[Peace-discuss] State Department Terminates Aid to Honduras Coup Regime

[Morton K. Brussel]

Not a bad list, thank you, but I would put a few items differently for  
Afghanistan policy:

1) Elections sponsored by an occupying foreign power are inherently  
illegitimate. Only after that power
agrees to withdraw can an election be meaningful. "We" are not neutral  
players in the Afghan game.
  Even if it seems unrealizable/impractical, that is a policy that  
those favoring justice should support.

2) Rather than "not escalate militarily", it should be to cease all  
military activities (except under strict conditions those which are  
purely in self defense).

--mkb

On Sep 4, 2009, at 1:49 PM, Robert Naiman wrote:

> Well, first of all I should make clear that I don't think it will be
> documented that Karzai stole the election, because I don't yet think
> that he stole it, although there is still outstanding information. It
> seems clear that Karzai's people tried to steal a bunch of votes, but
> so did Abdullah's people. The official returns are close to the
> pre-election polling.
>
> But, in any event, in Afghanistan I think that the U.S. should, in the
> short run:
>
> - allow the election process to play out, including the international
> process for verifying the vote count
> - support the formation of a national unity government
> - not escalate militarily
> - announce a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops
> - support the proposal of the UN for a broad process of national
> reconcilation, including the Taliban.
> - as part of "support," be willing to make concessions as part of
> negotiations, including agreeing to a timetable for total withdrawal,
> the release of prisoners, ending military operations, accepting that
> reforms of the Afghan constitution be considered.
>
> with respect to Honduras, I think the U.S. should:
>
> - continue to support the OAS consensus for the restoration of
> democracy in Honduras, including the return of President Zelaya
> - continue to pressure the coup regime with sanctions targeted at the
> coup leaders
> - say that it will not recognize elections that take place under the
> coup regime (they've already said a version of this.)
>
>
>
> On Fri, Sep 4, 2009 at 2:09 PM, C. G.  
> Estabrook<galliher at illinois.edu> wrote:
>> Bob--
>>
>> The more I think about your example, the more puzzled I become.
>>
>> "Suppose that it's documented that Karzai stole the Afghan  
>> election. And
>> people in Afghanistan say to the U.S., what are you going to do  
>> about that?"
>>
>> What in fact should the US do?
>>
>> Finish your thought experiment. What would would be consistent in re
>> Honduras and Afghanistan?  --CGE
>>
>>
>> Robert Naiman wrote:
>>>
>>> ... Suppose that it were documented that Karzai stole the Afghan  
>>> election.
>>> And people in Afghanistan say to the U.S., what are you going to  
>>> do about
>>> that? And Holbrooke were to say, well, we can't interfere in the  
>>> internal
>>> affairs of Afghanistan. Karzai is the president.
>>>
>>> Would anyone take that seriously? It wouldn't pass the laugh test.
>>>
>>> On Fri, Sep 4, 2009 at 11:57 AM, C. G. Estabrook<galliher at illinois.edu 
>>> >
>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> If this argument is valid, why doesn't it work for Iraq and  
>>>> Afghanistan,
>>>> where "the U.S. is very deeply entangled"?  --CGE
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Robert Naiman wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> As for the cessation of U.S. military activity in the region,  
>>>>> including
>>>>> removing the base in Honduras, and stopping the basing agreement  
>>>>> in
>>>>> Colombia, I'm all for it.
>>>>>
>>>>> "Non-intervention," as you describe it, is not an item on the  
>>>>> menu in
>>>>> this restaurant at this time. The U.S. is very deeply entangled  
>>>>> in Honduras.
>>>>> It has trained and supplied the Honduran military. The choices  
>>>>> before the
>>>>> U.S. are to support the coup or oppose it. The "non- 
>>>>> intervention" you
>>>>> advocate, if implemented, would equal support for the coup.  
>>>>> That's how it
>>>>> will be perceived - indeed, is already being perceived - in  
>>>>> Honduras and
>>>>> throughout Latin America.
>>
>
>
>
> -- 
> Robert Naiman
> Just Foreign Policy
> www.justforeignpolicy.org
> naiman at justforeignpolicy.org
>
> Senator Feingold Calls for Timetable for U.S. Troop Withdrawal from  
> Afghanistan
> http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/exit-afghanistan
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