Report: UN concluded Zelaya removal legal; Update: UN says was just a consultant opinion
posted at 8:47 am on October 14, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
The Obama administration has insisted that the removal of Manuel Zelaya from office violated Honduran and international law and amounts to a military coup. According to one report this morning, though, the United Nations has reached an entirely different conclusion. Hondudario, translated by Google, reports that the UN’s Department of Political Affairs concluded that the removal of Zelaya from office was legal and justified (via La Gringa’s Blogicito):
A study by the Department of Political Affairs of the United Nations Organization (UNO) on the causes of the crisis in Honduras, concluded that the removal of President Manuel Zelaya, “was constitutional under the laws of the country,” confirmed officials of that agency.
This version was officially known today by senior UN officials, which also coincides with the study prepared by the Library of Congress, which looked at by his side, the situation that generated and maintained in a political crisis in Honduras.
The document of the study by the Department of Political Affairs of the UN, with other information base (another truth) received at the last visit to Honduras, where it converged with representatives of the Organization of American States (OAS) and took advantage to meet other scenarios that were unclear.
The information on this collegial resolution of these experts, was provided to hondudiario.com, official sources and pressures inferred strategies that promote the former foreign minister Patricia Rhodes and the permanent representative of Venezuela in the Permanent Council to seek more sanctions against Honduras and require the return of former President Zelaya, which warned of “an ultimatum” to this October 15.
Bear in mind that Hondudario ran this in an editorial, at least as far as I can tell. Nothing else has hit the wires about a UN determination in this crisis. The UN’s DPA has a website, but does not have anything at all on the Honduran stand-off.
If this turns out to be true, though, it would come as a shock and embarrassment to the White House. The Law Library of Congress has already reached the same conclusion, a development which the Obama administration has ignored, and which most of the media have studiously avoided mentioning. A UN report backing Roberto Micheletti, the Honduran parliament, and Supreme Court would expose Obama’s knee-jerk conclusion and siding with democracy advocates such as the Castro brothers and Hugo Chavez for the amateurish bungling that it was.
Update: TrueSlant says the UN has issued a statement explaining that they have not yet taken a position, and that this was an opinion from a DPA consulting firm:
A recent Honduran media report appears to refer to an analysis submitted by a consultant as representing the views of the Department of Political Affairs This is highly misleading. The Department of Political Affairs routinely receives reports and analyses of this type from consultants, academics and other experts. But its views are strictly in line with that outlined in the General Assembly Resolution.
Perhaps the UN would release the consultant report to see how it matches with the Congressional finding.
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Now the only ones left to figure out reality is the Obama Administration.
J_Crater on October 14, 2009 at 8:49 AM
So will the UN leader extend an apology to Honduras?
Skywise on October 14, 2009 at 8:50 AM
Wow we are more left than the UN. Not a good way to start my day.
sammypants on October 14, 2009 at 8:50 AM
You know, if Obama wasn’t as dumb a a doorknob, he wouldn’t be intellectually hanging out with tyrants and despots.
J_Crater on October 14, 2009 at 8:51 AM
So at this point in time, it’s basically the Obama Administration, hands over its ears, screaming LaLaLa in the face of factual reality.
BadgerHawk on October 14, 2009 at 8:51 AM
But how can that be? Obama is the Kwisatz Haderach (see Dune)
He is all-knowing and infallible. He has won the Nobel Peace Prize. I predict he will win the Heisman Trophy this year. The U.N. is wrong. The Honduran Judiciary is wrong, their constitution is wrong too. /sarc
skatz51 on October 14, 2009 at 8:53 AM
Not really, it’s not like they supported supported him. They were just trying to reduce the tension.
LastRick on October 14, 2009 at 8:54 AM
Boy, Google translations suck!
Trafalgar on October 14, 2009 at 8:54 AM
So Obama has to find a way to recognize the new Honduran president without looking like the UN gave him the greenlight to do so even though we know it is the UN’s approval that makes it a-okay…
Could America have made a worse choice? We will pay for our folly.
Theworldisnotenough on October 14, 2009 at 8:54 AM
Many times fortunatly, and this time not-so fortunatly, the UN is worthless and meaningless. Nobody really cares what their commissions say.
Aristotle on October 14, 2009 at 8:55 AM
It’s the UN, so we gotta listen to them
DarkCurrent on October 14, 2009 at 8:55 AM
Reality has a way of hitting socialists in the face, and this one landed hard. Expect Obama and the MSM to ignore the story like they do anything else counter to their belief system. Maybe it’ll just go away.
