Posted on 10/24/2007 6:07:35 AM PDT by George W. Bush
NAPLES (Reuters) - Ecuador's leftist President Rafael Correa said Washington must let him open a military base in Miami if the United States wants to keep using an air base on Ecuador's Pacific coast.
Correa has refused to renew Washington's lease on the Manta air base, set to expire in 2009. U.S. officials say it is vital for counter-narcotics surveillance operations on Pacific drug-running routes.
"We'll renew the base on one condition: that they let us put a base in Miami -- an Ecuadorean base," Correa said in an interview during a trip to Italy.
"If there's no problem having foreign soldiers on a country's soil, surely they'll let us have an Ecuadorean base in the United States."
The U.S. embassy to Ecuador says on its Web site that anti-narcotics flights from Manta gathered information behind more than 60 percent of illegal drug seizures on the high seas of the Eastern Pacific last year.
It offers a fact-sheet on the base at: http://ecuador.usembassy.gov/topics_of_interest/manta-fol.html
Correa, a popular leftist economist, had promised to cut off his arm before extending the lease that ends in 2009 and has called U.S. President George W. Bush a "dimwit".
But Correa, an ally of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, told Reuters he believed relations with the United States were "excellent" despite the base closing.
He rejected the idea that the episode reflected on U.S. ties at all.
"This is the only North American military base in South America," he said.
"So, then the other South American countries don't have good relations with the United States because they don't have military bases? That doesn't make any sense."
Pound sand, tinhorn.
Well, there are other places to build an Air Base in the region. Money talks.
Hmmmmmm, +1...
Ok, ju Guyz don like us en ju country...Fine...We jus leave an blockade ju arse like a cork-ed wine bottle!
If ve find out ju carryeen drugas, we sink ju on zee spot an say...”next”!
Dat take care of dat!
Guess we will just leave and let the drug lords take over your country. Say goodbye to training, equipment, support, and most of all an economic cash cow for the locals.
Smart move.
He’s probably worked out a payoff scheme with the narco terrorists to get rid of the US base in return for a nice fat retirement bonus.
I say as we leave equador, we bulldoze all the buildings, rip up the runway, destroy every part of the base infrastructure & take what ever can be used or sold. Leave them a nice, flat parking lot.
I agree. Merely threaten to pull out the base - just like Germany and watch them crawl back.
The logic of his approach is pretty good- I let you have a military base on my soil, you should let me have one on yours.
If it works, Cuba probably will ask for Gitmo North!
What he really wants is a condo. I’ll bet that will be the final outcome.
He will get the top 5 floors of a 25 story waterfront condo having difficulty in the present florida Real estate market.
Sounds fair, but impossible.
Read: "Correa, a professor who has previously never earned a dime outside of academia...."
Jorge Bush will be happy to oblige.
He builds a superhighway for Mexico.
He wants amnesty for illegals.
He wants the UN controlling our seas.
He wants international courts to trump our justice system.
THE END IS NEAR.
Well, that a step up from "Satan" that Correa butt buddy Chavez called our President
Personally, Bush should send him a hacksaw
I agree with the sentiment that it would be fine to have an Ecuadorian base here in the US - should be devoted against drug smugglers and against illegals crossing the border, and should be paid for by Ecuador. Lets call his bluff, as I want to see how serious he is...
“Correa, a popular leftist economist, had promised to cut off his arm before extending the lease that ends in 2009 and has called U.S. President George W. Bush a “dimwit”.
Hey, those are fighting words. He may be a Dimwit, but he’s OUR Dimwit !!!!
Actually Ecuador should check with Jon Corzine in New Jersey. I’m sure he would be willing to sell him some space for the right price.
Don't leave anything nice. Bulldoze it into big useless piles of rubble that are in the way of anything they might want to build there.
Sounds good. Pull all of our troops and equipment out (level any buildings we built) and say “Have a nice day!” When their best buds in Venezuela come knocking to take over their two bit country we can say “You know. If we just had a military presence in the area we could help. Sorry. Have a nice day!”
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.