Coups, Coups, Coups

[BansheeOne]

Recent events made me note that we cannot allow a gap between the Elections and Protest threads. 😁 

Quote

Haiti arrests top security chief in Moise murder investigation

Police say they arrested head of Jovenel Moise’s security as part of ongoing probe into the July 7 assassination.

27 Jul 2021

Haitian police have arrested the head of Jovenel Moise’s security team as part of the ongoing investigation into the president’s July 7 assassination.

Security chief Jean Laguel Civil is suspected of involvement in the plot that saw Moise killed at his home in the middle of the night by armed commandos who bypassed the president’s guards without firing a shot.

Civil has been placed in solitary confinement at a prison in Delmas, near the capital, Port-au-Prince.

[...] 

It was not immediately clear if Civil had been charged with anything.

Civil joins more than 12 suspects the police have arrested.

Port-au-Prince commissioner Bed-Ford Claude had already ordered immigration authorities to prohibit four police officers who were responsible for Moise’s security from leaving the country.

Police on Monday also issued a warrant for Wendelle Coq Thelot, a judge for the highest court in the country who Moise had fired.

Details of the assassination remain unclear, but newly installed Prime Minister Ariel Henry has promised to bring Moise’s killers to justice.

Police have also arrested some 20 Colombian nationals as part of the plot they say was organised by a group of Haitians with foreign ties.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/27/haiti-arrests-top-security-chief-in-slain-president-investigation

 

Quote

Tunisia: President dismisses PM Mechichi, freezes parliament

23h ago

President Kais Saied removed Hichem Mechichi from his post as Tunisia's prime minister after violent protests. The ruling party is now accusing the president of a "coup."

Tunisia's President Kais Saied on Monday denied he was planning a coup and defended his decision to dismiss the prime minister and freeze parliament.

The president dismissed the prime minister on Sunday and said he would assume the country's executive authority. He claimed he acted to to fight the "hypocrisy, treachery and robbery" of the political class.

The head of Tunisia's largest parliamentary party, Rached Ghannouchi, held a sit-in protest outside the parliament building on Monday after the army barred him from entering.

The political escalation followed a weekend during which thousands of Tunisians took to the streets in anti-government protests that turned violent.

Supporters of Ghannouchi's moderate-Islamist Ennahda party and of President Saied hurled stones and bottles at each other outside the parliament on Monday, AFP reported.

Police also reportedly raided the offices of Al-Jazeera in Tunis on Monday, the Qatar-based broadcaster said. Journalists working in the offices said they were told to leave and some reporters had phones and equipment confiscated.

What did the president say?

After announcing the dismissal of Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi, Saied said he would take over executive power "with the help" of a government headed by a new chief that he would appoint. Saied had appointed Mechichi as non-aligned prime minister in September last year.

The president also announced the Tunisian parliament would be frozen for 30 days and the immunity of all deputies would be suspended.

Saied claims his move is permitted in case of "imminent danger" under Article 80 of the country's constitution.

The Tunisian president said he was acting in response to the "hypocrisy, treachery and robbery of the rights of the people" by politicians denying he was orchestrating a coup. But he warned violent opposition to his actions would be met "with bullets".

"The constitution does not allow for the dissolution of parliament, but it does allow for its work to be suspended," Saied said.

What was the reaction in Tunisia?

Hundreds of Tunisians flooded the streets in celebration after Saied's announcement. Local media reported that military vehicles surrounded the parliament building as some parts of the crowd cheered while others showed their anger.

Although Saied insisted that his move was constitutional, Parliament Speaker Ghannouchi accused the president of launching "a coup against the revolution and constitution."

In a video posted by his party, Ghannouchi called on Tunisians to take to the streets against the "coup." 

What do protesters want? 

Early Sunday, thousands of demonstrators across Tunisia defied COVID-19 restrictions to protest against the ruling party and the prime minister. Crowds shouted "Get out!" and called for the dissolution of parliament.

Police arrested several protesters and fired tear gas as the crowd hurled stones, according to the AFP news agency.

Protesters stormed the office of the Ennahdha party. There was also a heavy security presence around the parliament.

[...] 

https://m.dw.com/en/tunisia-president-dismisses-pm-mechichi-freezes-parliament/a-58637504

[TonyE]

SWEET!!!!😎

Juntatime!!!!!💪

[Ivanhoe]

Ordinarily, this sort of thing provides a badly needed geography refresher to Americans, via the nightly boob tube.

AFAICT, the Haiti thing fizzled in terms of news coverage, and not much mention of Tunisia. Perhaps there is a 48 hour gestation period while journos practice pronouncing the names of the luminaries.

 

[rmgill]

Those locations don't figure into the DNC talking points. 

[Stuart Galbraith]

Funnily enough, not everywhere in the world really depends on the internecine warfare that happens in the Washington Beltway.

 

 

[Josh]

3 hours ago, rmgill said:

Those locations don't figure into the DNC talking points. 

I doubt you'll find a flood of international news on Fox or NewsMax either.