Liam on October 14, 2009 at 8:55 AM
Outflanking the UN to the left? Good work Chairman O – good work.
forest on October 14, 2009 at 8:55 AM
I’m sure this will be front page news…
PatriotRider on October 14, 2009 at 8:55 AM
“Smart Diplomacy” doesn’t seem so smart now.
Colonel Tom Edwards: Why is it so important that you want to contact the governments of our earth?
Eros: Because of death. Because all you of Earth are idiots.
Jeff Trent: Now you just hold on, Buster.
Eros: No, you hold on.
J_Crater on October 14, 2009 at 8:55 AM
I honestly believe that 0bama is at his core a marxist fascist. Back when he had approval ratings of 70% I think he had delusions of remaining in office past January 2017, and backed Zelaya both because he’s a fellow marxist and that he didn’t want to appear hypocritical when he used a “crisis” (probably of his own making) to suspend elections in 2016.
Of course it’s gone long past that, it’s pretty obvious now that as long as the 2010 and 2012 elections are actually free and fair elections (and ACORN was going to do everything they could to make sure they weren’t) that a 2nd term for 0bama could only be accomplished by a miracle at this point.
That miracle being that 0bama’s marxist policies actually result in an economic recovery. I just don’t see it happening. Nor do I see 0bama changing tactics like Clinton did in 1995.
wildcat84 on October 14, 2009 at 8:58 AM
Hear hear! I realize that this is a preliminary and therefore not necessarily reliable report but even if/when something comes “over the wires” it will be irrelevant — as the NYT and MSNBC will refuse to report on it and Bambi will decide to put his fingers in his ears.
zenscreamer on October 14, 2009 at 8:58 AM
So, the UN has now provided the ‘political cover’ for Teh One so that he get out the corner he’s painted himself into.
Anyone wanna bet he’s gonna double-down on stupid instead?
CPT. Charles on October 14, 2009 at 8:58 AM
This Administration has outlawed all shock and embarrassment. That is why they will no longer appear on Fox News.
kingsjester on October 14, 2009 at 8:58 AM
Imagine that.
ctmom on October 14, 2009 at 8:59 AM
Barack Obama, Nobel laureate. and idiot.
J_Crater on October 14, 2009 at 8:59 AM
It has nothing to do with legality, but everything to do with assisting another tinpot dictator staying in power from the Obama perspective.
To the people of Honduras, I offer my hopes that Honduras will stay the course, operating under its own Constitution and respect for the rule of law.
To the Obama Administration, I offer hope that the rest of the world [and the People of the United States, as well] will see the informal alliance between Obama and those marxist dictators in Latin America who scoff at the rule of law, holding no law valid but their own whims and desires to quash free people speaking freely to prevent them from establishing and maintaining free societies.
For being such a foreign policy genius, with a Nobel Peace prize to show for it, Obama is the first president in our history to openly declare that a Constitution and the rule of law should be ignored.
Perhaps Honduras should approach the International Court of Justice in the Hague and demand legal redress for Obama interfering with the free conduct of Honduras to operate under its own freely enacted Constitution.
coldwarrior on October 14, 2009 at 9:00 AM
+1
It is all about the tension after all. Not freedom or democracy, but tension.
sammypants on October 14, 2009 at 9:00 AM
shocka!
——
cmsinaz on October 14, 2009 at 9:01 AM
Considering that they sneaked mindcrimes into law recently, I’d imagine that criticism of 0bama will soon be labeled “hate speech” and punishable by imprisonment in the many new “camps” being set up.
wildcat84 on October 14, 2009 at 9:02 AM
I’m sorry, did the UN win some kind of election I should know about?
/obama
LibTired on October 14, 2009 at 9:02 AM
From LaGringa’s Blogicito. A guest post by Daniel Dyer on 9/30 speculating on how Zelaya got back in.
Obama may have been snookered into sneaking Zelaya into the country by Lula and Chavez. They may have assured him there would be a popular uprising, and no one would know how Zelaya got in. But it fizzled, and now Obama has to keep supporting Zelaya so Zelaya won’t spill the beans.
Wethal on October 14, 2009 at 9:02 AM
Victory for Freedom and Liberty…now if only the whimpy in chief would just acknowledge this fact..
hawkman on October 14, 2009 at 9:03 AM
Since Peace Prize Boy appears to be stuck indeterminably on stupid, can’t take the bet.
TXUS on October 14, 2009 at 9:04 AM
I don’t know which is the biggest news here – that the UN finally called something right or that Obama’s administration is yet again on the wrong side of a freedom issue. Senator Jim Demint had to fight for scheduling a fact finding mission to Honduras which was originally nixed by Obama. Last I read Demint won out and will be taking a delegation to Honduras. Thank you Senator DeMint. Just think – all it would take is for someone in the Obama administration to look up the definition of a coup.
