Bush backs Colombia over Venezuela 'provocation'

[freedomnorth]

Source: Reuters

BOGOTA, March 4 (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush backed Colombia on Tuesday in an escalating Andean crisis as Venezuelan troops moved to the border and Colombia accused President Hugo Chavez of genocide for supporting rebels.

Chavez, who calls Bush "Mr. Danger" and has threatened to stop selling oil to the United States if it attacks, has warned war could break out in a dispute that erupted when Colombian forces bombed inside another neighbor, Ecuador, to kill a leading leftist rebel.

Bush weighed in on the crisis for the first time since Saturday's raid, accusing Chavez of provocative maneuvers and warning he opposed any act of aggression in the region.

Bush told reporters about a phone call with President Alvaro Uribe in which he said "that America would continue to stand with Colombia."

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N04422099.htm

[movonne]

1. Who would have guessed...

[bean fidhleir]

15. Indeed. "Water is wet. Film at 11" (nt)

[ixion]

2. "and warning he opposed any act of aggression in the region."

unless, of course, it's fascist 'Murikan aggression, which is just ducky anywhere in the world. :sarcasm:

[Winterblues]

16. I guess Columbia attacking within Ecuador doesn't count as aggression

If I remember correctly all South American countries have signed a mutual defense pact with each other which states that if any country comes under attack the others will come to their aid. It didn't work that well for Haiti but this may be different. Haiti was done by rebal forces. The attack within Ecuador was done by a foreign country's military..

[High Plains]

3. Bush and Uribe vs. the rest of South America

[balantz]

4. The complete subjugation of the Americas commences.

[cliss]

14. Maybe not.

I've read that because the US is maniacally fixated on Iraq and its oil, the US has neglected a part of the world which has been under tight control: South America.
I've read that because the government lacks the resources to subjugate these countries, one by one they have stood up against US repression.

It's my understanding that while Washington has been irritated, they simply lack the manpower to do anything about it.

[RethugAssKicker]

5. Ecuador has also amassed troops along the border of Columbia

Funny they don't mention that

[Zorra]

6. Bu*h backs what Cheney instigated. n/t

[MasonJar]

7. He said nothing about the Columbian raid into Equador, did he?

He's so transparent these days he should have sunscreen over his whole body.

[LynnTheDem]

13. The Columbian bombing & slaughtering is ok. It was also ok for Saddam

to attack Iran.

It's only not ok when the US government says it's not ok.

The hypocrisy is mind-blowing.

[HuffleClaw]

8. but its A-OK for Turkey to invade Iraq !

the hypocrisy of this clownish administration knows no bounds

[subsuelo]

22. Or for Israel to massacre Gazans

[Baby Snooks]

9. Bush loves them cocaine dealers...

Reality is the CIA gets a lot of funding in Central and South America from the drug trade. According to some, the CIA is involved in it.

When are people going to wake up in this country?

[Hulk]

10. Hard to believe he wouldn't back somebody who compares him to the DEVIL!!

Too funny. Why even post such news? Of course he would back ANYONE against Chavez. That's not even considering that Colombia is this administrations "puppet" in Latin America.

[Joanne98]

11. He's trying to get that damned Columbia trade agreement passed too.

[LynnTheDem]

12. I sure wish George W. bUsh would sit down and shut the fuck up.

You'd think with the shame & disgrace and scorn and hatred the world feels towards him, he'd have enough bloody sense to at least STFU.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

17. They have to protect those CIA Columbian drug shipments

...of COURSE they're gonna protect Columbia. :shrug:

[kineneb]

19. uh, yup. what you said.

CIA's gotta' make money for its black ops somewhere...

[Judi Lynn]

18. White House hopes to stay out of Colombia, Ecuador fracas

White House hopes to stay out of Colombia, Ecuador fracas
Reuters
Published: Wednesday, March 05, 2008

Colombia and Ecuador should work out tensions among themselves, and the United States had not confirmed Venezuela's claim of stepped-up military deployment toward Colombia, the White House said on Wednesday.

"We do not have independent confirmation of that claim of troop movements down in that area," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said.

"We do believe that Colombia and Ecuador should be able to work this out between themselves, we don't see any need for a country that wasn't involved to be a part of it," she told reporters. "We do think it's curious that a country such as Venezuela would be raising a specter of military action against a country who was defending itself against terrorism, that says a lot about Venezuela."

More:
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=355020

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Apparently Ms. Perino imagines we're all like right-wing idiots who sit around waiting for our next feeding of White House-spun propaganda, and never go to the trouble to find out the facts for ourselves.

We'd have to be right-wingers to be that stupid!

She IS right abaout countries staying out who aren't actually involved. _Bush has involved U.S. taxpayers through investing boatloads of their money in maintaining the Colombian government as the THIRD LARGEST U.S. FOREIGN AID RECIPIENT IN THE WORLD. We are supporting monsters in Colombia, as well as in the White House.

http://www.backyardbriefing.com.nyud.net:8090/uploads/maps/Colombia_map.gif

[IggyReed]

20. Not meddling...

Was it meddling when the US, through organizations like the NED, supported (and were the first the recognize) the coup governement in 2002? The same coup government who tore up the consitution that was voted on in national referendum and disolved all branches of government, setting up a military dictatorship? Once in power the dictatorship leaders thanks news organizations like RCTV (they named them specifically) for supporting the removal of democracy? I guess when we do it its alright, when a bordering country sends trooops to a border (of a country that has had multiple assassination attempts against his life. Or the paramilitaries’, who Human Rights Watch and the UN say are behind the majority of the killings in Colombia, constant attacks in Venezuelan territories. Since it’s not “officially” the government, it isn’t a situation like Ecuador here. It isn’t surprising that these immoral elites in the US back these policies, they have for decades. What’s depressing for myself is how much many people who call themselves “progressive” do so without educating themselves on the situation in Venezuela. To know what the CIA and similar organizations has done, to look at what we’ve done to Iraq and to STILL form their opinions on other countries based on what they say is criminally stupid and morally in-defensible.

[Judi Lynn]

21. It's hard to believe US elites refuse to take the time to do their homework on this.

Does it mean they're too gullible, or does it mean they secretly don't give a damn? Inconceivable they could get that far without knowing the actual history of U.S. policy in Latin America.

Truly doesn't say much for them. It leaves it all up to people WITHOUT influence in ordinary, daily life to do all their own research, and try to communicate what they've learned with conscientious people when they find them. Very sad state of affairs.

It has been a shock to learn some well known Democrats seem to be completely on board the right-wing view of who should run the governments in Latin America, because they are supporting some vicious, brutal right-wingers with grotesque personal histories.

Your first post was remarkable! You hit the ground running, IggyReed. Wonderful to see you are so well informed as you join the conversation. Welcome to D.U. :hi: :hi: :hi: :hi:

[Andrushka]

23. Welcome to DU!

Nice to see someone new that is well-informed on a story that relates to Venezuela. You'd be surprised at some that usually turn up (though, not on this thread so far)