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Show DAILY Monday, June 29, 2009 HERALD Honduran military ousts president ahead ofvote Eres Cuevas andW ill Weissert THE ASSOCIATED PRESS TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — Soldiers ousted the demo| cratically elected president of Honduras on Sunday and Congress named successor, buttheleftist ally of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez denounced whathecalled an illegal coup and vowed to stay HADI MIZBAN/Associated Press US.soldiers carry saw horses on theoutskirts of Madain, Iraq, on May 27. TheU.S. military is expanding some bases and building others to house thousands of displacedtroops. governmentsin Latin America U.S. withdraws fromIraqi cities de pite violence Kim Gamel power to bottled water. Fears that Iraqi forces BAGHDAD — Death squads roamed the streets slaughtering members ofthe rival Muslimsect. Bombs rocked Baghdaddaily un til thousands of U.S. troops can't copehavebeenrising since a spikein bombingsand shootings this monththatkilled morethan 250 people. U.S. and Iraqiofficials have warned they expect more violence as insurgents try to stage a show of forcein the days surround- pouredin two years ago, es: tablishing neighborhood bases ing the withdrawal. The Americansare pulling andtaking control of the Iraqi out but they haven't accomcapital and other cities plishedthetask that they came By Tuesday, all but a small number of American soldiers will have left Baghdad and oth er urban areas, handing over security to Iraqi soldiers and police still largely untested as an independentfighting force State television has been showing a countdownclock with a fluttering Iraqi flag and the words “June 30: National Sovereignty Day If the Iraqis can hold down violence it will show the country is finally onthe road to stability If they fail, Iraq faces new bloodshe strain. ing a nation still d ided along secte n and ethi ic lines Privately, many U.S. officers worry the Iraqis will be over whelmedif violence surges havingrelied for yearson the USS. for everything fromfire and the world, and Chavez vowed to overthrowthe country’s apparent new leader. President Manuel Zelaya was awakened Sunday by gunfire and detained while still in his pajamas, hours before an Photos by ESTEBAN FELIX/Associated Press unpopularconstitutional referendum manysawas a power Soldiers try to stop a supporter of Honduras’s President Manuel Zelayafrom holding up a grab. An air forceplane flew banner that readsin Spanish “Sayyes to the referendum”in Tegucigalpa, on Sunday. him into forcedexile in Costa Rica as armored military ve- hicles with machine gunsrolled throughthe streets of the Hondurancapital and soldiers seized thenational palace “I want to return to my Zelayasaidin Costa ampresident of Hon: Congressvoted toaccept for, which is defeating terrorism,” said MiriwanKerim, a what it said was Zelaya's let. Kirkuk. against him. Congressional leader Roberto Micheletti was sworn in to serve until Jan. 27 whenZelaya’s termends. Micheletti belongs to Zelaya's Liberal Party, but opposed the presidentin the referendum. 32-year-old watchpeddlerin “Thesecurity situation is still fragile so the withdraw al will not restore us to square one butto squarezero. President Barack Obama insists there's no turning back. Handing overcontrol of the cities brings himone step closer to fulfilling his campaign pledgeto endan un popular war that has claimed the lives of more than 4,300 U.S. troops and tens of thou: said after Congress gavethe military a long standing ova- sands of Iraqis. Despite public unease, Prime Minister Nouri against continuedviolence Ahead of national elections next year, al-Maliki is por traying himself as the leader who defeated terrorism and ended the U.S occupation. “We thoughtthat the long nightofmilitary dictatorshipsin Central America wasover.” OscarArisas Costa Rican president ter of resignation, with even Zelaya's formerallies turning My sloganwill bethereconciliationof the grandfamily of Hondurans.. and a grand national dialogue,” Micheletti American commanders in al-Maliki appears eager to see sist publicly that they're confi the Americans leave and has dent Iraqi forces are up to the urged Iraqis to hold steady task after years of training wer. Thefirst military takeover of a Central American governmentin 16 years drewwidespread condemnation from tion Zelaya denied resigning and insisted he would serveout his term, evenas the Supreme Court backed the military take. over and said it was a defense of democracy His ouster came hours be- forepolls were to open on a constitutional referendumthat Zelaya was pushing ahead even after the Supreme Court and the attorneygeneral said it wasillegal. The constitution barschanges to someofits clauses, such as the ban on a president serving more than one term, they said. Somebusinesses in the capi- tal, Tegucigalpa, closed earlier this week amid therising ten- sion, and manyspeculated there wouldbe a coup. Those who opposed thereferendum warnedagainstvoting, fearing violence at thepolls. Countries throughout Latin America and the world con: Honduran at and Chavez said before Mi cheletti was sworn in that if he Charter,” soldier stands in guardat the presidential residencyin Tegucigalpa, on Sunday. demned Zelaya’s expulsion appointedpresident, “we will overthrow him.” Chavez said Venezuela “is at battle” and put his military onalert In Havana, Cuban Foreign Minister BrunoRodriguez vowed to work withallies to push for Zelaya’s return to power, Hesaid Cuban Ambas: sador Juan Carlos Hernandez He saideight to 10 soldiers Obama‘sstatement read. Coups were commonin Cen- tral America for four decades reaching back to the 1950s, but Sunday’s ouster wasthe first military power grab in Latin Americasinceabrief, failed 2002 coup against Chavez. It was the first in Central America since military officials was held briefly in Tegucigalpa forced President Jorge Serrano after he and other foreigndip- of Guatemala to step downin Jomats tried unsuccessfully to preventsoldiers fromtaking away HonduranForeign Min: ister Patricia Rodas. Chavez said troops in Hon duras temporarily detained the Venezuelan and Cuban ambassadors and beat them. President Barack Obama said he was “deeply con- cerned” and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Zelaya's arrest should be con 1993 after he tried to dissolve Congress and suspendthecon. stitution. ‘Wethoughtthat thelong night of military dictatorships in Central America was over,” said Costa Rican President Oscar Arias, who sat beside Zelaya at a news conference Zelayatold the Venezuela based Telesur network that he was awokenby gunshots and the shouts of his security demned. guards, who hesaid resisted rule of law and thetenets of the Inter-American Democratic out of bed and ducked behind an air conditioner to avoid the bullets, he said. I call on all political and socialactors in Honduras to respect democratic norms, the troopsfor at least 20 minutes Still in his pajamas, he jumped in masks escorted him onto an air force ¢ that took him to CostaRic: Zelayasaid he wouldat- tend a scheduled meeting of Central Americanpresidents in Nicaragua on Mondayand that Chavez, who also plans to attend, would providetrans. portation. Zelayacalled on Honduran soldiers to back him, urged citizens to take to thestreets in peacefulprotests, and asked Honduranpolice to protect demonstrators. About 100 supporters con: gregated in front of locked gates outside the national palace, where they hurled rocks at soldiers and shouted “Trai: tors! Traitors!" They hung a Honduranflag “They kidnappedhim like cowards,” screamed Melissa Gaitan. Tears streamed down the face of the 21-year-old, who works at the government television station. “Wehave to rally the people to defend our president Full Service PTC) oe Pri PL raLahde Petal Wl WeSpeciolize Fz ale Cd PO oan J Th) iD as WORK FREE TOWING & FREE ROAD-SIDE ASSISTANCE COVERA Get an AUTO INSURANCE policy that works for YOU gnd SAVE MONEY toda rN8)te biest evae} at ee a 7 orsictin © arto py estar neares| Seers Dunnates |
