coup – Moe Lane

Egyptian military starts arresting Muslim Brotherhood protesters.

We will now pause for the bitter laughter of the foreign policy hawks:

An Egyptian security official says 650 people, mostly backers of ousted President Mohammed Morsi, have been detained for allegedly trying to storm a military facility, an incident the military claims sparked violence that left more than 50 pro-Morsi protesters dead.

The detainees were largely pro-Morsi protesters seized during clashes early Monday outside the Republican Guard headquarters. Protesters and Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood deny any attack took place on the headquarters, saying troops opened fire on their sit-in nearby as the protesters finished dawn prayers.

Via Hot Air. And do you know why there is laughter, and it is bitter? It is because there is no “right” answer here. You can choose the hardcore Islamist thugs with unpleasant gender issues who nonetheless happened to win an election; or you can choose the (at-best) endemically corrupt and definitely authoritarian military cabal who nonetheless would like to get the country out of its current death spiral. Have fun! Continue reading Egyptian military starts arresting Muslim Brotherhood protesters.

Miguel Estrada: Zelaya has “a meritorious immigration beef.”

Which is, of course, much different than being ‘a victim of a coup.’ After carefully and reasonably setting out the chain of events of the Honduran non-coup (something, I am forced to note, that this slapdash administration we have running foreign affairs neglected to do before reflexively supporting Zelaya*), Estrada finishes up:

It cannot be right to call this a “coup.” Micheletti was lawfully made president by the country’s elected Congress. The president is a civilian. The Honduran Congress and courts continue to function as before. The armed forces are under civilian control. The elections scheduled for November are still scheduled for November. Indeed, after reviewing the Constitution and consulting with the Supreme Court, the Congress and the electoral tribunal, respected Cardinal Oscar Andres Rodriguez Maradiaga recently stated that the only possible conclusion is that Zelaya had lawfully been ousted under Article 239 before he was arrested, and that democracy in Honduras continues fully to operate in accordance with law. All Honduran bishops joined Rodriguez in this pronouncement.

True, Zelaya should not have been arbitrarily exiled from his homeland. That, however, does not mean he must be reinstalled as president of Honduras. It merely makes him an indicted private citizen with a meritorious immigration beef against his country.

Continue reading Miguel Estrada: Zelaya has “a meritorious immigration beef.”

Turns out that Honduras did not have a coup after all.

[UPDATE]: Welcome, Instapundit readers – but really, this story’s been covered by Fausta better than by myself.

(Background here)

They had a court order. Fausta updated:

1:50PM
Indeed, Honduras’ La Prensa states that (My translation: If you use this, please credit me and link to this post)

An official statement of the Supreme Court of Justice explained that the Armed Forces acted under lawful grounds when detaining the President of the Republic, and by decommissioning the materials to be used on the illegal poll which aimed to bring forth Executive Power against a judicial order.Other sources verified that the president of the Congress, Roberto Micheletti, will assume the presidency of the republic in a few hours.
…
Honduran president Manuel Zelaya was detained this morning by the military in compliance with an order of the courts of law.

Meanwhile, the foreign policy experts over at State and the White House* have gone into, bluntly, full Ugly American mode: they’re currently declining to recognize the right of the Hondurans to remove their own head of state on constitutional grounds. Apparently, when it’s a choice between a chief executive on the one hand and said chief executive’s country’s judiciary, legislature, military, and own political party on the other… well, it all apparently depends on what Hugo Chavez thinks.

Let’s just hope that they don’t ask Chavez what he thinks about the Jews.

Moe Lane

PS: Let me expand on that just a little. I don’t think that this administration is slavishly following Chavez’s lead: I think that they care so little about South American affairs that accommodating their stance to that of a darling of the radical Left seems to them to be a no-brainer. If the White House is worried about getting the answer to this wrong, it’s not immediately obvious.

*H/T: Gateway Pundit, Hot Air.

