I don't say this often and doubt I will much in the future, but Hugo Chavez is absolutely right

[RB TexLa]

with his threat of military force if the Venezuelan ambassador in Honduras is detained or killed. I'm making no comment on the politics involved in the coup or on Chavez' relationships with anyone involved.


But it's pretty simple you do not get to storm an embassy because you don't like someone. If the ambassador doesn't recognize the coup they can expel him or her if they wish, if she or he doesn't want to go and is in the embassy too bad, it's sovereign.

[rpannier]

1. I haven't heard him condemn the Iranian arrest of members of the British embassy

Are the British free to attack Iran then?

[RB TexLa]

2. That's the politics part, that I wasn't going into. I believe england would be justified

in obtaining their staff back from Iran.

[Uzybone]

3. So you really think the UK would be justified in attacking Iran

because 2 staff have been detained?

Chavez as usual is talking out his ass.

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. Actually very technically it is an act of war

under international law you can expel them, but not detain them

You cannot enter into the embassy or consular office without proper permission

Hell, if a car with a diplomatic plate is involved in an accident you cannot render aid unless you are allowed to, or they are unconscious. (in which case you do until you inform their home government)

Now the reality is different. Even if this is a serious violation, Some may even say an act of war, rarely if ever incidents of this type lead to anything more than just a bit of bluster.

By the way, I could actually tell a story involving a patient, and a car with a diplomatic plate and a taxi... it was LOTS of fun, really.

[EFerrari]

8. Those people were Iranian nationals, not ambassadors.

Iran has jurisdiction over them unlike diplomats.

And, yes, the Iranian government should still be condemned for that action but it's a little different.

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. Technically he is correct, but it is the pick and choose he happens to have

but rarely do these things lead to an actual war, even if it is an act of war. I refer you to the 1979 invasion of our embasy in Tehran

And I am sure he has not condemned the actions currently in Tehran

But technically he is correct.

And I will leave most of the politics in here out of it. They are getting to be quite scary

[peacetalksforall]

6. e question here is the degree of independence of the CIA. Does anyone

believe that the CIA runs the regime change part of their world independent of the WH and the State Dept?

We need to learn the heirarchy of approvals and sponsorship of these acts. Where is Panetta? Colluding with the IMF or World Bank or the Baron cult? Without the WH?

Why is Honduras being picked for a regime change by anyone?

Will it spread. The Western Hemisphere is crawling out from under decades of rule, robbery, and control by the Barons. LET THEM BE. IT WILL BE BETTER FOR THEIR CHILDREN - NOW AND IN THE FUTURE.

[thunder rising]

7. The coup in the US is done .. the CIA and NSA are in charge. That's why no prosecutions and no

investigations. What other conclusion can you reach. There is no oversight nor accountability and they get all the funds they want.

[pilsner]

9. Chavez is right about a lot of things

I don't know enough about what's going on in Honduras to comment about that situation.

I do have to say that Chavez is wrong in his knee jerk support for Ahmedenijad in Iran. Hugo's support for a stolen Iranian election and his pissing on people standing up for their civil rights is extremely disappointing.

The enemy of your enemy isn't always your friend.