roberto Micheletti, business supporters > and the 14 members of the Supreme Court. Perhaps most significant is > the announcement that the U.S. government will not recognize the > results of the November elections if they occur under the de facto > regime. This announcement, followed by a similar announcement by the > OAS, isolates the coup regime in its efforts to stage elections in a > militarized country. > > > > Read more at: > http://www.huffingtonpost.com/laura-carlsen/cutting-off-the-honduran_b_289520.html > > > Laura CarlsenDirector, Americas Program, Center For International Policy > Posted: September 17, 2009 12:14 AM BIO Become a Fan Get Email Alerts > Bloggers' Index > Cutting Off the Honduran Coup's Air Supply > digg Huffpost - stumble reddit del.ico.us ShareThis > Read More: Honduran Coup, Inter-American Development Bank, Millennium > Challenge Corporation, Panamax, School Of The Americas Watch, World > News > > > > Be the First to Submit > This Story to Digg Buzz up! Get Breaking News Alerts > > never spam > Share Print CommentsThe political crawl space that Honduran coup > leaders packed themselves into on June 28 would appear to be running > out of air. > > A burgeoning grassroots movement from below and continued pressures > from the international community above have reduced the space, > although the coup-mongers continue to control access to the state > apparatus and use the Armed Forces to support their stand-off with the > world and the Honduran people. They stubbornly insist that they will > run their illegal government, stage their unrecognized elections, > spend the coffers of their impoverished and divided nation--no matter > what anybody says or does. From their basement stronghold, the > strategy of hunkering down relies on military forces in the streets to > fend off challenges and reliable sources of outside supplies. With > grassroots challenges growing throughout the country and outside > supplies being cut off, the question the world is asking is: how long > can this last? > > Pressure or Simulation from Above? > > Measuring the coup's current air supply is a tricky undertaking. There > are few, if any historical precedents. South America's military > dictatorships lasted decades, but at a huge human cost in > assassinations and repression, without the international opprobrium > and sanctions, and with support from the U.S. government. > > One part of the task at hand is to evaluate the real impact of current > sanctions against the Honduran coup. On Sept. 3, the State Department > announced the termination of $33 million dollars, including $11 > million in Millennium Challenge Funds and approximately $22 in State > Department funds. The State Department finally broke down these > numbers for reporters in a teleconference: $9.4 million from USAID > (including $8.7 million in development assistance and Economic Support > Funds and $2.7 million in child survival and health), State Dept. > money at $8.96 million ($6.5 million in Foreign Military Financing, > $361,000 in International Military Education and Training, and $1.72 > million in global peacekeeping operations) and $1.7 in 1206 security > assistance. This is added to the $16.5 million in military aid > suspended in July. > > State Department officials closed the door on determining legally that > a military coup took place in Honduras and requiring application of > Section 7008 of the Foreign Operations law. They assured reporters > that all funds that could be suspended under Section 7008 have now > been suspended. This is a highly debatable contention that requires > further research. > > In any case, the sanctions imposed are dwarfed by the money that > continues to go to the illegal regime. The State Department has > admitted that $70 million in aid--over twice the amount > suspended--will still flow to the coup. Following its meeting, the > Millennium Challenge Fund declared on Sept. 9 the formal suspension of > the $11 million. But Bill Conroy at Narco News reports that the > Millennium Challenge Fund plans to sustain an estimated $100 million > in funds to Honduras from now through the end of 2010. Funds that have > already been disbursed are not even under review. > > Then there are the international financial institutions where the U.S. > has a controlling vote. Although the World Bank, Inter-American > Development Bank and International Monetary Fund announced in early > July a freeze on loans to Honduras, not all disbursements on approved > loans are halted. The Americas Program has found that the IDB approved > four loans in the four days before the coup--when the press was > already reporting an imminent rupture. This was the highest > concentration of approvals in recent history and total over $70 > million dollars. IDB President Luis Alberto Moreno stated that the > bank would not be providing any new credits, meaning disbursements on > these loans continue. > > Diplomatic sanctions have been equally ambiguous. The refusal to issue > the official designation of a military coup is an unjustifiable > omission in legal and moral terms, regardless of the sanctions > imposed. One reporter asked: "But for the lay person, it's very hard > to understand, I think, why you wouldn't view it as a military coup > when the military was clearly so intimately involved in his removal > from office and exile." > > State Department Officials One and Two both eluded the question, > stating only that an "important signal" was being sent through