Crossposted to RedState.

“Don’t MAKE me turn this state legislature around.”

I have no particular love for NY Governor David Paterson, given that he had to start his tenure as Governor by mentioning the adultery that he had somehow forgotten to mention to the voters up to that point – but that being said, this was funny:

Gov. David Paterson just put the kibosh on the Senate Democrats’ plans to leave the Capitol tonight, warning that he will sic the State Police on them and try to dock their pay if they don’t show up for the extraordinary session – the third so far this week – he’s calling for 3 p.m. tomorrow.

[snip]

Paterson said “it offends me personally” to hear talk by some senators (“I won’t name any names”) that they don’t really mind being forced to return to Albany day after day because they get to collect their per diems while they’re in town.

The governor said he’s going to ask the state comptroller, and direct the state treasurer (We have one of those?), to “withhold any paychecks or any per diem checks from June 8 forward,” adding: “If you’re not coming to work, you’re not getting paid.”

At least one state Senator (Kevin Parker) reacted to the news that his allowance was being threatened by declaring that this was bull[expletive deleted], that the Governor couldn’t do that, and then sulkily storming off to his room to blast out the most offensive music on his iPod.

Amazingly, I only made one of those three things up.

Anyway, more here and here: there’s supposed to be a session today, and it’s yet to be seen whether the Democratic state senators are going to be needing a timeout or not.

Moe Lane Continue reading “Don’t MAKE me turn this state legislature around.”

Clearly, the NY Senate situation requires Thunderdome.

[UPDATE] AoSHQ thinks it’s a coup, and has its own suggestion for a resolution.

Because either the NY Senate Democrats are trying something sneaky…

Democrats in the Chamber! (But Still No Agreement)

ALBANY—Most the Democrats in the State Senate have barricaded themselves in the chamber.

[snip]

The Democrats arrived around 12:30. It’s unclear what’s going on. All the doors are locked, and journalists as well as Republican staffers cannot get in.

…or they’re acting like kids…

Republicans ‘Legislate’ as Democrats Sit in Silence

ALBANY–Now Republicans have entered the Senate chamber and are reading bills and ostensibly passing them as Democrats do nothing.

The remainder of the 62 senators entered the chamber around 2:30, and the lights went on. State Senator George Winner, an Elmira Republican, attempted to take he dais. He was blocked by a deputy sergeant at arms, who said he was acting on the orders of Senate Secretary Angelo Aponte.

Without hesitating, Winner walked to the area below the chamber, said the Pledge of Allegiance (the Dems didn’t say anything) and began moving through an active list of local bills and extenders. The bills were read, the roll was called, and as Democrats sat silently, Republican parliamentarian Jack Casey said the bills were passed, 62-0.

…or (probably) both.

ENOUGH OF THIS!

SIXTY-TWO ENTER!
THIRTY-ONE LEAVE!
SIXTY-TWO ENTER!
THIRTY-ONE LEAVE!
SIXTY-TWO ENTER!
THIRTY-ONE LEAVE!

Moe Lane

Crossposted to RedState.

Chavez claims (convenient) coup; “conspirators” quashed.

Naturally, it’s all our fault.

Venezuela Arrests Soldiers Over Alleged Army Plot, Chavez Says

Feb. 12 (Bloomberg) — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said soldiers suspected of conspiring in a plot to destabilize the government were arrested, adding the situation is under control.

Chavez, a self-proclaimed socialist who has accused the political opposition of trying to overthrow his government since he survived a brief coup in 2002, said the country’s intelligence agency uncovered a plan to infiltrate the Miraflores presidential palace. He made the comments yesterday on state television.

“We’ve arrested some soldiers, and they remain detained, who were in contact with a solder on the run in the U.S., protected by the U.S. government, sending messages about a so- called Operation Independence,” Chavez said.

Continue reading Chavez claims (convenient) coup; “conspirators” quashed.