U.S. to Widen Colombian Involvement

AP • Reuters ^ | 02/05/2002 8:34 PM EST | By ANDREW SELSKY

[Aaron_A]

I remember reading last week that in the next couple of years, Columbia might have to start importing oil. That should be interesting....

[lakey]

"Wall Street takes a meeting with Colombian rebels - June 1999" - interesting. NYSE Chairman Richard Grasso pictured smiling and hugging a Marxist rebel like they're long lost friends.

[Askel5]

It is brilliant political theater—and it also plays to a U.S. audience.

The sorts who believe in the "saving grace of Western Materialism" anyway.

Pressing machine guns into market plow-shares using the sheer starch of their Brooks Brothers shirts.

[Uncle Bill]

Sniff - Who would have thought

Pretend You're A President:

The money started with donations to Spitz Channell's National Endowment for the Preservation of Liberty (NEPL). Then it was wired from NEPL's account at Palmer National Bank to the account of IBC, a Washington, D.C., public relations company formed by Republican operative Richard Miller at another Washington bank. Next, IBC wired the money to I.C. in the Cayman Islands, which then transferred a majority of it to the Swiss bank account used by North's "Enterprise" to fund the Contras.

[mafree]

Bump.

[ohmage]

For the same reason we put the product in our gas tanks! Ha!

I guess the next question is , just how much of OP's product, that US troops will be protecting, is going into our gas tanks?

[Askel5]

Weird about the disconnect between Clinton and Bush on the Swiss banking.

[Chapita]

see #72!

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!!

[ohmage]

see #72!

Well, yeah.

But the question remains. How much of OP's product, the product that American forces are being deployed to protect,is destined for our, the American taxpayers, use?

[ohmage]

Could it be that by emphasizing the Marxist/Drug lord/Civil insurrection, the gubmint doesn't have to get involved in any em-bare-assing explanations about supporting Occidental Petroleum's not so politically correct effort to get the oil out from under the Indians?

I mean how would it look to all his earth first devotees if Gore was linked to exploiting an indigenous people?

[Chapita]

Makes no more difference than the amount of Saudi crude is earmarked for the USA!

[ohmage]

I'm gonna hafta sleep on that one. It might make more sense in the A.M.

[Chapita]

Consider the circumstances in this country if the oil producers stop the flow of oil! This country would be in critical condition if the oil supply dried up!

For all those who bad-mouth the oil industry, do you realize the alternative?

[steve50]

I think the growers make very little from the crop. I've seen reports of $100 - $300/kilo US for the coca paste.

People on the ground there say we are dropping about 1/2 of the agent orange on areas that grow little or no coca. Just an effort to move the indigenous tribes out of the oil companies way.