German expert warns against potential US operations in Venezuela

[Judi Lynn]

Source: El Universal (opposition newspaper)

Caracas, Wednesday May 28 , 2008

German expert warns against potential US operations in Venezuela

The possibility of a US military incursion into Venezuela "is nearby," according to German political expert Heinz Dieterich.

"Washington is not prepared to lose Latin America in the competition with India, China and Europe," said Dieterich on Tuesday night during a debate in Montevideo, DPA quoted.

He thinks it is a "live-or-die" situation for the US government. Therefore, they would be ready to implement a military plan, which could include an invasion or an attack from Colombia.

"For that reason, they brought the Fourth Fleet back, wiped out the Colombian guerrillas and will make Colombia play the same role that Honduras played against Nicaragua" in 1979.

In the opinion of the German expert, a PhD in Social Sciences of Bremen University who holds a Master degree from Frankfurt's Goethe University, "conventional military pressure will increase" on Venezuela.




Read more: http://english.eluniversal.com/2008/05/28/en_pol_art_german-expert-warns_28A1616881.shtml

[unpossibles]

1. some of those countries have lots of oil

therefore we must march to fight democracy. or something like that

[LakeSamish706]

2. Who the F*** does this US Govt. think they are? They can just walk into any country...

they want and seize control by force.... I hope someone soon kicks there sorry ass big time, cause I'm sick and tired of this bullshit.

[gal]

4. Shouldn't the US Govt. actually do something before their blamed for it?

[Iggo]

6. Waiting until AFTER it happens...

...does no good.

It might not do any good complaining about it BEFOREHAND, either. But so fucking what.

This is Amercia, gal. We get to debate things before they happen.

Oh, and welcome to DU. Good to have you here!

:hi:

[LakeSamish706]

8. They have been dinking around in Venezuelan affairs for some time now...

So, no they don't have to actually do something before there blamed.... You do something prior to another Iraq, is when you do something.

[Pastiche423]

20. They've already done something

Google April 11, 2002 Venezuela. Kidnapping a democratically elected president is a BIG something.

[ronnie624]

25. Yeah. It's not like the U.S. has actually done anything.

I mean, what's a measly little intervention or two?

<http://www.zompist.com/latam.html>

[Vidar]

5. "The world's most powerful bully!" After all, might makes right.

[no_hypocrisy]

3. I need a scorecard.

Presently:
Afghanistan
Iraq

Potentially:
Iran
Syria
Lebanon
Venezuela

What if China stops lending us money b/c we'll only use it to screw China?

[lovuian]

7. isn't Venuezuela a huge forest this reminds me of Vietnam

WWIII is looking more and more closer at hand if not already started

[starroute]

9. John McCain, the IRI, and Venezuela

http://www.zmag.org/znet/viewArticle/16511

McCain has chaired the International Republican Institute (IRI) since 1993. Ostensibly a non-partisan, democracy-building outfit, in reality the IRI serves as an instrument to advance and promote the most far right Republican foreign policy agenda. More a cloak-and-dagger operation than a conventional research group, IRI has aligned itself with some of the most antidemocratic factions in the Third World. . . .

In Venezuela, IRI generously funded anti-Chávez civil society groups that were militantly opposed to the regime. Starting in 1998, the year Chávez was elected, IRI worked with Venezuelan organizations to produce anti-Chávez media campaigns, including newspaper, television and radio ads. Additionally, when politicians, union and civil society leaders went to Washington to meet with U.S. officials just one month before the April 2002 coup, IRI picked up the bill. The IRI also helped to fund the corrupt Confederation of Venezuelan Workers (which played a major role in the anti-Chávez destabilization campaign leading up to the coup) and Súmate, an organization involved in a signature-gathering campaign to present a petition calling for Chávez's recall. . . .

McCain has staked out hawkish territory on Venezuela and would surely escalate tensions with the South American nation. Most troubling is the Senator's strong push for renewed U.S. propaganda in the region. McCain has criticized the Venezuelan government's decision to not renew Radio Caracas Television's license, and has called for reestablishing an agency like the United States Information Agency (the USIA oversaw a variety of agencies including the Voice of America radio network before it was merged into the State Department in 1998). . . .

To make matters worse, the Chair of IRI has sought to promote neo-conservative figures from the Bush regime such as John Bolton. During the latter's confirmation hearings in the Senate, McCain urged his Democratic colleagues to approve the diplomat's nomination quickly. Bolton has been a hawk not only on Iran but also Venezuela. McCain, who refers to Chávez as a "wacko," said it was important to confirm Bolton. With Bolton at the United Nations, the U.S. would be able to talk back to "two-bit dictators" like the Venezuelan leader.

[LynnTheDem]

10. Why not add another WAR CRIME to America's list of war crimes!

And when we're finally taken down hard by the rest of the world...when we're the "worse than Hitler" of the world, don't even bother asking "why do they hate us".

[cliss]

11. Shocking, absolutely revolting

bile:

"Washington is not prepared to lose Latin America in the competition"

The implications are that Latin America is out there for the taking, whoever is the strongest gets to "keep it".
This is the kind of thinking that will sink us, faster than anything else.

[Baby Snooks]

12. But it's our oil....

That is the mindset of a lot of Americans who just refuse to accept reality. Iraq is the just the first of many oil wars to come. It is also the first of many we will lose.

The reality is that the other two "superpowers" also have supply and demand problems. Russia and China may decide to solve their problems by just launching the nuclear missiles. And take "their" oil.

[Pavulon]

13. Check sources..Always check sources. Judi you should use Janes wire.

they generally have more fact and less opinion. This is like posting "news" from PNAC.

