Was Bolivian missile mishap really attempted coup d'etat?

[Judi Lynn]

Was Bolivian missile mishap really attempted coup d'etat?

Submitted by WW4 Report on Sun, 07/11/2010 - 21:06. Bolivian Defense Minister Rubén Saavedra has ordered an investigation of a July 7 incident in which a T-33 military jet fired a missile from its base in El Alto that passed within a meter of the tail of the official presidential plane, a Falcón 900 EX Easy recently purchased from France. The missile hit a nearby house, causing no casualties. The government said it would pay for the damage to the house. Both planes were apparently on the ground when the incident occurred. President Morales does not appear to have been on board at the time. However, a day earlier his helicopter had to return to Chimoré air base in Cochabamba when it developed engine trouble immediately after taking off. (La Prensa, La Paz, July 8; Prensa Latina, July 7)

http://ww4report.com/node/8830

[Judi Lynn]

1. Searching for more news on it, found this:Possible Evo Morales assassination plot fails

Possible Evo Morales assassination plot fails
2010 July 8

While the event hasn’t drawn much notice in the U.S., the fact that a Bolivian jet fired a missile that came within a few feet of President Evo Morales’ plane leaves one wondering if it wasn’t an assassination effort gone awry. The death of Morales, an outspoken socialist recently reelected as president, would please a lot of folks who would like to get their hands on his nation’s resources, including the largest proven deposits of lithium, the essential ingredient in today’s high-tech batteries. Via Prensa Latina:

Bolivian Defense Minister Rubén Saavedra today ordered an investigation into the activation of a missile on a T-33 fighter plane that nearly impacted the Presidential plane, the Falcon 900 EX Easy.

According to preliminary reports, the missile was activated this afternoon (Weds 7th) at the Bolivian Air Force base in the city of El Alto, and passed one metre behind the tail of the Evo Morales’ Presidential jet, of French construction, that was delivered last Thursday to La Paz.

The missile eventually impacted a house close to the air base without causing any personal injury.

“We have asked for a summary of information, in the charge of an official of the air force and expect that in 48 hours we will have the final result of this process”, said Saavedra.

Regarding the house affected by the missile, located on Avenue Juan Pablo II in El Alto, Saavedra assured those present that the air force would pay all repair costs.

http://richardbrenneman.wordpress.com/2010/07/08/possible-evo-morales-assassination-plot-fails/

[Judi Lynn]

2. From El Deber, anti-Morales newspaper: Investigating the incident with T -33 rocket

(Google translation)

Investigating the incident with T -33 rocket

The defense minister , Ruben Saavedra, said yesterday that the Bolivian Air Force (FAB ) opened an inquiry to find out what information has been the cause of a T -33 spacecraft endanger the aircraft of President Evo Morales, after firing a of its rockets , which ended hitting a neighboring house to the airport in El Alto.

"We opened an inquiry for information. The FAB research to determine what has caused this incident, but had no significant inconvenience , "said authority.

At 10:30 on Tuesday , a ship T -33 training activated one of its rockets in the Air Force Air Base in El Alto and was a few meters of impact the new presidential aircraft , the Dassault Falcon 900EX Easy , which was delivered on Friday of last week the President.

Statements made by the Minister were references to his departure from the Cabinet meeting held yesterday morning in Palacio Quemado. Saavedra denied that the presidential plane had been at risk of being struck .

The first T -33 aircraft were acquired during the de facto government of Hugo Banzer Suárez ( 1973) and since then has undergone several updates to its operation.

Until last night , officials from the Air Force did not release the cause of the incident which resulted in damage to a house adjacent to the base. / ANF

http://www.eldeber.com.bo/2010/2010-07-08/vernotanacional.php?id=100707231926

[Judi Lynn]

3. Google translation:July 08Bolivian Plane T -33 targets the nearly new Falcon 900EX Easy presidential

July 08Bolivian Plane T -33 targets the nearly new Falcon 900EX Easy presidential Evo Morales

http://cavok.com.br.nyud.net:8090/blog/wp-contents/uploads/2010/07/AT_33_Mark_III_Bolivia_0003.jpg

One of Lockheed AT -33 Mark III Air Force in Bolivia.

A T -33 fighter plane of the Bolivian Air Force (FAB ) ( pictured above) which was launched a missile on the ground by mistake, passing near the presidential plane and causing damage to a house in the city of El Alto, near La Paz, but without reaching the residents said on Wednesday an official source.

"A test rocket that was being placed on the T -33 plane was accidentally shot on Tuesday . This rocket had no explosives and caused no personal injuries , "said Defence Minister Rubén Saavedra , the local media outlets .

http://cavok.com.br.nyud.net:8090/blog/wp-contents/uploads/2010/07/Falcon-900EX-Bolivia.jpg

The missile fired in error by AT -33 would have passed near
the new Falcon 900EX presidential delivered this week in Bolivia.

Witnesses told radio Erbol that the missile had passed near the Falcon 900EX presidential plane made in France, recently acquired by the government but the minister Saavedra said that "the Falcon aircraft was parked in one of the hangars, but was not hit . "

" Remnants of the projectile hit a private house, but no major damage to property or persons , and the Air Force will bear the expenses of repair , "said Saavedra.

The bullet went through one wall of the Fighter Air Group FAB , located in the city of El Alto ( west), where the plane was , and hit a wall of the residence but did not explode.

" We were instructed to make an informative report of the incident and hope that in 48 hours we will have a report , "the minister Saavedra.

The T -33 aircraft were acquired by the Bolivian government in 1973 and modernized in 2002. Currently , they are used for training.

