Chavez Believes U.S. Planning Invasion

[sabra]

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-venezuela-chavez-us,0,4703054.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines

Chavez Believes U.S. Planning Invasion

LONDON -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez believes the United States is planning to invade his country and has evidence to prove it, he said in an interview with British radio broadcast Thursday.

"We have detected with intelligence reports plans of a supposed invasion, one that would never happen. But we have to denounce it," Chavez told British Broadcasting Corp. radio.

Chavez, a frequent Bush administration critic, said he believed the reason the U.S. was plotting was to take control of Venezuela's oil reserves.

"A coup happened in Venezuela that was prepared by the U.S. What do they want? Our oil, as they did in Iraq," Chavez said referring to a failed coup attempt in 2002, which he blames on the United States. The Bush administration denies the allegation.

[Verve]

1. Chavez can lighten up! Syria and Iran come way before Venezuela! n/t

:sarcasm:

[Cha]

11. Chavez is thinking

ahead..he doesn't want to get caught with his pants down like Iraq and these next two on condi's list.

Or maybe he thinks they'll do "three card monte" or "hide the salami" :)

[1932]

16. I think the political reasoning is this;

With Iraq, people heard all the arguments for invading before and at the same time an invasion was being disussed.

If people here that the invasion is planned before they hear the justifications, it frames the issues in people minds as a situation where the invader is coming up with pretext to justify and action that that invader wants for other reasons.

It's an interesting move for Chavez to say that he doesn't think it will happen but that it's important to denounce it.

[Cha]

18. Yes, Chavez is much smarter

than our monkey and his greedy handlers.

Maybe some of our dems could take framing lessons from Chavez if they weren't too busy denoucing him themselves.

[1932]

24. I don't know if he's much smarter, but he has read his chomsky:

There are two superpowers in the world: the might of the US empire and American and Global popular opinion. He's trying to appeal to the latter in order to offset the former.

I don't know if many targets of US coerscion or persuassion or whatever you want to call it have tried to do this in the past.

[Realityhack]

36. That alone...

makes him smater than *.

The guy actualy understands Chomsky, understands it is true, and takes reasonable action based upon those principles.

Dosn't make him perfect or anything but I have to say... I think he is much smarter than *

[Cha]

41. I tell you, Chavez is

savvy!

[cantstandbush]

42. Now Chavez knows the US has WMDs and threatens its neighbors

is it ok for Venezuela to call on the rest of S. America and anyone willing to join their coalition to invade the US or at least drop a few bombs here? :sarcasm:

[phantom power]

2. With whose army are we planning these invasions?

Last I checked, ours is otherwise occupied.

[Crayson]

4. Outsourcing

How about some cheap chinese labor....
Make THEM invade Venezuela...

;-)

[phantom power]

8. Can we still purchase Hessians?

[On the Road]

21. Our Hessians Will be the Columbians

at least if Bush has his way.

[Bacchus39]

22. the Colombians (with two "o"s) have their hands full

with a guerrilla war.

[Judi Lynn]

28. Their busy hands have taken their guerilla war into Venezuela

where they are available to the Venzuelan oligarchy to continue the coup _Bush-supported opposition failed to achieve:

......A week earlier, on the 9th of May, on the outskirts of Caracas, a paramilitary force was discovered, dressed in field uniforms. Later, more were found, raising the total to 130, leaving open the possibility that there are still more in the country. The three Colombian paramilitary leaders of the group are members of the Autonomous Self-Defense Forces (AUC) in Northern Santander state in Colombia.

Some of the captured Colombian fighters have a long history as members of paramilitary forces. Others are reservists of the Colombian army and yet others were specifically recruited for the task in Venezuela and were surely tricked. Among these there are several who are minors.

A colonel of the Venezuelan air force was also detained, as well as seven officers of the National Guard. Among those implicated in the plot is a group of civilians headed by the Cuban Roberto Alonso, creator of the 'guarimbas,'<1> and Gustavo Quintero Machado, a Venezuelan, both who are currently wanted by the Venezuelan justice system.
(snip/...)

http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?ItemID=5579

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you wish to repudiate this by questioning the source or any of the information, later, when I have more time, I'll be happy to post other sources, and photographs of the paramilitaries after they were caught.

