September 30, 2009 by Tim McDowell.

The U.S. Embassy in Kabul issued the following Warden Message 29 September 2009: “The U.S. Embassy has received information that, as of late September 2009, Taliban members in Logar Province, Afghanistan, were planning on an unspecified date to ambush and capture unidentified Americans who routinely travel between Kabul City and Logar Province. The Taliban reportedly intend to follow the Americans’ vehicle from Kabul and stop the car en route. The U.S. Embassy urges Americans who travel between Kabul City and Logar Province to exercise additional caution if traveling in the specified area.”

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September 30, 2009 by Tim McDowell.

An earthquake measuring 8.3 on the Richter scale struck in the South Pacific near Tonga and Samoa on 29 September 2009. The quake occurred at approximately 1748 UTC at a depth of 22 mi/35 km; its epicenter was 100 mi/160 km east-northeast of Tonga and 125 mi/205 km south-southwest of Samoa. The tremor caused several waves of up to 15 ft/4.5 m in Samoa and American Samoa that reached nearly 1 mi/1.6 km inland. The tsunami killed at least 99 people in Samoa and American Samoa, and dozens of people are still missing, despite the early warning system that prompted people to move to higher ground.

Details regarding the extent of damage due to the earthquake and tsunami are still emerging, but it appears that American Samoa and the southern portion of Samoa sustained significant damage. Several villages were completely destroyed in American Samoa, and extensive damage was also reported in Pago Pago, the capital. In Samoa, the earthquake damaged the water infrastructure, but communication and power services are operational. There is a potential for low-level transportation disruptions due to the location of the roads along the more heavily impacted southern side of the island. Currently the Samoan capital of Apia has been shut down, with schools and businesses closed. Some locations are expected to be without power for up to a month. Flights into Samoa and American Samoa are reportedly operating. Following the initial earthquake, a series of aftershocks measuring between 5.6 and 5.9 hit the area. Additional aftershocks — some of which could be powerful — are possible. The earthquake’s impact in other locations was limited. Tidal surges of 16 in/40 cm hit New Zealand, but they did not significantly affect the country. Alerts were also issued in Hawaii and California in the United States, but they were later withdrawn. In Japan a small wave was reported off the island of Hachijojima approximately 10 hours after the quake, but it did not cause damage or injuries.

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September 30, 2009 by Tim McDowell.

On 29 September 2009 ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya called for his supporters to stage more demonstrations in Tegucigalpa against the interim government’s regime, particularly against recent measures limiting civil liberties and shutting down media outlets. Zelaya remained at the Brazilian Embassy surrounded by security forces on 29 September, as police officers blocked hundreds of his supporters at a Tegucigalpa University from marching to the embassy. Union leaders stated that they would protest on 30 September outside one of the radio stations that the government closed on 28 September. Meanwhile, under the emergency decree declared by the government on 27 September, authorities began evicting Zelaya supporters from government buildings in Tegucigalpa, which they have occupied since his 28 June ouster. Military personnel reportedly escorted approximately 10 Zelaya followers from the National Agrarian Institute on the morning of 30 September. A larger contingent of Zelaya supporters has been housed since July at the National Pedagogical University, and authorities may be moving to that location next in an effort to dislodge his followers.

Despite the continued crackdown, the crisis currently seems to be moving toward a political resolution. On 29 September Honduran business leaders, who have historically strongly opposed Zelaya, issued a statement supporting his reinstatement, albeit with strictly limited powers. Congress also chastised interim President Roberto Micheletti for the emergency decree that limited civil liberties and closed down several critical media outlets, threatening to revoke the decree if he does not. Such developments suggest that the Micheletti administration is under heavy pressure to initiate dialogue with Zelaya, both from international and domestic entities.

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