Posted on 05/17/2006 6:23:04 AM PDT by pissant
Venezuela has allowed its intelligence service to become a clone of Cuba's while it shelters groups with ties to Middle East terrorists and allows weapons from its official stockpiles to reach Colombian guerrillas, a senior U.S. official said yesterday.
Those were the principal reasons why the Bush administration blacklisted Venezuela on Monday, saying it has failed to fully cooperate on counterterrorism, Thomas A. Shannon, assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, told editors and reporters at The Washington Times.
"It's our hope now that we've gotten their attention," he said of the Venezuelans, who are banned from purchasing U.S. weapons because of the listing. "We hope that we are going to be in a position where we can talk with them and look for how we can improve [our] cooperation."
An immediate impact of the decision is that Venezuela will be unable to buy spare parts from the United States to maintain its aging fleet of U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets. A senior military adviser to President Hugo Chavez said yesterday that Venezuela might now sell the planes to another country, possibly Iran.
It was not clear what Iran might do with the planes, because it is also subject to U.S. sanctions.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Bump.
MOAB 'em.
Don't know who has bigger stars in their eyes for Chavez; Jimmuh or Cindy.
Works for me.
"Chavez tied to terrorist. Now! that is a surprise."
I thought we already knew about his connection to Jimmy Carter?
Oh yeah. Like Iran would by broken down F-16s. They can't even fix their own broken down F-14s.
Wonder who planted this gem?
I say confiscate Venezuela's oil in the meantime.
I hope its 100 percent home grown. There are plenty of POed Venz who carry a grudge.
Chavez planted it.
That works too. As long as its within the next few months.
Yep put in a strong man who will then in years to come turn around an p**s on America, and then we can get another in and another.
There is such a depressing familiarity about all this. From both sides as each ups the anti of charges against the other, as if both countries are locked and loaded into a confrontation.
There are three charges here
1)Failed to fully cooperate on counterterrorism.
2)Forging links with Middle eastern terrorists.
3)Backing Columbian Terrorists.
I believe number 1 straight away but does Venezuela have to co operate with America, not really it is a sovereign country.
What are these links to Middle Eastern countries, its easy to say operational secrecy dictates we cant say, but I think its now important, if America is not to be seen as the Bully in South America.
What is Columbia's take, if Venezuela involving herself with Columbian para military organisations then its up to Columbia to say something.
We still have the war with the Islamic terrorists to win, do we want to open another front, involve your self further in the murky world of South American Politics, and alienate even further other South American countries and those who are non aligned
Looks like a few Pvt. Gomers and Sgt. Carters may be headed to S. America.
My answer is yes. We oppose the spread of communism in our hemisphere, pure and simple.
The CIA? Yeah, right.
And the europeans love him.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.