Apparently they don't have ENOUGH to do in their guerilla war, after laying waste to entire villages, running out of people, after so many of the villagers who survived have fled into neighboring countries, that they are available for mecenary work in Venezuela.

Don't spread disinformation.

[Bacchus39]

38. who is spreading disinformation????

the poster I responded to insinuated that Colombia would be a surrogate invader for the USA in Venezuela. that is preposterous. Colombia is not going to invade Venezuela. the Colombian armed forces have their hands full with BOTH paramilitary forces and the Marxist rebel groups the FARC and ELN. any suggestion that Colombia is somehow going to muster an invasion force into Venezuela is ridiculous. who is spreading disinformation again??

the FARC also uses Venezuela for safe haven and frankly Chavez's cooperation with Colombia against the FARC has been suspect to say the least. I can cut and paste as well.

http://www.upi.com/inc/view.php?StoryID=20030908-075735-2592r

[On the Road]

55. Thank You for the Spelling Correction

I'm not sure Bush is going to invade, either. But if he did, the Colombians would probably play the role of the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan.

[happyslug]

27. Hay, one story said in Afghanistan we purchased a Russian Armor Division

And that was the key to the Victory (Our Airborne forces were found to light to handle even the light weapons of the Afghans). Even Tora Bora saw limited use of Tanks (Through these do not seem to be Russian manned, instead maned by personal from the "Northern Alliance" who are now, again, the war-lords of Afghanistan).

The Armour Division was the key to taking Kabul, than it disappears. Further comments said it was manned by troops from the Northern Alliance, but operated to smoothly. Now the old Soviet Union had in production four tanks in production the 1960s and 1970s, the T-54/T-55 series (Production 1950-1981), the T-62 (production 1961-1975), the T-64 (1963-1967), and the T-72 (1971-1990). The T-54/55 Series stayed in production till the 1981s and is the most produced tank in history (passing the T-34 tank of WWII). The T-54/55 stayed in production after both the T-62 and T-64 had been out of production, and stayed in Soviet Service to this day. In the 1960s through 1980s Reserve Personnel of the Soviet Union would train in T-55s in the Soviet Union even if they were assigned to units East Germany with T-72s, T-64s or T-62s. This was do to the low cost to maintain, operate and repair of the T-55 series compared to any other tank in the World. With the Fall of the Soviet Union, the T-62s and T-64s seems to have been Scraped while the T-72s and T-55 continued to be used (Very few undated tanks have been added to the Russian Army since the Fall of the Soviet Union).

Thus second line units in Russian today still use the T-55. Given Afghanistan's location the neighboring areas of Russian would not NEED a more advance tank so the Russian army probably have kept only T-55s in that part of Russian. Thus my point, it appears that Putin sold one of his Armored Division from Central Russian to the CIA, since this area has a large non-Russian population can fit easily with the locals in Afghanistan. Thus a Russian Armor unit took Kabul and than went back home, they work had been done. Tora Bora saw some tank action but probably Northern Alliance Personal manning the T-55s used in that operation (and may be why the operation failed, i.e. the Northern Alliance Tankers were not as well trained as the Tankers from the Russian Division).

Thus it appearers from the Stories I have seen on line that the US has Purchased mercenaries, but at a high price and then they refused to stay and fight a guerrilla War (The Russians knew better, left that for the US to do). That is the problem with Mercenaries, they are willing to fight but not to die and in a guerrillas war many will die so unless it is some sort of quick kill operation like taking Kabul the Mercenaries will NOT stay.

Russian Tanks:
http://www.nemo.nu/ibisportal/5pansar/

[Cha]

12. Don't we have like a million

in our military and there are only 100,000 in Iraq?

And, with these whigs..they're all about doin' bombing first..questions later.

[XNASA]

3. If I were President of any oil-producing country.....

I'd be thinkin' the same thing. Everyday. Regardless of the intelligence. I'd wake up everyday and say to myself, "Better get ready for the invasion".

Just to be on the safe side.

[Tight_rope]

5. I'm with you on that one....Least we forget how crooked Bushco is!

[Cha]

13. And Chavez is a former

military man himself so he knows how these things go!

I'm glad he's putting this out there..especially that part of .."they went to Iraq for the oil"

[Bacchus39]

23. including the one "that would never happen"??

should Norway do the same?

