Venezuela says US violated its airspace

[Judi Lynn]

Venezuela says US violated its airspace
May 20, 2008 8:27 AM

Venezuela accused the United States of violating its airspace around two small Caribbean islands over the weekend in what it said was a provocation coordinated with neighbouring Colombia.

The United States said it was looking into the allegation made by the anti-US government of President Hugo Chavez just two days after Venezuela accused troops from US ally Colombia of crossing its border.

"This is just the latest step in a series of provocations in which they want to involve our country," Defense Minister Gustavo Rangel said at a news conference.
(snip)

A US Navy warplane on Saturday entered the airspace around La Orchila and another island about 120 kilometres from the South American country's mainland, Rangel said.

La Orchila has a military base and a presidential residence and is well-known because Chavez was held prisoner there during a brief coup against him in 2002. Venezuela generally bans all but its military from flying over the island.

More:
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/536641/1788279

[Judi Lynn]

1. May 20, 2008

May 20, 2008

Venezuela Accuses U.S. of Violating Its Airspace
By SIMON ROMERO

CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuela’s defense minister said Monday that an American fighter plane had violated Venezuelan airspace over the weekend, prompting the government here to summon the United States ambassador to explain the supposed incident and other recent statements about Venezuela by senior American officials.

The denunciation, issued on state television Monday morning, suggests that political relations between Venezuela and the United States might be set to deteriorate further after Washington explicitly sided with Colombia in a dispute over a trove of computer files that tie Colombia’s largest guerrilla group to Venezuela’s government.

Gen. Gustavo Rangel, the Venezuelan defense minister, said the authorities on Saturday detected an S-3B Viking aircraft piloted by United States Navy personnel over La Orchila, a Caribbean island with a Venezuelan military base. An exchange of words ensued, General Rangel said, and the plane departed in the direction of Curacao in the Dutch Antilles.

“We believe this action to be deliberate on the part of the North America Navy,” General Rangel said. “At this moment in time it is nothing but another link in the chain of provocations in which they are trying to involve our country.”

More:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/20/world/americas/20venez.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin

[Judi Lynn]

2. Venezuela Says U.S. Military Plane Violated Airspace

Venezuela Says U.S. Military Plane Violated Airspace (Update1)

By Daniel Cancel and Matthew Walter

May 19 (Bloomberg) -- Venezuelan Defense Minister Gustavo Reyes Rangel Briceno said a U.S. military plane violated the South American country's airspace on May 17, and said the government is seeking an explanation.

A military plane was detected flying over the Venezuelan island of Orchila at 8:40 p.m. (9:10 p.m. New York time), Briceno told reporters today in Caracas. The pilot identified himself and said he had been conducting training exercises over Curacao and didn't realize he had entered Venezuelan airspace, the Venezuelan defense minister said.

Venezuela has asked U.S. Ambassador Patrick Duddy to provide an explanation for the unauthorized incursion, Briceno said. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has accused the U.S. of trying to provoke a war with Venezuela.

``It's hard to believe it was an accident, as the distance between Curacao and Orchila Island is significant,'' Venezuelan General Jesus Gonzalez Gonzalez told reporters today in Caracas.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=a_yvFo1Ax6_4&refer=latin_america

[magbana]

3. Wonder if the Brothers to the Rescue are giving the US Military . . .

advice about how to invade the airspace -of Venezuela - they did it so well to Cuba. Yet, the shootdown helped the BTR learn that it was a very silly and dangerous thing to do.

This is a huge provocation.

[Bacchus39]

4. do you think Chavez will send troops back to the Colombian border now?

in response.

[Judi Lynn]

5. I recall hearing from the former head of the American Interests Section in Havana say he stood on

ground in Havana and watched those assholes flying so low over the city that you could see them clearly. Wayne S. Smith indicated they had been intimidating Cuba for quite a while before they got nailed for it.

Of course they made an international incident about it, and lost 3 or 4 Miami assholes, but they had been warned, and the U.S. Government had been BEGGED to call them off, and check them long before it happened.

Easy to see the handwriting on the wall here.

Easy to see right-wing perverts get aroused when they think someone in the opposition is going to be harmed, too.

Just ignore them. They have no real place anywhere around Democrats, and just start babbling in excitement. Screw'em.

[struggle4progress]

6. The Pentagon admits a US plane entered Venezuelan air space

... "A US S-3 Viking aircraft conducting counter-drugs operations lost navigational situational awareness causing it to fly into Venezuelan airspace off the mainland coast," the Joint Interagency Task Force South ... said in a statement ... http://english.eluniversal.com/2008/05/19/en_pol_art_the-pentagon-admits_19A1590919.shtml

[Judi Lynn]

7. Anger as US jet strays into Venezuelan airspace

Anger as US jet strays into Venezuelan airspace

May 20, 2008 - 12:26PM

A United States navy maritime surveillance jet experienced "intermittent navigational problems" over the weekend and strayed into Venezuelan air space, officials have acknowledged.

The admission on Monday followed charges by Venezuela that a US military plane violated its airspace on Saturday and flew near two of its islands, including La Orchila, a military base and presidential retreat in the Caribbean.

"A US S-3 aircraft conducting counter-drugs operations lost navigational situational awareness causing it to fly into Venezuelan airspace off the mainland coast," the Joint Interagency Task Force South said in a statement.
(snip)

The S-3 Vikings were originally designed as an anti-submarine warfare aircraft, but are now used mostly for maritime surveillance and as an air refuelling plane.

However, some have been modified for electronic warfare and intelligence gathering.

AFP

http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/anger-as-us-jet-strays-into-venezuelan-airspace/2008/05/20/1211182761285.html