AusTex girl on October 14, 2009 at 9:05 AM
And let’s not forget Jim DeMint who went to Honduras (with a few other republicans) on a fact finding trip. Shock of all shocks, John Kerry attempted to block it… to no avail. As I recall, DeMint stated the majority of the people agree with the ousting, they simply want fair elections (as fair as it can be there)and they are pretty upset over the US sanctions.
So much for that peace prize, eh BO??!
atlgal on October 14, 2009 at 9:07 AM
But they’re tense and therefore we can see why Barry can’t support them. /sarc
zenscreamer on October 14, 2009 at 9:10 AM
Yes! Yes! What a wonderful thing to wake up to. I don’t care how it makes the One look. I don’t care if it’s not reported by anyone else. Justice may be alive after all. I can’t believe the UN did something I agree with. For some strange reason, this situation has been really bugging me since the beginning. I’m happy.
shibumiglass on October 14, 2009 at 9:11 AM
Given his decades long connection to ACORN, we know that one thing Barry doesn’t believe in is a free and fair election.
wildcat84 on October 14, 2009 at 9:11 AM
It doesn’t matter what’s legal, moral or theical. And it doesn’t matter what the Library of Congress says, or what the UN says. What matters is Manuel Zelaya’s ideology. Leftist ideology is the determining factor in the White House, Congress and most of the news media.
Loxodonta on October 14, 2009 at 9:11 AM
actually, Obama will use this opportunity to say “we truly support the good works of the UN, blah, blah; but we don’t always agree with them”. then he can say that Iran is wonderful & move forward towards total surrender to Islam.
kelley in virginia on October 14, 2009 at 9:12 AM
It is very disturbing as an American to see my country supporting a marxist Chavez/Castro wannabe.
We are supposed to stand for something, and that means we should side with the people of ANY country that wants democracy against ANY dictator.
wildcat84 on October 14, 2009 at 9:13 AM
Sen. Lugar as well, clueless old man.
Onager on October 14, 2009 at 9:14 AM
Almost as bad, someone in the administration might actually care what the U.N. has to say on the matter.
desertdweller on October 14, 2009 at 9:14 AM
This White House is beyond embarrassment or shame. If they mention it at all, they’ll somehow blame this report on Bush or right wing media.
highhopes on October 14, 2009 at 9:19 AM
Why should the UN be a basis for any conclusions or decisions, either way?
Shy Guy on October 14, 2009 at 9:20 AM
I never thought I would see the day when I would agree with the UN over my own president.
We really have entered the Twilight Zone. Let us just hope & pray there is another day to follow.
rbj on October 14, 2009 at 9:20 AM
An administration on training wheels.
Alden Pyle on October 14, 2009 at 9:22 AM
Relax, only half the country supports Obama at this point.
You were talking about Obama, right?
Daggett on October 14, 2009 at 9:23 AM
Obama KNOWS he’s in the wrong on this but had to throw a bone to his lefty and commie buds chavez and castro. All will be well now that our “superiors” at the UN have sorted things out and made a final proclamation on the matter (the only one they could have made)…but in the mean time, US sovereign authority takes another body blow.
starman on October 14, 2009 at 9:24 AM
Shouldn’t Hussein Obama’s support for the legally-ousted Zelaya, in an illegal comeback bid/attempted coup, be enough to revoke his Peace Prize?
Liam on October 14, 2009 at 9:24 AM
I hope he fails, and fails fast… before he wrecks this country beyond repair.
petefrt on October 14, 2009 at 9:26 AM
As far as I’m concerned, we should get out of the UN and kick their sorry a$$es out of this country…
But then again, I’m not teH ONE aspiring to be World President loved by all…
BigWyo on October 14, 2009 at 9:27 AM
It’s still disturbing if half do. Support for communism in this country, if people were properly educated should never exceed 5%.
wildcat84 on October 14, 2009 at 9:28 AM
Obamacare IS his Waterloo. It doesn’t matter if it passes or not at this point. If it passes it angers the people, if it doesn’t pass it proves Obama to be impotent.
wildcat84 on October 14, 2009 at 9:30 AM
Being Obama means never having to say you’re sorry. The UN obviously mis-spoke.
Seriously, as others commented already, I can’t believe we’re to the left of the UN!!! Forget the Twilight Zone; we’ve gone clear to the Outer Limits.
jwolf on October 14, 2009 at 9:32 AM
So let me get this straight – the policies of the United States is now to the left of the U.N.???