Source: AFP via Hangar of Vinn
http://cavok.com.br/blog/?p=14663

[Judi Lynn]

4. Apparently they didn't take ALL the missiles and give them to the U.S. in 2005,

right before the Presidential election everyone knew Evo Morales would win.

You do remember that filthy stunt crafted by Donald Rumsfeld, don't you, when they knew in Washington Morales was going to win, even after _Bush's entire cabinet, nearly, had made tons of anti-Morales statements, and it had been suggested Bolivia would lose some U.S. funding if they elected him?

Here's a reminder of that strange missile scandal:

Bolivia hands over its missiles to the United States
16 January 2006
From
Paris (France)



Evo Morales, “cocalero” and MAS (Movement towards Socialism) leader, and presidential candidate for elections in Bolivia scheduled for December 18, recently stated that 28 MHN-5 surface-to-air missiles made in China had disappeared. The missiles were in Bolivian arsenals and handed over to the United States for “deactivation”.

Morales indicated he was planning to file a lawsuit against the current acting president Eduardo Rodríguez and his minister of defense Gonzalo Méndez Gutiérrez, for “betraying the homeland” (a popular uprising to overthrow the former president Carlos Mesa from power in June 2005). In order to justify why the Chinese missiles were sent to the United States, the Bolivian authorities mentioned that such equipment was obsolete, and their handling was dangerous. It seems, though, that they had been acquired in China in the early 90’s and were in perfect condition.

Furthermore, they were the only missiles that the Bolivian army had, and whose lack of ordnance is chronic. In that case, why giving those weapons away?

Used to different forms of interference in Latin America, in 2004, the United States had already tried unsuccessfully to convince the former president Carlos Mesa to hand over such armaments, said the former Foreign Minister Juan Ignacio Siles. The imminent presidential decision and fear over Evo Morales’ victory are obviously the factors that precipitated the events.

The Bolivian “missile crisis” (the author has used the same term as in French to make reference to the missile crisis, in October 1962, between the United States and the Soviet Union, regarding the installation of intermediate-range Soviet missiles in Cuba. Note of the Translator) clearly illustrates the U.S. intentions, which might be planning to launch a military operation against Bolivia, with the excuse of any “threat to democracy”, and then recover something from their lost ground in Latin America over the past few years. If this is not the case, why such concern then about roughly 30 missiles that pose no threat to anyone?

http://www.voltairenet.org/article133814.html

~~~~~

Bolivia’s Morales announces treason trial for army general
Wednesday, January 18, 2006

President-elect Evo Morales, who will assume office on Sunday January 22, announced on Wednesday that General Marcelo Antezana will face trial for treason after sending 28 aging Chinese-made missiles to the U.S. for destruction at the request from the U.S.

General Antezana, who was dismissed from his position this Wednesday 18, told Bolivian media that Washington had requested the missiles amid fears that Evo Morales would win the presidency. Days later, he retracted his comments. The Defence Minister, Gonzalo Mendez, resigned over the scandal.

Morales' political party, Movement for Socialism, has petitioned the Public Ministry to bring the transitional president Eduardo Rodriguez to trial on charges stemming from their investigation.

Rodriguez, interim president appointed after Carlos Mesa resigned in June, said that he had authorized the destruction, but not the transfer of the weapons, which were the only ones of its kind in Bolivia. The missile handover was an unapproved arrangement between local soldiers and the U.S. military, according to Rodriquez. He made a formal protest to the U.S. embassy on Tuesday, he said.

Rodriguez said his decision to get rid of the weapons was based on recommendations from United Nations and the Organization of American States. The army also reported they were a safety hazard. The obsolete surface-to-air missiles were destroyed in the U.S last October.

A U.S. State Department spokesman said that a campaign to eliminate portable arms in Latin America has been on-going in an effort to keep them from falling into the hands of terrorists.

http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Bolivia%E2%80%99s_Morales_announces_treason_trial_for_army_general

~~~~~
Bolivia's Defense Chiefs Ousted in Missile Scandal
Reuters
Wednesday, January 18, 2006

LA PAZ, Bolivia, Jan. 18 -- A scandal in Bolivia over surface-to-air missiles prompted the defense minister's resignation and the army chief's dismissal Tuesday, plunging the military into a political crisis days before socialist president-elect Evo Morales is to be sworn into office.

The outgoing interim president, Eduardo Rodriguez, said he had accepted the resignation of Defense Minister Gonzalo Mendez, and fired Gen. Marcelo Antezana over apparent irregularities in the destruction in the United States of a batch of Chinese-made missiles in October.

"I have relieved the commander of the army of his duties and accepted the defense minister's resignation," Rodriguez told reporters after a cabinet meeting Tuesday.

At the height of campaigning for last month's presidential elections, Morales denounced the destruction of the 28 to 30 Chinese HN-5 shoulder-fired missiles, the only arms of their kind in the military's arsenal.

Antezana, the army chief, told reporters that Washington initiated the drive to destroy the missiles because it feared Morales would win the presidency of the South American country.

More:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/18/AR2006011800124.html

[EFerrari]

6. Holy cow. I didn't know this story.

So, it looks like Evo has been a target from "go".

[Judi Lynn]

7. You're so right. Bush & Rumsfeld literally stole their Chinese missiles

purchased with the country's own money.

All it takes is to be a leftist to get the complete attention of real vampires in Washington.

Left them without protection, spirited away their missiles without consulting the President. Theft on a huge scale.

[Wilms]

5. Thanks for the thread.

[Judi Lynn]

8. I'm only too happy to post it, will NEVER forget about this truly filthy act by Bush/Rumsfeld. n/t.