Senator: Venezuela frees 4 North Dakota missionaries

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

DEVILS LAKE, N.D. (AP) — Sen. John Hoeven says Venezuela has released four missionaries from North Dakota whom it detained several days ago.

Hoeven says in a news release that his office learned from pastor Bruce Dick of the Bethel Evangelical Free Church in Devils Lake that Venezuelan authorities had released the church missionaries earlier Saturday. Dick didn't travel with the group.

The four were apparently detained Wednesday while working in conjunction with a church west of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas. The group had been in the South American country for several days providing medical assistance.

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20150228/us--missionaries_released-venezuela-2289291dab.html

[FLPanhandle]

1. Maduro must have thwarted another US/CIA coup attempt

Church missionaires providing medical assistance.

Obviously another CIA trick.

[geek tragedy]

2. That dumb thug Maduro is flailing. nt

[Judi Lynn]

3. From 2005, which we remember: Mormon Church Withdraws Its Missionaries in Venezuela

Mormon Church Withdraws Its Missionaries in Venezuela
By JUAN FORERO
Published: October 26, 2005

BOGOTÁ, Colombia, Oct. 25 - Amid rising tensions in Venezuela between President Hugo Chávez and various religious orders, the Utah-based Mormon Church has withdrawn all 220 of its American missionaries from the country, a spokesman at the church's headquarters in Salt Lake City said Tuesday.

The church, known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said it had been having months of trouble renewing visas or getting new ones for American missionaries working in Venezuela. The first group of American missionaries began leaving Caracas last week for new assignments in Latin America, and the withdrawal was completed by Monday night, said Michael Purdy, the spokesman.

The development comes two weeks after Mr. Chávez ordered the expulsion of the Florida-based New Tribes Mission, an evangelical group that he accused of aiding the Bush administration in what he claims is a plan to invade Venezuela. "They are agents of imperial penetration," he said in an Oct. 12 speech.

Relations between American evangelicals and Mr. Chávez's fiercely nationalist government have been severely strained since August, when Pat Robertson, the conservative televangelist, told viewers of his program, "The 700 Club," that the Bush administration should assassinate the Venezuelan leader.

More:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/26/international/americas/26venez.html?_r=0

[Judi Lynn]

4. Also from 2005: U.S. Ambassador Denies Venezuelan Allegations That Missionary Group Has CIA Links

NNN0LHI Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Oct-14-05 07:44 PM
Original message

U.S. Denies Venezuelan Allegations That Missionary Group Has CIA Links

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGB7TF2ZSEE.html

U.S. Ambassador Denies Venezuelan Allegations That Missionary Group Has CIA Links

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - The American ambassador to Venezuela strongly denied on Friday alleged links between the CIA and a U.S.-based missionary group that the Venezuelan government has threatened to expel.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has accused the New Tribes Mission of collaborating with the CIA and taking "strategic information" out of the country.

While the government has failed to elaborate on its allegations, U.S. ambassador William Brownfield stated Friday that the group was not linked to the CIA or financed by it.

"I can deny that categorically," Brownfield told reporters.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5064868

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Liberal Veteran Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Sep-24-03 08:34 AM
Original message

A question for religious DU'ers WRT CIA paying fake clerics.....

This is not designed to be a flame war, but an actual question. I am agnostic who grew up as a Christian, but turned away from organized religion because on examination, I found I didn't require that in my life to be spiritual. That is neither here nor there.

Reading the article about the CIA paying fake Muslims clerics/mullahs to spread "moderate, pro-american" sentiment in the Middle East struck me as a disgusting tactic, although I read a couple of DU'ers that actually thought this was a good idea.

I don't. I have always believed that being a cleric of any faith was a vocation (a calling from God if you will). I find the notion of hiring people to pretend to be muslims clerics to be disrespectful and downright blasphemous and I wonder how DU'ers who are aligned with particular faiths would feel to find that their particular priest, priestess, rabbi, whatever was a paid operative of a particular government?

I understand the nature of propaganda, but I wonder if this is really a good idea.

What are your thoughts on it?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x394917

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Bozita Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Dec-26-09 02:42 PM
Original message

U.S. Missionary Illegally Marches Into North Korea

Source: NYTimes

U.S. Missionary Illegally Marches Into North Korea

By CHOE SANG-HUN
Published: December 26, 2009

SEOUL, South Korea — An American missionary carrying a letter for the North Korean dictator crossed illegally into the reclusive country to try bring international attention to the North Korean suffering, South Korean activists said Saturday.

“I am an American citizen,” Robert Park, 28, said as he crossed the frozen river separating China from North Korea on Friday, according to Jo Sung-rae, head of Pax Koreana, a conservative civic group based in Seoul. “I am coming here to deliver God’s love. God loves you.”

By early Sunday, there was no word of his fate from North Korea.

Before heading to China last week to make the journey, Mr. Park said he was determined to become a “martyr” for the tens of thousands of people said to be incarcerated in North Korea’s infamous concentration camps, Mr. Jo said.

If you have time, please check my posts #12.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4199418

[uhnope]

5. Is all that in support of the CT that these missionaries were CIA assassins or something?

just trying to figure out the point to all those links, which don't have any damning evidence in them

[GGJohn]

6. I'm also trying to figure out what her posts have to do with these missionaries. eom.