Scranton on October 14, 2009 at 9:33 AM
Yep, and if a goodly portion of the American populace wasn’t as dumb as a box of rocks Obama wouldn’t be president now.
Oldnuke on October 14, 2009 at 9:38 AM
So did this happen during the evaluation period for his Nobel?
GunRunner on October 14, 2009 at 9:39 AM
Tarnish on the Nobel Peace Prize, before they even hand it to him? Who could have forseen that?
Somebody is going to have to do a lot of burnishing on that thingy before he actually gets it in his hands. It is encased in so much dried bulls**t that is difficult to remove.
Yoop on October 14, 2009 at 9:39 AM
Now I see why the Nobel committee gave him the prize before he actually did anything.
Vashta.Nerada on October 14, 2009 at 9:41 AM
I guess Barry is now going to have to throw the UN under the bus.
Really Right on October 14, 2009 at 9:42 AM
Is that where Obama peers through a telescope and says “that’s far away”? Or is it when he puts his feet up on the desk in the Oval Office, enjoys a toke, and says “Far Out, dudes”?
Yoop on October 14, 2009 at 9:46 AM
Wait, you mean Obama acted unilaterally against the wishes of the UN?
NO. At least before the Iraq War Bush went to the UN and got consensus agreement like a dozen times before he did anything. Now we have this cowboy in the oval office determined to act imperialistically and ruin our image in the world.
ThackerAgency on October 14, 2009 at 9:48 AM
Oh, crap.
So no matter which side you choose in this, you either agree with Obama or with the UN?
I think my brain just cracked a little.
Midas on October 14, 2009 at 9:54 AM
Obama is the worst thing to happen to the US in 40 years. Many of us knew it before the election, many are just waking up now and many are still drinking left over kool-aid. At any rate, if this is true and I believe it is, our illustrious leader is going to have to eat crow and since he is the great apologizer I have faith that he can do it.
One more apology for America to another country should fall easily from his lips.
SgtRed on October 14, 2009 at 9:55 AM
Obama is MORE liberal than the United Nations. What an embarrassment he is.
Gabe on October 14, 2009 at 9:55 AM
Hey libtatrds, why do you hate the UN? Why must you always be unilateral cowboys? LOL
Speedwagon82 on October 14, 2009 at 9:58 AM
Wow, maybe BarryO will invited all of Honduras in for a beer.
Robert17 on October 14, 2009 at 10:01 AM
All the White House and State Dept need to do is have the press keep a lid on this until the Honduran elections in a couple of weeks, 2nd week of November I believe, and then they can make a big show out of congratulating them on their democratic process.
Just A Grunt on October 14, 2009 at 10:01 AM
Sorry to disagree, but you just maligned cowboys.
Real cowboys actually had a rather strict, unwritten code-of-ethics. There is even a book or two written about that. They would have run Obama off the range and out of the country by now.
Yoop on October 14, 2009 at 10:08 AM
Do not forget that Hillary was in this up to her neck too. She was even more of an Alinsky fan that Obama. The only difference between Bush 1 and Clinton and Bush 2 and Obama is how fast they push us toward globalism. They are all in it together, working with the global power and money brokers to bring America to it’s knees and Obama is the final push.
The stimulus must be immediatly put back. Interest rates have to go up. The global supply of dollers has to be brought down. Taxes on businesses and people must immediatly be dropped to get the economy going. Soros, and the rest of his global crew have purposly ruined our economy. We collapsed in 2008 but the world has covered it up by proping up the doller. Geither and Bernake will eventually let it fall. They are not there to make us better, they are there to make sure it fails.
patriotparty1 on October 14, 2009 at 10:12 AM
He is pretty much as dumb as Sean Penn, if you don’t include his performance in “I Am Sam” where Sean managed to show some signs of intelligence.
Michelle Dubois on October 14, 2009 at 10:19 AM
Even the U.N. can see this was legal…even them.
Some constitutional expert we have in the White House.
right2bright on October 14, 2009 at 10:20 AM
The poster who defends child molesters, who thinks it is okay to rape a teenager is worried about “our” image…I think you have some work to do first pal.
Did you ever seek counseling like you were asked to?
right2bright on October 14, 2009 at 10:24 AM
The smart thing in the voting ‘present’ mode for Obama to do would be to quietly let this thing drop once the elections are held, since by Honduran constitution Zelaya couldn’t have served past that date anyway. But my guess is the ideologues are going to ignore that little tidbit of information and claim even in the run-up to Election Day that the vote is illegitimate, in order to continue the pressure on Honduras (though once the election is past, to continue the pressure would mean to be pressuring the country to basically install a Chavez-like ‘president for life’ back into office).
jon1979 on October 14, 2009 at 10:24 AM
Now where’s our own State Department’s legal reasoning?
danking70 on October 14, 2009 at 10:25 AM
It’s not because he’s dumb. It’s because he’s a tyrant/despot wannabe.