[Wobbly Head]

9 hours ago, rmgill said:

Those locations don't figure into the DNC talking points. 

The evil oppressors are the wrong shade of white so they can be ignored, just like all the inner-city murders commited by those who are not white.

[rmgill]

One of the things that is apparent is that the reporters that want to make it big want to work in DC so that they can scoop that big story. They'll even show up at DC bureaus to squat and try to wrangle their shows being aired there in that studio space if they can. Their producers try the same thing. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.  They don't want to be doing the hard work in Chicago covering local crime which won't make it out of Chicago's local miasma.

There's a whole heck of a lot of wrangling of who is and is not up and coming with all sorts of muddy ways of sorting out the reporter pecking order. I got to see my friend Leora Blumberg deal with it when she, as a South African with the associated view of world sports,  was trying to push more international sports coverage into our content. The US based folks just didn't understand why she though the All Blacks and Cricket were such a good thing to cover.  This was of course before New York became the new focus for newsies and the DC bureau was just for DC Political coverage.

Edited July 28, 2021 by rmgill

[BansheeOne]

Quote

Guinea: Shots fired near presidential palace amid coup rumors

34m ago

Army putschists claim President Alpha Conde has been arrested, which the government denies. The military sealed off parts of the capital Conakry in response to the gunfire.

Gunfire rang out near the presidential palace in the Guinean capital of Conakry amid rumors of an army coup on Sunday, witnesses told Reuters and several other news agencies. At least two people were injured from the violence.

What do we know so far?

The shots were fired in the Kaloum peninsula area of the capital, which is home not only to the presidential palace, but other government institutions and ministries.    

Troops were deployed to the streets in response to the incident, with the military blocking access from the mainland to Kaloum. Guinean President Alpha Conde was reportedly unharmed by the gunfire, but his exact whereabouts are still unclear. 

Local residents say they have been asked by soldiers to stay in their homes, according to news agency AFP. 

What does the government say?

Guinea's defense ministry claimed in a statement that the presidential guard and security forces "had contained the threat and repelled the group of assailants."

"Security and sweeping operations are continuing to restore order and peace," the statement said.        

On the other hand, videos circulating on social media appear to show the president having been detained by the army in an apparent coup attempt.

What do the putschists say?

Army putschists claim the president has been arrested and the Guinean government has been dissolved, but the situation is still unclear.

A Guinean soldier said in a broadcast on state television that the country's borders have been closed and that a transitional government will soon be formed. 

"The personalization of political life is over. We will no longer entrust politics to one man. We will entrust it to the people," Colonel Mamadi Doumboya said in the broadcast.  

What is Alpha Conde's legacy?

Conde assumed office in 2010 after the country's first-ever democratic elections. He survived an assassination attempt in 2011.  

The 83-year-old won a third term last year in the 2020 presidential election. His win came after he rammed through constitutional changes allowing him to sidestep the country's limit of two presidential terms. 

[...]

https://m.dw.com/en/guinea-shots-fired-near-presidential-palace-amid-coup-rumors/a-59091025

[RETAC21]

3 hours ago, BansheeOne said:

https://m.dw.com/en/guinea-shots-fired-near-presidential-palace-amid-coup-rumors/a-59091025

President Aplha Conde has been replaced by President Beta Conde, taking a significant step towards having a release candidate

[Stuart Galbraith]

Everyone wants to be Harry Tuttle these days. Do you have trouble with your ducts?

 

Edited September 5, 2021 by Stuart Galbraith

[Ivanhoe]

1 hour ago, RETAC21 said:

President Aplha Conde has been replaced by President Beta Conde, taking a significant step towards having a release candidate

lol so wrong

[Simon Tan]

Very tanned Rooski mercs.

[Rickard N]

Does this fit here? https://www.gocomics.com/pearlsbeforeswine/2021/09/01  (and some of the following strips)

/R

[R011]

10 hours ago, Rickard N said:

Does this fit here? https://www.gocomics.com/pearlsbeforeswine/2021/09/01  (and some of the following strips)

/R

And the two strips before.  Quite amusing.

[Simon Tan]

High cut helmets and electronic earpro...great. AKMS and RPD, not so great. 

[BansheeOne]

Quote

Date 11.09.2021

Haiti's PM Ariel Henry 'invited' to testify in president slaying case

A prosecutors' invitation to interview Prime Minister Ariel Henry said he had been in contact with one of the key suspects in the assassination of President Jovenel Moise.

Haiti's chief prosecutor on Friday invited Prime Minister Ariel Henry for an interview on why he allegedly spoke to one of the main suspects in the assassination of President Jovenel Moise.

According to prosecutor Bedford Claude's invitation to the prime minister, there had been a number of calls between Henry and wanted fugitive Joseph Felix Badio.

Geolocation of calls allegedly pinpoints suspect's position

The prosecutor said it was "confirmed" that Henry had exchanged two phone calls with Badio on July 7, three hours after the murder took place.