[XNASA]

25. Nobody's safe anymore.

[Mithras61]

6. I don't think Chavez has to worry about an invasion...

because a coup or assassination is far cheaper. Last time it failed because we didn't think that the Venezuelan people liked him that much. Next time it will be more carefully staged so that he is "accidentally" killed in the coup attempt.

[killbotfactory]

7. If he dies unnaturally, there are plans in place

My best guess is that the oil spigot will be shut off to the US.

[Mithras61]

9. I sincerely hope there are plans in place...

they may be the only thing keeping hm alive right now.

[rman]

10. Coup or assassination does not always work.

If it doesn't, then war is the next (and last) option.
First option is 'economic invasion': to strike a deal with the government of the target nation to create a Free Trade Agreement that allows western corporations to take over the economy of the country.

See "Confessions of an economic hit man"
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/11/09/1526251
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/12/31/1546207
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1576753018/103-1717611-0757414?v=glance

[Realityhack]

31. "Confessions of an economic hit man" rocks.

No really new information (to me) but the first hand account was way cool.

I don't think Chaveze has to wory about a full scale invasion for a little while. To many other wars to wory about. But a small scale action, assasination, or another US backed coup is a constant concern.

BTW this relates to a few other threads. The US backed intell groups are already hard at work.

[seriousstan]

14. More stupid Chavez quotes here in the rest of the story....

"We have detected with intelligence reports plans of a supposed invasion, one that would never happen. But we have to denounce it," Mr Chavez said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4359386.stm

[Peace Patriot]

15. Stupid in what way?

[Solon]

17. No offense, but he was almost overthrown by our government...

so I don't put anything past our government. He knows that we cannot mount an invasion at this time on his country, however, that doesn't mean we wouldn't sometime in the future, such as in a year or two. Why wouldn't we, it is our modus operandi after all, especially in that area of the world.

[0007]

20. Chavez is not stupid, this man looks after the poor



[Realityhack]

32. Exactly what do you think is stupid about that or any of the others?

Took a look... What exactly do you think is stupid and why??

[rayofreason]

19. Hmm...I wonder..

..what DUers would think if Bush changed the constitution to allow him another term?

http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/americas/9909/22/chavez/
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20040815/news_lz1e15ramos.html
http://www.techcentralstation.com/041304B.html

I have an instinctive distrust of government where there are no checks and balances, and that is what Chavez has produced. Take a look at this site, courtesy of Harvard -

http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/globalvoices/2005/09/22/the-censored-dossier/

For Spanish speakers, check out the audio links posted there, especially the one of Chavez making a phone call to a radio show. Count how many times he says "tengan cuidado" and in what context. Just think what would happen if Bush were to call into a radio show and say the things that Chavez said.

I know that progressives want to get behind the agenda of reducing the massive inequalities that were (and are) present in Venezuela, but remember that that is how Peron got started as well. Revolutions can and do go awry, starting with good intentions and then becoming caricatures, corrupted by power. Especially if led by a Messiah.

[CAcyclist]

26. Well, Since Bush STOLE the election,

I don't know why you bother to ask. I fully expect Bush to find a way to remain in power. The Bush admin is far, far more corrupt than the Chavez administration.

At least Chavez is trying to lift his people out of poverty. Here, Bush and his cronies are turning us into a third world country.

[rayofreason]

45. Then you would no have additional reason to protest...

... a forced change in the constitution since you already believe Bush is going to do that.

I, on the other hand, would have a problem with such a development, as would most people.

I have no problem with a program to bring a greater measure of equity to Venezuela. I simply object to methods like supression of the press and freedom of speech as the means to that end. Again, listen to what Chavez said in an unscripted phone call. If you don't speak Spanish, find someone who does. I believe in listening to people and taking them at their word, particularly when they are out of the spotlight and thus "off message."

[Realityhack]

34. Propoganda much lately?

One from each article you posted:

> "Millions of Venezuelans, disillusioned with Chavez's abuse of power, intolerance and authoritarianism, will go out to cast their ballot in a recall vote today. And, to his dismay and regardless of the result, Chavez will indeed have to listen."

Chavez one a sweeping victory in that election.