Daggett on October 14, 2009 at 10:27 AM
I agree. I was just joking because I knew you weren’t really talking about Obama.
Daggett on October 14, 2009 at 10:28 AM
OMG, we are so screwed. The fact that this WH couldn’t strategize itself out of a wet paper bag is becoming more apparent everyday! Look at Glenn Beck’s new Anita Dunn’s direct line “red phone” as another example of the mental midgets we have running this Country.
I was discussing Obama’s support of Zelaya with a liberal relative of mine, and his response to me was “what’s the big deal? Why are you concerned about this?” I said anytime the POTUS’s position aligns with Castro, Chavez and Ortega, we should all be concerned.
SoldiersMom on October 14, 2009 at 10:28 AM
Can we do the same thing????
swimcoachmike on October 14, 2009 at 10:31 AM
Effing hilarious: our Secretary of State and Our Idiot President function to the left of the UN on foreign policy in central America. They have more in common with Chavez and Castro than with the democratically elected representatives of Honduras.
Breathtaking.
Jaibones on October 14, 2009 at 10:39 AM
Last night at John Bolton’s foreign policy speech at the University of Chicago, a kid asked Bolton a question about Honduras. It was the only question he couldn’t answer with great authority.
He basically said “I have no idea what Obama and Clinton are thinking on Honduras. If you think you know, tell us.”
Jaibones on October 14, 2009 at 10:42 AM
Being told by the U.N. that you have gone to far in your fascism has to tell you something….
right2bright on October 14, 2009 at 10:44 AM
That’s a great answer from a brilliant man…so much said in that “non” answer.
right2bright on October 14, 2009 at 10:45 AM
Note to Obama on Honduras:
“YOU LIED!”
profitsbeard on October 14, 2009 at 10:46 AM
FIFY
profitsbeard on October 14, 2009 at 10:50 AM
***
Comrade Obama (PBUH) backs Zelaya as he tries to make himself El Presidente for life. Hugo Chavez, Fidel Castro, the OAS, and other anti-democracy leaders and groups applaud his actions.
***
What part of “democRAT” / liberal / socialist / statist / marxist / communist President Obama (PBUH) and his ilk don’t you understand? The One’s actions are in line with his core beliefs and actions. Birds of a feather flock together.
***
John Bibb
***
rocketman on October 14, 2009 at 11:21 AM
The UN has more respect for a constitutional process and opposes the usurpation of the Constitution by a marxist named Zelaya than Obama does?
Ladies and germs, we have SFB president.
BottomLine5 on October 14, 2009 at 11:40 AM
Watch out UN. You are now on Obama’s enemy list. You are in good company.
WyoMike on October 14, 2009 at 11:45 AM
Hang on a second. The UN made a correct decision about something?
This has got to be a first!
hawksruleva on October 14, 2009 at 11:56 AM
That’s the same way I feel about our Afghanistan policy.
hawksruleva on October 14, 2009 at 11:57 AM
Hasn’t that been the case for the last 9-10 months? He bungled the oath of office!
jdkchem on October 14, 2009 at 11:58 AM
Looks like there is a new cowboy in town …
Barack Obama, Nobel laureate.
The price of that medal is looking pretty darn steep about now.
J_Crater on October 14, 2009 at 12:02 PM
Simply Amazing!
Hussein was educated in an Ivy League School! What the Hell happened. If he actually studied Law he should have known that.
BigMike252 on October 14, 2009 at 12:11 PM
That’s the same way I feel about our Afghanistan policy.
hawksruleva on October 14, 2009 at 11:57 AM
He’s a bigger idiot than I thought if he thinks that the press will cover for him while soldiers are dying. The press may be full of traitorous liberal scum, but they know a good story when they see one.
Jaibones on October 14, 2009 at 12:20 PM
But, but, Roberto Micheletti, the Honduran parliament, and Supreme Court acted so stupidly!
mrt721 on October 14, 2009 at 12:25 PM
He’s also stated that he doesn’t care whether athletes get injured or whether any rules are broken, so long as a good show is put on.
MarkTheGreat on October 14, 2009 at 12:27 PM
The administration has already made that claim.
MarkTheGreat on October 14, 2009 at 12:28 PM
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