Reply #19: DemBones DemBones and ewagner

[Judi Lynn]

If you're interested in reading more about this right-wing beloved beastie, John Negroponte, this might help:

(snip) In March, 2001, George W. Bush nominated John Negroponte for U.N. Ambassador. This is a further step to bring back the Iran-Contra figures, and those on the periphery of that dark period of our history when we were heavily involved with Latin American countries against the will of their people, in an attempt to gloss over the participation of the first Bush, whose pardon of Iran-Contra figures such as Elliott Abrams and Caspar Weinberger right before their trials may, according to many people, be the reason that the Elder Bush was never criminally prosecuted.

In early 1981, then ambassador Jack Binns, Carter-appointed to Honduras, made numerous complaints about human rights abuses by the Honduran military. Reagan then replaced Carter, and in response to Jack Binns' complaints and concerns about murders and disappearances, called him home and replaced him with John Negroponte.

Negroponte served as ambassador to Honduras from 1981 to 1985, a period during which U.S. military aid to Honduras grew from $4 million to $77.4 million. Accusations abounded against the U.S.-backed military regime for violations against human rights in Honduras. Reports suggest more than 100 people disappeared, with a special intelligence unit called Battalion 316 at the center of the controversy. The question senators have for Negroponte is why he didn't raise concerns. Negroponte denies having knowledge of any wrongdoing. It has been suggested that the vast amount of evidence and testimony supporting the human rights violations would have required that Mr. Negroponte live in total isolation not to have noticed the crimes that had so disturbed Jack Binns. Later, the Honduras Commission on Human Rights accused Mr. Negroponte himself of human rights violations. (snip/...)

http://www.geocities.com/ravencrazy/Negroponte.html