the > actions. The move has more bark than bite though, since all the aid > terminated had already been suspended. Now with the seeming refusal to > ever declare the military coup, the State Department has taken a step > backwards in opposing the coup and cut Congress out of any process of > reviewing all U.S. aid to the coup regime or deciding on when > suspensions are lifted. > > Sending mixed messages appears to be the official U.S. policy on > Honduras these days. The press reported that the U.S. Department of > Defense invited the same Honduran Armed Forces that carried out the > coup to participate in the regional PANAMAX exercises this week. A > flurry of confusion ensued, with SouthCom stating that Honduras will > not participate, the Honduran ambassador to Panama stating that > Honduras is participating, and a Panamanian spokesperson for the > exercises stating that Honduras was invited but will not send > warships. > > Ambassador Juan Alfaro, loyal to President Zelaya, threw more fuel on > the fire by adding, "What seems odd to me is that military aid was > suspended right after the coup and this shows that the Pentagon acts > in one way and Obama in another." In another contradiction, School of > the Americas Watch reports that the U.S. training facility linked to > coup-mongers and torturers continues to train Honduran military > personnel. > > Some other measures announced by the U.S. government may be more > effective in cutting off air supply to the coup than the weak > sanctions and contradictory military cut-off. Visas were revoked for > coup members, including leader Roberto Micheletti, business supporters > and the 14 members of the Supreme Court. Perhaps most significant is > the announcement that the U.S. government will not recognize the > results of the November elections if they occur under the de facto > regime. This announcement, followed by a similar announcement by the > OAS, isolates the coup regime in its efforts to stage elections in a > militarized country. > > However, the U.S. has still not frozen the assets of those responsible > for the coup. Questions exist about continued funding through > democracy-promotion programs. These measures, or lack of measures, > provide a continued air supply to the de facto regime. Support from > international rightwing organizations also sustains the Honduran coup, > although details of material and training support from these sources > are scarce. > > Hondurans Step up Grassroots Organizing > > As all this goes on, the Honduran National Front Against the Coup is > consolidating the movement for a return to constitutional order and a > constitutional assembly. It decided to boycott the elections and > candidates are being met by angry demonstrations throughout the > country. > > Through a combination of spontaneous local organizing and an explicit > decision from the Front, organizing efforts have spread from the > capital city of Tegucigalpa into the departments. A rotating national > committee with regional representatives was formed. On the Atlantic > coast, the city of La Ceiba has been particularly active. Groups have > formed to defend teachers arrested for suspending classes two days a > week to participate in the resistance in La Ceiba, El Paraiso and > other parts of the country. New women's organizations have also formed > to join the resistance to the coup in western Honduras, and poor > neighborhoods in Tegucigalpa have created their own organizations to > coordinate community actions. > > The National Agrarian Institute has been in the hands of anti-coup > organizations since June 28 and demonstrations have paralyzed other > government institutions for periods of time since the coup. A lively > debate exists on how to step up the pressure through these actions > while maintaining the commitment to non-violence and avoiding > situations that could lead to violent repression and conflict. The > defense of human rights is an on-going pillar of the movement, as > demonstrators face increasing repression and arbitrary arrests. > > The battle to oust the illegal regime is far from over. Grassroots > organizations in the United States have mobilized to support Honduran > efforts for democracy, fresh from fact-finding visits to Honduras. > > School of the Americas Watch is now touring major U.S. cities (see > schedule here). I'll be speaking about the coup in several U.S. cities > in October and Rights Action will also be touring in October (more > information at [email protected]). U.S. citizens can attend these > events to learn about what the press is not reporting and find ways to > support democracy in the Hemisphere. > > Follow Laura Carlsen on Twitter: www.twitter.com/tortuga7 > > The political crawl space that Honduran coup leaders packed themselves > into on June 28 would appear to be running out of air. A burgeoning > grassroots movement from below and continued pressures from ... > The political crawl space that Honduran coup leaders packed themselves > into on June 28 would appear to be running out of air. A burgeoning > grassroots movement from below and continued pressures from ... > > > Read more at: > http://www.huffingtonpost.com/laura-carlsen/cutting-off-the-honduran_b_289520.html > _______________________________________________ > pen-l mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l > _______________________________________________ pen-l mailing list [email protected] https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