Heinz Dieterich Steffan (1943, Rotenburg an der Wümme) is a German sociologist and a political analyst residing in Mexico. He is better known for his leftist ideals. He contributes to several journals and has published more than 30 books about conflict in Latin America, global society and the ideological controversies that characterised the 20th Century, among other philosophical and social scientific topics.

In his book The Socialism of the 21st century, Steffan explains the theoretical basis of the new socialism, which finds its most practical application in the revolutionary process of Venezuela, and to a lesser extent in the neighbouring countries of Bolivia and Ecuador. Dieterich is an advisor of the Venezuelan government.

[Peace Patriot]

14. El Universal is like "posting 'news' from PNAC"? I'll remember that, Pavulon.

In any case, it's an interesting question why El Universal is promulgating Dieterich's views. A scare tactic, maybe? There is a WHOLE LOT of evidence that the Bush Junta wants to make Venezuela jittery--economically, politically, socially. They've been messing around in Zulia (where most of the oil is), trying to instigate a secessionist movement; then they un-mothball the 4th Fleet to roam Venezuela's coastline, and this, after their nasty bombing raid on Ecuador, putting an end to FARC hostage releases and talk of peace in that long civil war. They then start calling the presidents of Venezuela and Ecuador "terrorist-lovers." Colombian soldiers start stepping across the Venezuelan border, and the U.S. does a flyover of Venezuelan territory. Back a few months, Exxon Mobil tried to freeze $12 billion in Venezuelan assets (Exxon Mobil lost that one, in a London court). And just before that, Donald Rumsfeld--architect of the slaughter of 1.2 million Iraqis to get their oil, writes, in the Washington Post, "The Smart Way to Defeat Tyrants Like Chavez," in which he suggests economic warfare (via Colombia), a psyops campaign using radio and the internet, and "swift action" by the U.S. in support of (Bushite) "friends and allies" in South America. (Whatever could he mean by "swift action"?) All to rattle Venezuela? Or a game plan for war? That is the question. Dieterich says it looks like a war plan to him. I tend to agree, and have been warning DUers about it for some time. When I saw Rumsfeld's interest, back in December, my alarm bells went off.

The fact that Dieterich is a "leftist" (what's wrong with that?) and an "adviser" to the Venezuelan government make his statements MORE, not less, credible. I've found rightwing writers and "news" sources--i.e., all corporate, and many academic or think tank, sources--to be lying scumbags on South America. "Leftist" = the most credible, in my experience. Interesting that you (apparently) try to dis him by calling him a "leftist."

[Pavulon]

15. When posting biased sources I find it is best

to note them as such. His background is relevant.

[Hardrada]

16. Are we supposed to get this stuff from Science Digest?

[AP]

17. It's interesting that you think that this post undermines the guy's credibility.

[Zorro]

18. Yes he obviously has no agenda

Just because he's a leftist advisor to the Venezuelan government doesn't mean he has a bias, does it?

[Andrushka]

19. What is it with you people?

Peace Patriot brought it up before: what's with the "leftist" term being used like its a pejorative? Since when on DU was being on the "left" something to be disparaged?!

Your true colors are really showing today.

[Zorro]

22. You people?

Do you mean people that might question this "expert's" impartiality? Is that a problem for you?

Just want to believe it with no questions?

I'm left-handed, BTW. So I'm a leftist, too.

[Andrushka]

24. I'd like to tell you what I think you are,

and it ain't "leftist". But I won't stoop to your level.

That's fine - ignore my question. I think most mature, thinking folk here will have understood it though.

[AP]

31. You people who grasp at straws...

[AP]

21. You are crazy.

You have got to appreciate that that post above and your post tells you nothing about bias or truth.

[Zorro]

23. Don't like your "expert's" credibility questioned?

What is it with you people?

[AP]

29. Please do try to challenge credibility. However, please don't be stupid about what amounts to

evidence of a lack of credibility.

[Zorro]

32. However

the original article did not report that the "expert" has direct ties to the Venezuelan government.

That glaring lack of omission calls into question the credibility of the article, if not the published assertions.

Why would they not report this? Don't you think it's important enough to be at least noted? I do.

Doesn't sound "stupid" to me to question the veracity of the article.

[AP]

33. Zorro, please.

[AP]

30. Please do try to challenge credibility. However, please don't be stupid about what amounts to

evidence of a lack of credibility.

[ronnie624]

27. Fuck Jane's.

It's a masturbation rag for worshipers of war; completely useless for understanding geopolitical grand strategy.

[JCMach1]

26. That .03cents per liter gasoline is pissing off Bush!

[Dover]

28. I was thinking about this the other day. Venezuela being a target, that is.

Why? Just speculating...
It's got enough oil to keep the US in SUV's for awhile, is geopolitically important for several reasons - Chavez's influence on other SA nations as regards the trend toward autonomy and nationalized resources not to mention their 'socialist' tilt. And it is positioned in a place that would push U.S. presence into an area on the brink of breaking (at least trade-wise) away from the U.S. and wouldn't require a massive force to take it. It might even be considered a potential port and trade route (particularly if Africa is 'developed') if the U.S. pulls Mexico and other central american countries into a united north american trading unit, like a version of the EU.

I'm guessing that when Chavez and the president of Iran had their talks not too long ago, that this was one of the subjects under discussion.



Iran and Venezuela bolster ties

Iran is backing Venezuela's bid to join the UN Security Council
Iran and Venezuela have signed a string of bilateral agreements at the start of Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit to the Latin American country...cont'd
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5354812.stm

Wikipedia: Iran-Venezuela relations
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran-Venezuela_relations