> "A coup attempt against Chavez in April of 2002 failed when key elements of the military refused to support it. A bitter two-month general strike between December of 2002 and February of 2003 wreaked further havoc." (no date on article - does not mention recall referendum of 2004 where he won - it was independently verified and endorced)

Nope. That was a CIA backed Coup that was not backed by the VAST majority of the population and a large part of the reversal was thousands of them actualy showing up to fight back.

As for the general strike... it was by the countries eliete in reguards to the oil company which Chavez nationalized and (god forbid) is using the profits from to help the massive number of extreamly poor Venesualans.

The last one is the easiest:

> September 22, 1999

Old news. The fears have not come to fruition.

BTW. The Venesualan media was an extreamly key player in the coup attempt. They were in the pocket of the elete that were backing the coup and one of the major reasons it was able to go as far as it did.

[rayofreason]

44. I guess you don't speak Spanish...

...since no true progressive would feel comfortable with what Chavez said in that phone call.

But perhaps you could improve your spelling in English.

[Realityhack]

56. Your right I didn't listen to the call... and you didn't...

respond to even one of the points I made about the linked material you posted.

Sorry but I don't have anyone who speaks spanish here to call on... why don't you do a translation for us.

And how about if you either reply to the critism of what you posted or admit it was just propaganda that you repeated.

BTW Chavez is 'off script' quite a lot.

[highplainsdem]

29. Chavez Warns if U.S. Invades, Oil Goes Up

http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/88-10202005-558090.html

Chavez Warns if U.S. Invades, Oil Goes Up

By JAMEY KEATEN
The Associated Press


PARIS - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Thursday that his government is preparing for a possible U.S. invasion and he warned that such "aggression" would send gasoline in the United States prices soaring higher. The U.S. government repeated that it is not planning any such thing.

Chavez, a vocal critic of "imperialism" and the Bush administration, said he was not against the American people - just the current government.

"We are sure that it will be very difficult for the United States to attack Venezuela," Chavez said. He said his country has eight oil refineries and 14,000 gasoline stations in the United States.

"If the United States tried to attack Venezuela by a direct invasion, forget the oil," he said during a two-hour news conference beamed live to Venezuela. "Everyday, we send 1.5 million barrels to the United States."

<snip>

Editing to add that this is a different story than the one on Chavez earlier today, which was about a BBC interview, though two of the later paragraphs in this new story mention that interview.

[noahmijo]

30. Take it easy Hugo * isn't crazy enough to invade your nation

crazy enough to invade Iran? maybe but seriously the American people wouldn't stand for an invasion of Venezuela I really don't believe it.

[Realityhack]

33. who says we would know?

certainly not before hand.

We already tried to overthrow him with a coup. Sure assasination is more likely but I wouldn't COMPELETELY rule out boots on the ground. Perhapse just a few strategic bombings.

[Jamison]

39. I'm not sure about that.

All the masters of propaganda would have to do is report (make up a lie) that Al-Qaida is recruiting and training terraists in Venezuela, threatening oil supplies to the US from that region, and that their presence to the south of US threatens national security. Of course they would also say that Chavez was funding and supporting Al-Qaida.

[raccoon]

51. Gosh, you're good at this. That sounds exactly like something

the junta would do.

[K-W]

52. When has public opinion ever prevented a US war? EOM

[allemand]

35. Israel freezes deal to upgrade Venezuela`s F-16 planes due to US pressure

Report: U.S. presses Israel to halt Venezuelan plane upgrade
By The Associated Press

Israel canceled a lucrative deal to upgrade Venezuelan warplanes under American pressure, Israeli media reports said Thursday.

Israel Television said Israel was to install its own systems in U.S.-made F-16 fighters for the Venezuelan air force, but the U.S. forced Israel to call off the deal. No dollar figure for the deal was given.

Defense Ministry officials were not immediately available for comment.

The U.S. administration considers the regime of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez as a hostile, destabilizing element in South America. Chavez is close to Cuban ruler Fidel Castro, a longtime U.S. enemy.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/636557.html

[IndianaGreen]

46. Israel's systems are superior to US

this forces Chavez to seek the technology elsewhere, either France or Russia.

If the US was not planning an invasion, why pressure Israel to cancel a contract with Venezuela?

Bush is "a hostile, destabilizing element in South America."

