Posted on 03/03/2008 3:34:08 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
Venezuela threatened to declare war on neighbouring Colombia last night, raising the prospect of the U.S. being drawn into conflict in South America.
Venezuela's Left-wing president Hugo Chavez ordered ten tank battalions to the Colombian border and put war-planes under emergency stand-by.
The tension follows Colombia's decision to send its army to strike against anti-government guerrillas hiding in the jungles of Ecuador.
The surprise attack - launched without Ecuador's permission - killed Raul Reyes, a top commander in the Left-wing Colombian rebel group Farc, and about 16 of his men.
President Chavez yesterday closed the Colombian embassy in Caracas, warning that any similar entry into his country's territory after the rebels would be "cause for war".
The U.S. would almost certainly come to Colombia's aid if oil-rich Venezuela launched an invasion. But Washington-based diplomats played down the brouhaha and said it might be no more than bluster from Chavez, an outspoken opponent of the U.S.
However, Pentagon sources said Colombia had been warned not to allow its hunt for Farc rebels to cross Venezuela's borders.
Over the last few weeks President Chavez, who is very close to new Cuban President Raul Castro, has been in negotiations with Farc leaders and has persuaded them to hand over some of the hostages they have been holding for years.
While the US has bitterly deteriorating relations with Venezuela it has recently improved ties to Colombia and has troops in that country helping in the fight against the massive illicit cocaine trade.
President Chavez moved quickly yesterday to close the Colombian embassy in Caracas and to declare on national television that Colombian President Alvaro Uribe was a "criminal."
He said the killing of the rebel leader was a "cowardly murder."
President Chavez said that any similar incursion into Venezuelan territory after the rebels would be seen as a "cause for war."
Ecuador's President Rafael Correa has called the killing of the rebels inside his country "scandalous."
According to Pentagon sources the US has warned Colombia not to let its military venture into Venezuela in pursuit of Farc guerrillas and there is no indication that they have done so.
The US is hoping that President Chavez – known for making extravagant claims – is on no more than a sabre-rattling exercise with no real intention of going to war.
3 AM might be the time.
LOL
Best we could do is keep our nose out of it. Let those two wacky countries fight between themselves.
If Chavez gave FARC $300 million, President Bush is honor- and duty-bound to treat Chavez like the terrorist he is.
Let them pummel each other into the dirt.
Let those two wacky countries fight between themselves.
Do you know that Columbia is our good ally?
Colombia
Chaveez is setting us up. Send in unmarked planes....
Yeah, just ask the Dems.
I don’t want to get too involved but if Columbia needs equipment or even any air support we should give it to them. Sluggo is begging for a fight and he should get one.
i don’t think so,
I think a flight wing of A-10s would do wonders to ger hugo to pay attention.
Take out his tanks in about 2 hours and send a flight of F-117 aircraft over Caracus.
Colombia has made a sharp turn to conservatism in the past year, has become a pro-American ally, the conservative Columbian Government has cleaned up the country and driven the Communist guerillas out of their country and, when the Communist neighbor attacks, we should allow them to "pummel each other into the dirt"?
Hmmm.
The next time the Arabs attack Israel, should we just let the two parties "pummel each other into the dirt"?
Where’s Cindy Shee-hag when you reeeheeheeeellly need her?!
Sean Pen? Michael Moore? Any moral explanations? But we need you to go there immediately to see what’s up.......(Please?)
If we got into a shooting war down there, I would hope we would have enough sense AND cajonies to put a bullet in Chavez unlike Bush # 1 did with Saddam in the first gulf war. GET THE DAMN JOB DONE RIGHT !!!
If we are asked for it, we should offer it. If we are asked, we should dispatch Hugo and his supporters, all of them, and maybe countries like Israel would get on board.
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