The United States on Sunday denied any involvement in the military coup d'etat against Honduran President Manuel Zelaya, after he called on Washington to clarify if it had a role in the action.

"There was no U.S. involvement in this action against President Zelaya," a White House official told Reuters.

"Obama concerned"

President Barack Obama expressed deep concern on Sunday at the arrest and expulsion of Zelaya in a military coup d'etat.

"As the Organization of American States did on Friday, I call on all political and social actors in Honduras to respect democratic norms, the rule of law and the tenets of the Inter-American Democratic Charter," Obama said in a statement.

"Any existing tensions and disputes must be resolved peacefully through dialogue free from any outside interference," he said.

An administration official said Obama's national security adviser, General Jim Jones, had briefed Obama on the situation in Honduras by telephone. An interagency team was following the situation and would provide updates to Obama throughout the day.


Reuters