Cuba and Fidel are not my enemies, they are only the enemies of my enemies: the rightwing pukes in Miami.

[Realityhack]

37. see also the thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1865465

[TiredOfLies]

40. i wonder where

he thinks our secrete army is, He must have heard of Bushs war in Iraq, it has been in all the papers.

[Realityhack]

57. He knows full well...

that Iraq saved his behind... For now.

I think he wants to get the word out that this is being planed in advace to counter whatever they might say before taking action.

Also it doesn't have to be a full on 100% controll type invasion. Could just involve dropping some bombs etc.

[Deja Q]

43. Just because he's paranoid doesn't mean they're out to get him.

(paraphrased from Congressman Leo Ryan to Jim Jones in 1978 before the Jonesdown tragedy)

[rman]

53. Just because he's paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get him.

That one is quite popular as well.

[burrowowl]

47. I would not be surprised

How: increased war on drugs, mercenaries, Negroponte coups, etc.
Just because the U$ is a member of the OAS, doesn't mean it plays by the rules on fellow states not invading each other. Remember the 1% holding the wealth have gotten richer after every depression. They really don't need Bu$h to know what they are doing, they have many Dims in their pockets as well. The Sheeple have to wake up and get educated. Read Kevin Philips: Wealth and Democracy, Howard Zinn: A People's History of the United States and even Gore Vidal novels on the U$.

[NVMojo]

48. I'm with Chavez, they have oil' *, carlyle group and Halliburton

will want to invade ...

[Judi Lynn]

49. To refresh DU'ers' memories on the Bush administration's reprehensible

involvement in the Venezuelan coup, here's a helpful article:

U.S. Works Closely With Coup Leaders

......A week before the coup, the Financial Times received e-mail purportedly forwarded from a U.S. official employed at the Pentagon who had lunched with a senior Venezuelan military officer. The e-mail detailed how protests were expected to lead to Chávez’s “constitutional” exit: A strike at Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), the state oil company, was expected to cause gasoline shortages, in turn generating chaos, calls for Chávez’s resignation, anti-Chávez votes in the National Assembly and Supreme Court, and finally military pressure for Chávez to resign.

The U.S. government backed its words with dollars. The National Endowment for Democracy, a nonprofit agency created and financed by Congress, quadrupled its budget for Venezuela to more than $877,000 in the year before the coup. Some of the money went through the AFL-CIO to the Venezuelan Workers Confederation (CTV), which called for Chávez’s removal and helped organize work stoppages leading up to the coup. Another portion went to the Caracas office of the International Republican Institute, an arm of Bush’s party. In an April 12 statement, institute President George A. Folsom hailed the coup: “The Venezuelan people rose up to defend democracy in their country.” The NED gained notoriety in the 1980s, when the administrations of Ronald Reagan and George Bush used it to interfere with elections in Chile and Nicaragua.

To support the Venezuelan coup, U.S. Navy vessels in the Caribbean helped with signals intelligence and communications jamming, according to Madsen, the former Navy analyst.

Venezuelan National Assembly member Roger Rondon said two U.S. Embassy military attachés—Rogers and Ronald MacCammon—had been at Fort Tiuna, the capital’s main military garrison, with the coup leaders the night Chávez was removed.

The U.S. Embassy denies Rondon’s claim, but says Rogers and another military attaché office drove around the base April 11 to check reports that it was closed.
(snip/...)

http://www.americas.org/item_227

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
No amount of right-wing spin will ever change the minds of people who've been interested enough to keep informed on what _Bush has done to try to steal Venezuelans' election choice from them.

Trying to control other countries is a treacherous weakness with greedy, power-seeking right-wing "American" pResidents.

[GayCanuck]

50. All your presidents seem to mess with foreign politics

Nixon - Chile (Allende)
Reagan - Grenada
Clinton - Israel (Barak)

[rman]

54. Time to plug my secret State Dept. docs on foreign policy

created in 1948, formerly secret, now declassified, the contents mostly unreported, showing that messing with foreign politics is in fact official policy. It's just that they don't usually tell us what official policy is. What we get to hear is "widely proclaimed" policy.


