The Chavez Challenge: Caracas' Nuclear Ambitions and Terrorist Ties must not be Ignored

[EFerrari]

March 10, 2010
The Chavez Challenge: Caracas' Nuclear Ambitions and Terrorist Ties must not be Ignored


In the media, President Hugo Chavez seems to be portrayed more commonly these days as a threat to golf, which he considers "bourgeois" and is trying to eradicate in Venezuela, than to regional stability.

If only that were the case.

Overshadowed by America's strategic distractions with the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and with terrorism, and nettlesome nuclear troubles with Iran and North Korea, to name a few, Chavez is all but flying under the threat radar.

But threats there are: From his ties to terrorist groups and rogue regimes to his military modernization and nuclear ambitions, the Venezuelan caudillo is becoming a real reason for concern on the security front.

To ignore what is happening in Venezuela under Chavez's hand, potentially affecting broad swaths of Latin America, the Caribbean and the homeland, would be a big mistake - and done only at our peril.

* * *

Anyone want to take a guess at the outlet?

[cali]

1. WaPo?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

2. Hillary? She seems to be coming up with a lot of goofy stuff lately regarding Latin America.

[cali]

3. no way. that doesn't sound remotely like Hillary. She's hasn't said anything

close to that stupid. I'll eat my virtual hat (no hard task, I admit) if that's Hillary.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

4. Try this on for hat size.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/mar/05/hillary-clinton-latin-america

[cali]

8. not even close.

[EFerrari]

14. It's funny because it's not HIllary but it is definitely the level of discourse

that she has to operate in.

[bridgit]

5. Heritage...

http://www.heritage.org/Press/Commentary/ed031010a.cfm

[The Magistrate]

6. The Mind Wobbles, Ma'am....

[EFerrari]

10. You are very close.

http://www.heritage.org/Press/Commentary/ed031010a.cfm

Here are the talking points for the month.

[yurbud]

7. Fox News?

[EFerrari]

12. Good ear!

It's the Heritage Foundation.

http://www.heritage.org/Press/Commentary/ed031010a.cfm

[yurbud]

16. Fox News for conservatives what can reed

[GreenTea]

9. To ignore decades of US corporations imperialism, slavery, right-wing death squads in Latin America

is pure one-sided capitalistic fascist ignorance....by those who are so fucking uninformed and buy every, oil hungry, resource stealing corporation war-mongering imperialist propaganda article AP and the bullshit corporate media puts out. About how bad progressives & socialism is, and they always use the word "leftist" for Chavez who was elected with 62% of the vote....but never do they call the ruthless, wealthy, iron-fisted right-wing puppet dictators who sell out their own people "rightist" all the right-wing corrupt dictators who are propped up by the U.S., CIA & American corporations who have been ripping off the region, resources and it's people for centuries!

[Donald Ian Rankin]

11. "Ties to terrorist groups", arguably, but "nuclear ambitions"?

It's no secret that Chavez at least sympathises with and passively supports FARC, and may well actively cooperate with them too. But I've never heard any suggestion that he has nuclear ambitions, and to suggest that he's a threat to the security of "the homeland" is just daft.

[EFerrari]

13. That's our right wing homies -- daft!

[Robeson]

15. Dick Cheney?

[EFerrari]

17. His writers at the Heritage Foundation.

:)

[Cleita]

18. Oh, them.

:boring: