Wow... Was That A Threat ??? - 'Julian Assange Row: Americas Ministers To Meet' - BBC

[WillyT]

So much for this being a matter between Great Britain and Sweden.

Julian Assange row: Americas ministers to meet
Foreign ministers from across the American continent will meet next Friday to discuss the impasse between the UK and Ecuador over Julian Assange.
BBC News
17 August 2012 Last updated at 19:45 ET

<snip>

Ecuador has granted political asylum to the Wikileaks founder who took refuge at Ecuador's embassy in London in June. He faces extradition to Sweden over sexual assault claims, which he denies.

Twenty-three members of the OAS (Organization of American States) voted to have the meeting in Washington DC. The US was one of three to oppose it.

<and>

At emergency talks held by the OAS in Washington, US envoy Carmen Lomellin said a meeting of foreign ministers "would be unhelpful and harmful to the OAS' reputation as an institution".

She said the US - which was joined in a no vote by Canada, and Trinidad and Tobago - did not "recognise the concept of diplomatic asylum as a matter of international law".

<snip>

More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19303615

[xchrom]

1. Du rec. Nt

[cr8tvlde]

2. Yes, no one dare meet without US blessing and consent and control.

Another coalition of the unwilling? Unhelpful and harmful...indeed.

Oh and I guess UK is not a member of this little club, what with being just another European colonial wannabe, duly represented across the pond by Canada and it's former Colonies. But Trinidad and Tobago...well, that's another matter altogether.

[ljm2002]

3. So how did that Chinese dissident get over here, again?

From earlier this year, comes a story of a dissident who escaped to the U.S. after taking refuge in the U.S. Embassy in Beijing:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/20/us-china-dissident-idUSBRE84I04V20120520

By Maxim Duncan and Lily Kuo

NEW YORK | Sun May 20, 2012 1:29am EDT

(Reuters) - Blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng arrived in the United States on Saturday and declared "equality and justice have no boundaries" after China let him leave a Beijing hospital to quell a sensitive diplomatic rift between the two countries.

Chen escaped from house arrest in northeastern China last month and sought refuge in the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, embarrassing China and creating an uncomfortable backdrop for U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit to improve ties between the world's two biggest economies.

"I am very gratified to see that the Chinese government has been dealing with the situation with restraint and calm and I hope to see that they continue to open discourse and earn the respect and trust of the people," Chen, speaking through a translator, told reporters outside a New York University housing building in Manhattan's Greenwich Village.

Chen, one of China's most prominent dissidents, is going to study as a fellow at the NYU School of Law. Leaning on a crutch because of an injury suffered during his escape, he smiled and waved to a cheering crowd before speaking to reporters.

Sauce. Goose. Gander.

[WillyT]

5. Most Excellent Point !!!

[tammywammy]

11. He wasn't given asylum. n/t

[backscatter712]

18. Didn't you know? Only dissidents who make the US look good are allowed diplomatic protection. n/t

[fascisthunter]

4. Let me wait for a government paid hack to tell me what to think

oh my, freedom of speech and all that! Shame on me.

[backscatter712]

16. I can hardly wait!

[sabrina 1]

6. What the OAS meeting is doing is showing how isolated the Western Powers

are from the rest of the world. The hearings were live-streamed today and countries like Chile eg, and even Honduras backed Ecuador's right to grant asylum to Assange and were not at all happy about the Brit's threat (which they are now claiming was not a threat) and want to clarify the laws regarding Embassies and their rights all over the world.

I guess it's hard to accept that parts of the world, specifically Latin America with recent memories of what it was like to be under the rule of Western allies such as Pinochet, are determined not to repeat that horrific history and do not view themselves as colonies of the Brits or the US but as sovereign nations.

Ecuador was smart to get support from other nations as we can be sure there will be repercussions for them, beginning with smear campaigns, as we see directed at Chavez. Correa will now be referred to as a 'dictator' and an 'autoritarian' etc because the smear machine is not especially creative and seem to reuse their old smears whenever needed.

Pinochet was a nice guy though and so is Karamov of Uzbekistan and the Royal Dictatarship of Bahrain

[WillyT]

8. + 1,000,000,000... What You Said !!!