From a debate between Noam Chomsky and Richard Perle at The Ohio State University in 1988 http://www.radio4all.net/proginfo.php?id=8409

"Official doctrine is quite inconsistent with the historical and documentary record. (Official doctrine) conforms to the pattern of evolving events, and is entirely inconsistent with widely proclaimed doctrine." - Noam Chomsky

Quotes from declassified State Department documents from 1948:

On the 3rd World:

"...a source of raw material and markets for the industrialist capitalist powers, to be exploited for their reconstruction"...

On Latin America:

"Prime concern is the protection of our raw materials. We have 50% of the worlds wealth but only 6% of its population, we must maintain this disparity to the extent possible, by force if necessary, putting aside vague and idealistic slogans such as human rights, raising of living standards, democratization, preferring police states if needed over democracies that might be to liberal and to indulgent to communists, the latter has lost any substantial meaning in US political rhetoric, referring simply to anyone who stands in our way."

"The primary threat to the US in Latin America is the trend towards nationalistic regimes that respond to popular demand for improvement in low living standards and production for domestic needs. That's not acceptable because the US is committed to encouraging a climate inductive to private investment, in particular guaranties for opportunity to earn and in the case of foreign capital to repatriate a reasonable return."

"We must therefore oppose what is regularly called ultra nationalism in secret documents, that means efforts to pursue domestic needs. We must foster exports or (...) production in the interests of US investors. It is recognized such programs have very little appeal to the Latin American public. So the conclusion is that we must therefore gain control over the military which can in turn control domestic opposition and overthrow civilian governments if necessary."

"One learns a lot from looking at the documentary record, and one learns a lot from the fact that certain people don't want you to look at it." - Noam Chomsky

====

"There is a declassified State Department paper from 1948 that outlines what the US intended to do with various regions of the world after World War II. The US decided to take the Middle East and Asia. When it came to Africa, the document essentially says that we're not so interested in Africa, so we'll give it to the Europeans to "exploit"-that's the word used-for their reconstruction." - Chomsky
http://www.madre.org/articles/chomsky-0801.html

====

I. Fundamental Principles: Straight Power Concepts

The fundamental aims of Western foreign policy under American leadership, were stated in a now declassified top-secret planning report produced by the US State Department’s policy planning staff, headed at the time (February 1948) by the ‘liberal’ George Kennan: "We have about 50 per cent of the world’s wealth, but only 6.3 per cent of its population... In this situation, we cannot fail to be the object of envy and resentment. Our real task in the coming period is to devise a pattern of relationships which will permit us to maintain this position of disparity without positive detriment to our national security. To do so we will have to dispense with all sentimentality and day-dreaming; and our attention will have to be concentrated everywhere on our immediate national objectives a pattern of relationships which will permit us to maintain’ the ‘position of disparity’ between the West and the rest of the world. We need not deceive ourselves that we can afford the luxury of altruism and world-benefaction... We should cease to talk about vague and... unreal objectives such as human rights, the raising of living standards, and democratization. The day is not far off when we will have to deal in straight power concepts. The less we are then hampered by idealistic slogans, the better.’
http://www.transcend.org/t_database/articles.php?ida=78

[IndianaGreen]

58. Given the choice of supporting US troops or the Venezuelan people

I choose to support the Venezuelan people against US troops and the Venezuelan elites.

[McCamy Taylor]

59. Will be a Coup, not an invasion, and he is right to worry.

With oil prices as high as they are, the US Military Industrial Complex needs Oil NOW and Venezuela has the closest supply. PLus, he is threatening to break Chevron's contract, and Condie is not going to be pleased about that. Ill bet she has some stock options floating around somewhere.

[Megahurtz]

60. I can understand why he's worried.

Somebody hurry up and get these freaks out of the WH quick!:scared:

[Judi Lynn]

61. If any DU'er should wonder where the information came from that Venezuela

is involved with the Colombian rebels, this should help. I just saw it, while looking for something else and recognized it has a place in this thread:

Mr. Reich's propensity to pernicious propaganda has once again emerged from events surrounding the coup. According to the New York Times, Reich told congressional aides that the administration had received reports that "foreign paramilitary forces"-suspected to be Cuban-were involved in the bloody suppression of anti-Chavez demonstrators, in which at least 14 people were killed in Venezuela. Reich, a former U.S. Ambassador to Venezuela and lobbyist with ties to Mobil Oil in Venezuela, further told the Congressional staffers that Mr. Chavez had meddled with the historically independent state oil company, provided haven to Colombian guerillas, and bailed out Cuba with preferential rates on oil.

