@DCGoldPants Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12801930/ U.S. bans weapons sales to Venezuela Listed as ‘country of concern’ on terrorism; Chavez earlier ripped U.S. MSNBC News Services Updated: 2:15 p.m. ET May 15, 2006 WASHINGTON - The United States is imposing a ban on weapons sales to Venezuela because of what it claims is a lack of support by President Hugo Chavez’s leftist government on counterterrorism efforts, the State Department said Monday. The Bush administration will also list Venezuela — the fifth-largest supplier of oil to the United States — as a “country of concern” in the war on terror, an official told NBC News, speaking on condition of anonymity. The label is not as severe as being listed as a “state sponsor of terror,” but it reflects what the State Department reported in April about Venezuela in its annual terror report. “Venezuelan cooperation in the international campaign against terrorism remained negligible,” the report said. “President Hugo Chavez persisted in public criticism of U.S. counterterrorism efforts, publicly championed Iraqi terrorists (and) deepened Venezuelan collaboration with such state sponsors of terrorism as Cuba and Iran.” The report also accused Chavez of having an “ideological affinity” with two leftist guerrilla groups operating in neighboring Colombia, the FARC and the National Liberation Army. The United States considers both to be terrorist organizations. Relations between Chavez and the Bush administration have sharply deteriorated. Chavez has called Bush a “terrorist,” and denounced the U.S.-led war in Iraq. Earlier Monday, Chavez rejected U.S. claims that Iran’s nuclear program is aimed at producing a nuclear bomb. “I don’t believe that the United States or anyone else has the right ... to prohibit that a country has nuclear energy,” he said at a news conference in London. Chavez, an ally of Cuba’s Fidel Castro, has repeatedly accused the United States of trying to overthrow him to seize his country’s vast oil reserves. U.S. officials have denied that and accused him being a threat to democracies in the region. ‘Final hours of the North American empire’ Chavez counters that the United States is the country to be wary of. In a two-hour speech Saturday while in Vienna, Austria, for a summit on Latin America, Chavez said that the “final hours of the North American empire have arrived.” “So now we have to say to the empire: ‘We’re not afraid of you. You’re a paper tiger,’” he said. The U.S. sanctions came the same day that the Bush administration said it was restoring diplomatic ties with Libya, whose president, Moammar Gadhafi, had once been vilified by the United States. Coincidentally, Chavez and Gadhafi will be meeting in Tripoli on Tuesday. Gadhafi, whose country is a major oil producer like Venezuela, has in recent years toned down fiery anti-American rhetoric and opened its industry to Western investment. Chavez, a self-styled socialist revolutionary, has by contrast led a campaign to tighten state control over his nation's energy sector. ‘No oil’ if U.S. attacks Venezuela is the world’s No. 5 oil exporter and relies on crude sales for about half of state revenues. High oil prices have helped Chavez pour billions into projects for the poor as part of his proclaimed socialist revolution. Chavez has said Venezuela will continue exporting petroleum to U.S. ports, “unless they attack us, in which case there will be no oil.” But he is also looking to diversify away from the United States as he seeks to increase oil exports to Latin America, the Caribbean and energy-hungry China. a Hundred Monkey's at a Hundred Typewriters couldn't put together a story like this. We don't like a guy because he rips us all the time, so we say he's not doing enough to fight Terror. Well, what's Uraguay doing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevenaa Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 Does he really believe oil exports to the US will be foremost on his mind if we attack. I think he'll have bigger issues. Though, there's no way we should go near that hole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mass_SkinsFan Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 a Hundred Monkey's at a Hundred Typewriters couldn't put together a story like this. We don't like a guy because he rips us all the time, so we say he's not doing enough to fight Terror. I'll be honest, I think this is a pretty restrained response. Especially considering the things that Chavez has been spouting off about the USA in the last several weeks. This will actually make an impact, as Venezuela (at least as of a couple years ago) got a lot of their small arms for the army and police forces from American companies like Smith & Wesson, Colt, and Ruger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12801930/[/size][/font] a Hundred Monkey's at a Hundred Typewriters couldn't put together a story like this. We don't like a guy because he rips us all the time, so we say he's not doing enough to fight Terror. Well, what's Uraguay doing? Or it could be the fact that he's constantly verbally attacking us and spouting inciteful rhetoric. (and what HAS he done to help against terorrism, besides buddy up to leaders with terorist ties and try to play hostage taker with the country's oil supply) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HailYeah Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 Or it could be the fact that he's constantly verbally attacking us and spouting inciteful rhetoric. (and what HAS he done to help against terorrism, besides buddy up to leaders with terorist ties and try to play hostage taker with the country's oil supply) Maybe we're trying to play hostage taker with their gun supply. Hey, I think he should tone down the rhetoric. All its gonna get him is a CIA-led assasination attempt. Who needs that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skins24 Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 All its gonna get him is a CIA-led assasination attempt. Please... Is there anyone besides Chavez claiming this? The only credible evidence I can find is the CIA saying they knew about the coup. Not sure how many people would be complaining if the coup succeeded Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HailYeah Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 Please...Is there anyone besides Chavez claiming this? The only credible evidence I can find is the CIA saying they knew about the coup. I dont think anybody else is claiming it. There's no proof. But they knew about the coup and he appears to be a designated enemy. Its not like it would be the first assasination the CIA has backed in South or Central America. And its not like he hasn't done enough to piss westerners off. Not sure how many people would be complaining if the coup succeeded Exactly. Not many around here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chomerics Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 I dont think anybody else is claiming it. There's no proof. But they knew about the coup and he appears to be a designated enemy. Its not like it would be the first assasination the CIA has backed in South or Central America. And its not like he hasn't done enough to piss westerners off. WTF??? Are people this dense in our government to actually TRY something like this??? Seriously, wtf??? Did thise windbags learn absolutely nothing??? Man, the mere fact that I have absolutely no doubt this plan is already on the table, makes me seriously think about the sanity of the people running our government. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 WTF??? Are people this dense in our government to actually TRY something like this??? Seriously, wtf??? Did thise windbags learn absolutely nothing??? Man, the mere fact that I have absolutely no doubt this plan is already on the table, makes me seriously think about the sanity of the people running our government. I uh wouldn't be calling them windbags then if I were you... :paranoid: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thiebear Posted May 16, 2006 Share Posted May 16, 2006 Might want to open Anwar and off Florida... soon... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skinsn24 Posted May 16, 2006 Share Posted May 16, 2006 not sure what to think here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Punani2 Posted May 16, 2006 Share Posted May 16, 2006 This is one of the main reasons why we need to end our dependency on foreign oil. Castro's Cabana Boy (Chavez) thinks he can run his mouth and get away with it because we buy his oil. If we stop importing crude he has no leverage against us. We have to start moving to end our dependancy for crude oil NOW!!! Hydrogen...Ethanol...BioGas...Solar...whatever. We have to get move away from crude oil. Glad to see corn prices rising because of the demand for E85. Hope it's a sign of real change in the US. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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