HONDURAS UNILATERALLY SUPPORTS U.S. ACTION AGAINST

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEGUCIGALPA 000698 SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR, NEA/NGA, NP, AND PM STATE FOR WHA AND WHA/CEN E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/19/2013 TAGS: PREL PARM MOPS IZ HO SUBJECT: HONDURAS UNILATERALLY SUPPORTS U.S. ACTION AGAINST IRAQ AND URGES SADDAM HUSSEIN TO LEAVE IRAQ REF: A. SAN SALVADOR 749 ¶B. USUN NEW YORK 751 ¶C. MANAGUA 814 ¶D. STATE 70678 Classified By: Ambassador Larry Palmer; Reasons 1.5 (B) and (D). ¶1. (U) President Maduro issued a statement on behalf of the Government of Honduras on March 18 declaring that Honduras supports the U.S. war on terrorism and urging the Government of Iraq to accept the U.S. proposal in order to avoid additional suffering by the Iraqi people. The statement also lamented that the efforts at the UN had been fruitless in reaching a peaceful resolution to the situation in Iraq. Acting Foreign Minister Anibal Quinonez told the press that Honduras supported U.S. actions and urged Saddam Hussein to leave Iraq. The statement also reiterated Honduras' commitment to finding a peaceful solution to the crisis ¶2. (C) Post notes in reftel B that Honduras also was prepared to speak out against the Non-Aligned Movement effort to call for an emergency special session of the UN General Assembly. We also delivered reftel D demarche to the MFA. ¶3. (C) Contrary to reftel A, Honduras MFA officials told the press that the Presidents in Roatan had decided that each country would issue its own communiques. High-level GOH sources confirmed that President Maduro decided in the end to issue his own separate declaration on the situation with Iraq. They stated he felt strongly about Honduras expressing its own clear support for U.S. action against Iraq. The comments by Salvadoran FM de Avila reported in reftel B that Honduras joined in the Central American declaration appear to be in error. ¶4. (U) Begin informal Embassy translation: Press Communique In light of the recent developments and tense urgent international situation, The Government of Honduras seeks to inform the nation and international community of its points of view in the following way: ¶1. It laments the demonstrated efforts at the UN body to reach a peaceful solution to a conflict in Iraq has proved fruitless. ¶2. It supports the Government of the United States of America's war against terrorism and calls on the Government of Iraq, in order to avoid further suffering by the Iraqi people, to accept the demands proposed by the United States of America. ¶3. It considers it essential to revitalize the mechanisms and urgent requests that have made it possible for the majority of democratic countries to act together for the preservation of world peace. ¶4. It reiterates its pacifist convictions and in this sense believes that all possible efforts should be taken, no matter how remote the possibility of success, in order to avoid war. ¶5. The Government of Honduras confirms its decisions to continue participating in all international fora to help build world peace and social justice for all. Tegucigalpa, March 18, 2003. End informal Embassy translation Palmer