Reich is a right-wing Cuban-American obsessed with overthrowing Fidel Castro's regime and is also a big political supporter of President Bush's brother and Florida Governor Jeb Bush, who needs strong support from Cubans in Florida in his re-election bid this year. Reich, along with fellow Reagan administration cohorts, Elliott Abrams and John Negroponte, were discredited for their covert activities and false assertions when the United States intervened in Central America in the 1980's and '90s, but have been re-instated in prominent positions in the second Bush administration. They abhor Latin-American governments that are elected by the poor and working class people, like the Chavez government in Venezuela and the deposed Sandinista government in Nicaragua.
(snip/...)

http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/South_America/US_Coup_Venezuela.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On edit: More from the article. It's well worth noting:

On September 30, 1987 a Republican appointed comptroller general of the U.S. found that Reich had done things as director of the OPD that were "prohibited, covert propaganda activities, "beyond the range of acceptable agency public information activities...". The same report said Mr. Reich's operation violated "a restriction on the State Department's annual appropriations prohibiting the use of federal funds for publicity or propaganda purposes not authorized by Congress." Reich used the covert propaganda to demonize the democratically elected Sandinista government of Nicaragua and establish the Contras as fearless freedom fighters. The purpose was to make the U.S. public afraid enough of the Sandinistas to get Congress to fund the Contras directly. The Boland Amendment was passed by Congress in 1982 that prohibited U.S. funds from being used to overthrow the Nicaraguan government. Meanwhile, the Contras were being illegally armed by the Reagan administration via the Iran-Contra arms deal.

On the night of Reagan's re-election in 1984, Reich's office put out the news that "intelligence sources"revealed that Soviet MIG fighter jets were arriving in Nicaragua and Andrea Mitchell interrupted election night coverage on NBC to give the phony report. This resembles the Joseph Goebbel's fabrication that Polish troops had attacked German soldiers to give the Third Reich an excuse to launch the Nazi blitzkrieg into Poland to begin World War II in 1939. Other Reich prevarications given to media sources included: Nicaragua had been given chemical weapons by the Soviets, according to the Miami Herald; and leaders of the Sandinistas were involved in drug trafficking, according to Newsweek magazine.

In Latin American countries the United States has a history of doing business and siding with wealthy oligarchies of business, professional and military elites who tend to be lighter skinned people of European descent against the poor and working class composed mainly of darker skinned, indigenous people and those of African descent. The second Bush administration appears to be adhering to this tradition with gusto.....

[IndianaGreen]

62. U.S. private contractors scheming to oust Chavez?

U.S. private contractors scheming to oust Chavez?
Author: W. T. Whitney Jr.
People's Weekly World Newspaper, 10/19/05 12:03

News Analysis

The U.S. military is deeply involved in Columbia under so-called Plan Colombia, introduced at the end of the Clinton presidency. The program now goes under the name Andean Regional Initiative. Its former cover of fighting the drug war was blown long ago. The U.S. government provides open support for Colombia’s campaign against leftist guerillas, who have been fighting for social justice for over four decades.

In Colombia — and throughout the world — private military contractors do the work of soldiers. The use of private citizens for military functions relieves the U.S. government of the onus of military failures and casualties and of responsibility for crimes they commit. The U.S. government relies heavily on the multibillion-dollar corporation DynCorp to carry out military actions in Colombia. In late 2004 the Bush administration increased the U.S. military allotment in Colombia to 800 U.S. soldiers and 600 private military contractors, up from 300.

One assumes that a U.S. military presence in Columbia means military involvement throughout the region, including Venezuela. Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) testified as much on Oct. 29, 2003, before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

“We’re all aware Plan Colombia’s undergoing changes in its name,” Dodd said. “Now we talk about the Andean Counter-drug Initiative and the Andean Regional Initiative. It remains to be seen whether the new name reflects a shift in focus from Colombia, specific to a more comprehensive regional strategy. I certainly hope it does.

“As I mentioned before, I strongly believe the United States assistance to Colombia and other Andean countries must support a regional game plan to include countries such as Venezuela, Ecuador and Peru as full partners in destroying the drug cartels and the scourge of this hemisphere.”

