Hipocrasy and Venezuela

It seems to me that BBC is naturally more liberal than much of the US press (I say naturally, because the UK is, on the whole, more liberal than the US). So I'm hoping that they're just being fussy with articles like this one. I think it's strange our "liberal media" isn't making an issue of it.

Venezuela is threatening to break diplomatic ties because we are holding a Cuban that they suspect of being a terrorist. Maybe we're just concerned he won't get a fair shake over there...but this doesn't sound good:

Posada is a former CIA operative and bitter opponent of Castro but has denied taking part in the downing of a Cuban jetliner off the coast of Barbados that killed 73 people. Recently declassified FBI documents quote informants as saying Posada was deeply involved in the planning.

and then there's this...

BOGOTA, Colombia -- Two U.S. soldiers detained for allegedly attempting to sell ammunition to Colombian right-wing paramilitary groups have been flown to the United States, where they were placed in custody, officials said Tuesday.

The United States has denied secretly helping the paramilitary United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, or AUC, which is on the U.S. list of terrorist organizations.

Why were they there? Well they could be involved in fighting the cartel...or could be supporting these guys. There are speculations that the US will try to use Columbian paramilitaries to oust the President of Venesuela, Hugo Chavez. No doubt that's how Chavez sees it. Let's face it, if a foriegn government denies plotting to assassinate you, 1: relations aren't good, 2: relations aren't good to the point where statistically, you may be right.

Mr Chavez has repeatedly accused the US of backing Venezuela's opposition to oust or even kill him, a charge Washington denies.

But back to the special ops in Columbia. Total deniability right? Super under-cover, out-on-your-own spy shit? Nope: forget what you see in the movies.

U.S. Ambassador William Wood said Friday that he would allow local investigators to question Tanquary and Hernandez, but hours later they were flown out of the country, granted diplomatic immunity under a 1974 treaty. It wasn't immediately clear whether they were questioned before boarding the plane.

No questions. No evidence. No harm, no foul. Certainly no supporting terrorist groups.

And in a hilarious twist, the Columbians think that Congress has oversight of the Executive.

BOGOTA, Colombia -- Colombian lawmakers angered over the arrests of U.S. soldiers in drug- and arms-smuggling plots said Wednesday they want Washington's ambassador to appear before Congress, even as a top U.S. military commander pledged to prevent further wrongdoing.

Not in this session, amigos. You must have us confused with parliment. Nobody here messes with el Presidente.

I don't know what to say about sheltering a plane-bomber from Venezuela's wrath. Hmm, oh yeah I do. Fuck him. Probably they're worried about old state secrets coming out. Hopefully not us involved in the bombing itself, but who knows? I'm just speculating what could be so important that we would harbor a terroist in this day and age.

As for the Columbians. Let's try the few bad apples schtick. Or whatever, it's not getting any press anyway. So we sold some guns to some shady folks...let's call them freedom fighters. That's what we did in Afghanistan, and that turned out peachy, right?

I wonder about Venezuela though. It could just be the Venezuelan leader, Hugo Chavez is just paranoid. Or it could be, a few years down the road, it is suddenly revealed that he is a very bad person, bad for democracy, gasses his own people or somesuch...you know where it goes from there....But what are the chances of that?

Oh yeah, did I mention that Venezula sells us 1.5 million barrels of oil per day?

What are the chances now?