[Cincinatus' Wife]

Venezuela and the U.S. War on Al Qaeda***Prior to Sept. 11, Chavez's flirtations with Iraq, Libya, Iran and the occasional Hezbollah agent were irritating but tolerable. After Sept. 11 it became a direct threat to the United States. A frightening scenario could be generated: U.S.-backed Colombian forces were pressing FARC guerrillas; the war could spill over into western Venezuela; Chavez was not likely to permit U.S.-backed operations in his territory, and at the same time, his relationships with radical Arabs and Islamic fundamentalists could give them a base of operations in the Western Hemisphere secure against U.S. attacks. Given the importance of Venezuelan oil to the United States and the deep interdependence of the two countries, the Bush administration saw Chavez's Venezuela evolving in a way that could directly threaten U.S. interests.

………Chavez is a problem for the United States, but the deeper problem is the lingering perception about U.S. power and competence. Given that no one will believe that the United States did not plan the coup -- regardless of the truth, which is itself murky -- the failure of the coup is a direct blow to the credibility of U.S. ferocity, which might resonate around the world. If Hugo Chavez can survive American wrath, how seriously should the world take American wrath? This puts the United States in an uncomfortable position indeed. At a time when it is less than clear what the government has in mind about al Qaeda, doubts about U.S. power are the last thing the Bush administration needs. That should make Chavez feel fairly uncomfortable himself. He has survived, but his survival has raised the stakes. The United States looks pretty ridiculous at a time when it can least afford to look ridiculous. If the government can't bring Chavez down, how can it reach out and touch some of the really dangerous regimes it will have to deal with?***

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Reich rejects calls for apology - U.S. criticized for its handling of Chávez crisis*** WASHINGTON - Otto Reich, the top Bush administration official for Latin America affairs, on Monday sharply rejected suggestions that Washington should apologize for its handling of the Venezuelan crisis, despite continuing criticism from a variety of sources. ''Apologies for what?'' asked Reich, the assistant secretary of state for the Western Hemisphere. ``If it's shown we made a mistake, I'll apologize.''

Reich, a former U.S. ambassador to Venezuela who now ranks as the senior U.S. diplomat to the Americas, said the Bush administration's categorical April 12 statement that President Hugo Chávez had resigned Venezuela's presidency ``reflected the best information that we had at the time.'' ''What we have here is typical Monday morning quarterbacking by people who are ill-informed,'' Reich said in a telephone interview in which he offered some details of his own actions during the two days that Chávez was ousted and until his return April 14. ``I pay absolutely no attention to people who say that we didn't respect democracy.'' ***

Reich, a Cuban-born political appointee of President Bush, was perhaps the lead figure among a handful of key advisors who managed the crisis for the White House. Key Democratic senators suggest the handling was inept. Reich's most prominent critic, Democratic Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut, complained last week that he needs ``adult supervision.''***