According to the geolocation of the calls, the prosecutor noted that Badio had been in Pelerin 5, the neighborhood of the president’s residence and the scene of the crime.

Haitian police have posted a $60,000 (€51,000) reward for information leading to the arrest of Badio or two other suspects wanted in connection with planning the assassination.

Investigators claim Badio, a former Justice Ministry official, may have ordered Moise's murder.

An invitation, not a summons

In the letter to Henry, the prosecutor explained that the request was an invitation and not a summons.

This was due to the fact that only a president could authorize an official summons. Considering the country was now without a president, the prosecutor said the prime minister was therefore being "invited."

"The head of the criminal prosecution would be grateful if you could present yourself... to cooperate with Haitian justice if you so wish, taking into account the restrictions given your status as a senior state official," the letter read.

Dozens in custody

Haitian authorities say there are 44 people held in custody on suspicion of taking part in Moise's assassination. They include 18 Colombians and 12 members of Moise's security detail.

Moise was gunned down when heavily armed assassins stormed his residence in the country's capital Port-au-Prince on July 7. His wife was also shot, but survived. Moise's killing plunged even deeper into turmoil.

https://www.dw.com/en/haitis-pm-ariel-henry-invited-to-testify-in-president-slaying-case/a-59149470

[BansheeOne]

Quote

Haiti: PM dismisses prosecutor tying him to president's murder

8h ago

Prime Minister Ariel Henry has sacked the prosecutor investigating the murder of President Jovenel Moise, just a few hours after the prosecutor called for charges against Henry.

Haiti's chief prosecutor on Tuesday asked a judge to charge Prime Minister Ariel Henry in connection with the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, who was killed on July 7. 

Henry subsequently dismissed Port-au-Prince prosecutor Bed-Ford Claude from his position in a publicly disseminated letter. "I have the pleasure of informing you that it was decided to terminate your post," the prime minister wrote.

What did the prosecutor say?

Claude had asked officials to bar the PM from leaving the country earlier on Tuesday. "There are enough compromising elements ... to prosecute Henry and ask for his outright indictment,'' the public prosecutor wrote in a letter to Judge Garry Orelien.

The judge is required to investigate Claude's request and has three months to decide if the facts in the case justify legal action. 

Under normal circumstances, the Haitian prime minister can only legally be questioned with the president's authorization. However, Haiti currently has no president.

Henry was designated by Moise to take the position of prime minister shortly before being assassinated. He replaced the interim-PM Claude Joseph on July 20.

[...] 

https://m.dw.com/en/haiti-pm-dismisses-prosecutor-tying-him-to-presidents-murder/a-59183369

[Simon Tan]

Is an assassination a coup? 

[sunday]

Edited September 15, 2021 by sunday

[Simon Tan]

Command Authority? Whut dat? I'm just waiting for Special Weapons to get released......because.....

[DKTanker]

5 hours ago, sunday said:

More than that happened.  I know it is a tweet thus limited, but the co-conspirators at the very least include Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi; the then senate Minority Leader, Chuck Schumer, the CIA Director Gina Haspel, and all of the military members from whom Milley demanded and, received, allegiance. 
However, I'm quite sure nothing will come of this.  No punitive action whatsoever. If this is allowed to stand there no longer remains even the pretense of governance with the consent of the governed.  

Mark September 14, 2021 on your calendars, the date which this became public, as the day democracy died and the Republic usurped in the USA.

[sunday]

Unfortunately, I think that is clear.

Also, the Babylon Bee is still in business

https://babylonbee.com/news/general-milley-rides-through-streets-of-beijing-shouting-the-americans-are-coming

Edited September 15, 2021 by sunday

[rmgill]

On 9/6/2021 at 9:53 PM, Simon Tan said:

High cut helmets and electronic earpro...great. AKMS and RPD, not so great. 

Could probably make a fortune selling them the Air Soft repro helmets and ear pro. 

[MiloMorai]

Well the Commander-in Chief was emotionally and mentally unstable at the time, being embarrassed in front of the World with his election loss.

Twice in the final months of the Trump administration, the country’s top military officer was so fearful that the president’s actions might spark a war with China that he moved urgently to avert armed conflict.

In a pair of secret phone calls, Gen. Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, assured his Chinese counterpart, Gen. Li Zuocheng of the People’s Liberation Army, that the United States would not strike, according to a new book by Washington Post associate editor Bob Woodward and national political reporter Robert Costa.

One call took place on Oct. 30, 2020, four days before the election that unseated President Donald Trump, and the other on Jan. 8, 2021, two days after the Capitol siege carried out by his supporters in a quest to cancel the vote.

The first call was prompted by Milley’s review of intelligence suggesting the Chinese believed the United States was preparing to attack. That belief, the authors write, was based on tensions over military exercises in the South China Sea, and deepened by Trump’s belligerent rhetoric toward China.

 

'Peril,' by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa, reports Gen. Mark A. Milley called a Chinese general twice to pledge the U.S. wouldn’t strike - The Washington Post

 

 

 

Edited September 16, 2021 by MiloMorai