Lastly, James Petras, writing in Counterpunch last March, makes the case that Washington indeed plans to instigate turmoil along the Colombia-Venezuela border as a prelude to war to oust Chavez government, which has resisted U.S. domination and provided economic and social benefits to the country’s workers and poor.

http://www.pww.org/article/view/7930/

[Judi Lynn]

63. Very interesting.Reminded me of the incidences we've read of Colombian

paramilitaries coming across the border and slaughtering Venezuelan citizens. I've read in an article they also offer their services for sale to Venezuelan groups to knock off people like mayors and other town leaders. I'll look around for more on that.


Here's related material:

However, to perpetuate the charade that U.S. is not directly intervening in Colombia, rather private corporation and organizations are the primary participants, much of the military and biochemical operation is “contracted out” to private firms and private armies. Early in 2003 the U.S. State Department reported that there are 17 primary contracting companies working in Colombia, initially receiving $3.5 billion <20>.

Biochemical warfare

Biological-chemical-bacteriological warfare against the peasants also started, full force, during 1998. DynCorp, a defense contractor and a Fortune 500 company, has a $ 600 million contract to carry out aerial spraying to eliminate coca crops which also contaminates maize, Yucca, and plantains-staple foods of the population; children and adults develop skin rashes. The herbicide that is sprayed, glyphosate, commonly known as Roundup, is manufactured by Monsanto, a US company. It should be noted that the aerial spraying with Roundup, in the manner in which it is done in Colombia, is illegal in the US where Glysophate is considered to be category II, highly toxic. Other chemicals sprayed are registered as category I, extremely toxic <22>. Fumigation, along with machine gun shootings, and a heavy military and paramilitary presence, linked to a low-intensity warfare have taken the lives of more than 1,300 villagers in various municipalities in FARC contolled Putumayo department <23>.

US and Colombia allege that revolutionary guerillas and drug traffickers from Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Venezuela work in tandem; they find shelter in the trackless 1.9 million square miles area of rain forests and rivers of Amazon. To crush them a new American financed, $1.4 billion system for radar and sensor was installed to monitor this area <24>. (See below).

Resistance by Colombian revolutionary forces, along with Venezuela’s progressive populist policies is a major threat to imperialist and its allies in Latin America. A victory for or even a modus vivendi with the revolutionary forces in Colombia along with Venezuela’s successful policies are likely to present an alternate socio-economic model spawned by the WB/IMF and MNCs. This momentum has to be defeated by military force, if necessary, and Chavez has to go <25>.
(snip)

Venezuela and Colombia share a common, semi porous, 1370 miles border where drug trafficking, kidnapping and smuggling are common. Since 2003 there have been several incursions by Colombian paramilitary forces into Venezuela’s western provinces of Zulia and Tachira killing civilians and National Guard troops, both a s a provocation and a threat. In July 2003 Chavez ordered an additional 2,700 troops to reinforce security, in addition to the 20,000 already posted along the Colombian border <28>. In 2001 the US State Department put two Colombian revolutionary groups, FARC and ELN on “terrorist list”, accusing them of drug trafficking-smuggling, disrupting country’s democratic process and sabotaging country’s economy. US also charged that Venezuela facilitates Middle Eastern terrorist to enter the US via Venezuelan territory <30>. In contrast, in 2004, US removed Colombian paramilitary force, which has one of the worst human right recorded, from the terror list, where it had been placed three years previously <31>. This gives the US military a clean chit to supply paramilitary with arms.
(snip/...)

http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=15&ItemID=6934

[Judi Lynn]

64. Reference to one avenue Bush could follow to circuitously invade Venezuela

At the same time due to Colombian internal conditions, protests and demonstrations have grown in intensity and density which have engaged much of the Colombian military and paramilitary forces, and hence they may find it difficult to mount an incursion, other than the border engagements by paramilitary forces <38>. In this context, the Colombian President Alvaro Uribe-the only South American leader to back Bush's invasion on Iraq-has invited Americans to invade Colombia <39>, which should present several opportunities to intervene in Venezuela and the newly re-elected war president, as Bush calls himself, will certainly seize the first opportunity to do so.
(snip/)

http://www.axisoflogic.com/cgi-bin/exec/view.pl?archive=129&num=15402&printer=1