Mike Pompeo: Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro can’t expel US diplomats

Washington Examiner ^ | January 23, 2019 07:49 PM | Joel Gehrke

[Texas Fossil]

Friend on Twitter posted that Iwo Jima left FL 5 days ago heading SSW. Have seen no confirmation.

Sounds like we intend to remain in Venezuela in spite of Maduro's sputter.

[laplata]

I was thinking that one or two of our amphibious assault ships might be there or headed that way.

Thanks.

[laplata]

And Caracas is right on the coast. Lol

[Zhang Fei]

It’s unfortunate that Noriega is no longer with us. He could have made Maduro feel at home at his future new digs at a Supermax facility.

[MagUSNRET]

Watch yourself, friend. Loose lips sink ships!!!

[adorno]

Accordingly the United States does not consider former president Nicolas Maduro to have the legal authority to break diplomatic relations with the United States or to declare our diplomats persona non grata.

The president can do that???

Then, maybe he can use a similar rule or power, to declare Nancy Pelosi as not having the power to speak for the rest of the congress or the American people, who, I'm pretty sure, want to hear Trump deliver his SOTU in the house chamber.

[2banana]

Trump daring him to attack the US Embassy.

I don’t think Trump will have the same response as Carter did with Iran.

[allendale]

Suspect Maduro is unable to pay the majority of his soldiers in hard currency. Thugs won’t work for free and his officers are may not want to die or be imprisoned.

[Equine1952]

Turkey is backing Muduro. Lots of angles and issues. Saudis aren’t fans of Turkey, Israel is ramping up against Iran. Lots of brush fires to watch.

[catnipman]

“Pompeo warned “the Venezuelan military and security forces” not to attempt to remove the diplomats by force or retaliate over their refusal. “We call on all parties to refrain from measures that are inconsistent with the privileges and immunities enjoyed by members of the diplomatic community,” he said. “The United States will take appropriate actions to hold accountable anyone who endangers the safety and security of our mission and its personnel.””

translation of Pompeo’s diplomatic statement into the vernacular:

“We double-dog dare you to touch a single hair on a single one of our diplomats ... we’re just itching for a excuse to send in troops to “rescue” any “hostages” ...”

[Texas Fossil]

Good, then Maduro and the worst of them will boogie out to survive. Or stay and die.

[Texas Fossil]

Nope, and Pompeo will know exactly what to do.

[Mariner]

An LHD is certainly adequate to handle any threat to US interests there.

And could easily evac the entire US mission on short notice.

All non-essential personnel/family members should already be on a plane headed out.

[laplata]

Watch yourself, friend. Loose lips sink ships!!!

><><

How so?

[Texas Fossil]

Trump is not just speaking for the US. I’m sure this is a consensus of OAS and other participants. Maduro’s goose is cooked.

Trump does mean business. Lefties had better hold on to their rears.

[catnipman]

“Suspect Maduro is unable to pay the majority of his soldiers in hard currency.”

the real problem for Maduro is that the bulk of his military are soldiers who are peasants who have peasant families and not only are their peasant family starving to death, the soldiers are too as well.

[Texas Fossil]

Yes. Good point.

[Texas Fossil]

I’d like to see Maduro there, but I doubt that will happen.

[Texas Fossil]

Yep.

[rrrod]

Have all the dependants left?