anastasios.kozaitis on Sat, 27 Apr 2002 19:51:31 +0200 (CEST) |
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[digested @ nettime] anastasios.kozaitis@verizon.net Venezuela coup linked to Bush team..... Fwd: More on Abrams, et al & Venezuela - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - From: anastasios.kozaitis@verizon.net Date: Fri, 26 Apr 2002 15:16:45 -0400 Subject: Venezuela coup linked to Bush team..... Maybe it wasn't grey at all... >Venezuela coup linked to Bush team > >Specialists in the 'dirty wars' of the Eighties encouraged the plotters >who tried to topple President Chavez > ><http://www.observer.co.uk/worldview>Observer Worldview > >Ed Vulliamy in New York >Sunday April 21, 2002 ><http://www.observer.co.uk/>The Observer > >The failed coup in Venezuela was closely tied to senior officials in the >US government, The Observer has established. They have long histories in >the 'dirty wars' of the 1980s, and links to death squads working in >Central America at that time. Washington's involvement in the turbulent >events that briefly removed left-wing leader Hugo Chavez from power last >weekend resurrects fears about US ambitions in the hemisphere. It also >also deepens doubts about policy in the region being made by appointees to >the Bush administration, all of whom owe their careers to serving in the >dirty wars under President Reagan. One of them, Elliot Abrams, who gave a >nod to the attempted Venezuelan coup, has a conviction for misleading >Congress over the infamous Iran-Contra affair. The Bush administration has >tried to distance itself from the coup. It immediately endorsed the new >government under businessman Pedro Carmona. But the coup was sent >dramatically into reverse after 48 hours. Now officials at the >Organisation of American States and other diplomatic sources, talking to >The Observer, assert that the US administration was not only aware the >coup was about to take place, but had sanctioned it, presuming it to be >destined for success. The visits by Venezuelans plotting a coup, including >Carmona himself, began, say sources, 'several months ago', and continued >until weeks before the putsch last weekend. The visitors were received at >the White House by the man President George Bush tasked to be his key >policy-maker for Latin America, Otto Reich. Reich is a right-wing >Cuban-American who, under Reagan, ran the Office for Public Diplomacy. It >reported in theory to the State Department, but Reich was shown by >congressional investigations to report directly to Reagan's National >Security Aide, Colonel Oliver North, in the White House. North was >convicted and shamed for his role in Iran-Contra, whereby arms bought by >busting US sanctions on Iran were sold to the Contra guerrillas and death >squads, in revolt against the Marxist government in Nicaragua. Reich also >has close ties to Venezuela, having been made ambassador to Caracas in >1986. His appointment was contested both by Democrats in Washington and >political leaders in the Latin American country. The objections were >overridden as Venezuela sought access to the US oil market. Reich is said >by OAS sources to have had 'a number of meetings with Carmona and other >leaders of the coup' over several months. The coup was discussed in some >detail, right down to its timing and chances of success, which were deemed >to be excellent. On the day Carmona claimed power, Reich summoned >ambassadors from Latin America and the Caribbean to his office. He said >the removal of Chavez was not a rupture of democra tic rule, as he had >resigned and was 'responsible for his fate'. He said the US would support >the Carmona government. But the crucial figure around the coup was Abrams, >who operates in the White House as senior director of the National >Security Council for 'democracy, human rights and international opera - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - From: anastasios.kozaitis@verizon.net Date: Fri, 26 Apr 2002 16:55:11 -0400 Subject: Fwd: More on Abrams, et al & Venezuela >(Excerpted from "Truthout Editorial" >>By William Rivers Pitt >>t r u t h o u t | April 23, 2002 ) > > >(http://truthout.com/docs_02/04.24B.WRP.Hughes.htm) > >>The recent coup attempt in Venezuela also looms large. It appears to have >>been motivated by a desire within that nation's petroleum business >>community to wrest full control of that nation's prodigious oil profits >>away from President Hugo Chavez, who was siphoning funds away from them >>and towards a variety of progressive policies. Chavez's friendly >>relations with Cuba and Iraq, along with the rise in oil prices since >>Venezuela assumed the presidency of OPEC, also likely played a major role >>in the attempt to remove him. In the days since the coup attempt, led by >>Venezuelan business leader Pedro Carmona and a number of high-ranking >>officers in the Venezuelan military, reports have surfaced that indicate >>significant American involvement in Chavez's aborted overthrow. A number >>of these officers have spoken of an American military official - U.S. >>Army Lieutenant Colonel James Rodgers, aide to the U.S. military attaché >>in Caracas - who was present with the coup leaders at Fort Tiuna in >>Caracas, where the operation was planned. Rodgers, it has been reported, >>was with these leaders at Fort Tiuna when the coup leaders brought Chavez >>there to be held after he was deposed. These officers interpreted >>Rodgers' presence at Tiuna as a green light from the United States to >>overthrow Chavez. Officials from the Organization of American States, the >>powerful political and economic alliance between North and South America, >>has publicly accused a number of influential Bush administration members >>of actively assisting the coup. Otto Reich, an anti-Castro Cuban and >>former U.S. ambassador to Venezuela in 1986 who serves as Bush's main >>policy advisor for Latin America, is accused by OAS of meeting several >>times with the coup leaders in recent months. John Negroponte, U.S. >>ambassador to the United Nations who was ambassador to Honduras during >>Iran/Contra, is accused by OAS of having been informed of "some movement >>in Venezuela on Chavez" as early as the New Year. OAS also names Eliot >>Abrams, member of Bush's National Security Council and best known for his >>criminal involvement in the Iran/Contra affair, as being deeply complicit. > > > The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has made plans to begin an > investigation >>into the Bush administration's involvement in the Venezuelan coup, and >>names of Rodgers, Reich, Negroponte and Abrams will likely play a central >>role. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - # distributed via <nettime>: no commercial use without permission # <nettime> is a moderated mailing list for net criticism, # collaborative text filtering and cultural politics of the nets # more info: majordomo@bbs.thing.net and "info nettime-l" in the msg body # archive: http://www.nettime.org contact: nettime@bbs.thing.net