[tama]

19. There are quite a few DUers

that still live in the "glory days" of the past when Latin America was firmly under US thumb and infested by puppet dictators and corrupt tools, enjoying the blessings of IMF dictated policies, which are now enjoyed by EU member states. The smear campaign against Ecuador by neocolonialist dinosaurs unable of personal reality check has of course already began as we have seen also on DU, not least by Swedish commentators of the asylum decision. A Swedish commentator had a very embarrasing piece on Guardian, but can't see that there anymore. Didn't search much, though. The smear campaign concentrates on Correa's response to libel against him by the Ecuadorian bankster media (court case which he won and then pardoned the guilty culprits), innuendo and avoidance of facts.

But even I have to admit that I'm bit surprised by the current level of unity of Latin America and the level loneliness of US and Canada.

[sabrina 1]

21. Well we're used to the western attitude towards democratically elected

leaders in Latin America. But not all Americans are blind to the propaganda.

But you are correct that the West simply cannot get used to an independent Latin America. I think they are also very uneasy about some of those countries finally bringing their former dictator regimes, and embarrassingly, former US allies to justice.

If it can happen there after 40 years, it could happen here and in other Western allied countries who participated in the War Crimes in Iraq.

Also, anyone who actually read any of the Latin American cables which revealed these tactics against leaders like Chavez, the effort to smear him, eg recognizes the tactics. It was fascinating to read how they viewed Chavez, not as a dictator as they tell us, but as a 'threat to Western interests in Latin America'. And the reason they view him as a threat, a 'danger' is BECAUSE he is democratically chosen by HIS PEOPLE, not by them.

Fascinating to read and confirms what we thought about the negative propaganda. The problem is that once people know the game, it becomes totally ineffective.

Latin American countries have united in an effort to have their own NATO to ensure that they never return to the 'good old days' of Western supported dictators and military graduates of our disgraceful torture-training School of the Americas. There is strength in numbers.

They know there are destabilizing elements in their countries, as evidenced by the attacks on Correa by the right wing, corporate owned, Western-backed media there.

Good luck to them trying to reestablish dominance in that region of the world. Their illegal adventures in the ME gave Latin America time to strengthen its protections against them.

And I agree re the IMF, now operating in Europe, turning first world into replicas of what they did in Latin America.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

7. LOL. A democratic organization risks its "reputation" as a rubber stamp stooge for the USA.

How dare they take a vote and schedule a meeting!!!

[sabrina 1]

9. Well, you can understand the hurt feelings. They should have asked for

permission first!

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

10. Of course, our "reputation" in Latin America is based on the Contras and Gitmo.

Not to mention our humanitarian efforts in Honduras, Guatemala, Cuba, El Salvador, Chile, Colombia, Haiti, and just about every other country in the region which resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths.

[sabrina 1]

13. Yes, but why are they upset over all that, can't they just 'move on' and recognize

that when we do it, it's different?

It's amazing the hubris of the Western Powers, the old and the new Empires. I think the reason why they still believe in their absolute right to abuse other sovereign nations is because there have never been any consequences for their crimes.

I also blame the people who excuse everything they do and not just on the Right, I've sadly learned over the past few years.

[riderinthestorm]

12. How DARE rising economic former colonial powers, who've suffered hideous political machinations

at the hands of western powers...

... how DARE they think they can rise up?? And meet? And (gasp!) make decisions without their overlords??!!

[Luminous Animal]

14. The other Americas are advancing their independence from 500+ years of Western oppression...

[xiamiam]

15. at some point, some one is going to realize how ridiculous the us appears in this mess

someone in this administration has got get it because our bullying is bit overboard

[Cleita]

17. Back in 1958, my dad said that if the Americas ever got over their

squabbling with each other on borders, fishing grounds and other territorial problems and united into one cohesive unit, they would be a formidable economic power and could be militarily as well. But he said not to worry. The North Americans and Britain would make sure it never happened by keeping them dependent on our aid and in fear of our military might. Seems like they are beginning to figure it out. Watch out USA and Canada...and Great Britain.

[Javaman]

20. If Assange has files to leak now would be a good time to start dripping them out. nt

[McCamy Taylor]

22. A united Latin America!