Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard

Letters: Honduras a reminder of the 1953 coup in Iran

How ironic that Rick Santorum ("Going against democracy," Thursday) would choose to criticize President Obama's support of Manuel Zelaya, who in the author's own words, is "the democratically elected" president of Honduras

How ironic that Rick Santorum ("Going against democracy," Thursday) would choose to criticize President Obama's support of Manuel Zelaya, who in the author's own words, is "the democratically elected" president of Honduras

How ironic, as well, that the leader of the coup d'etat that ousted Zelaya, one Romeo Orlando Vasquez Velasquez, is a graduate of the School of the Americas, based at Fort Benning, Ga. The SOA has been training Honduran paramilitary officers for years at Fort Benning. Five other leading members of the coup are also SOA graduates.

Santorum's argument that the coup was justified goes "against democracy." This is reminiscent of 1953, when our CIA overthrew the democratically elected government in Iran and placed the shah in control. His oppressive regime, in power for 25 years, enraged the Iranian public and led to present tensions between the United States and Iran. When is the United States going to recognize that overthrowing democratically elected governments simply causes resentment toward our arrogant and belligerent foreign policy?

Peter C. McVeigh

Oreland

pmcveigh46@hotmail.com