Venezuela's Chavez Comes Through for US Disenfrachised and Forgotten

"[Venezuelan national oil company PDVSA President] Ramirez said that under the Venezuelan government plan, CITGO will set aside up to 10% of its refined oil products to be sold directly to organized poor communities, and institutions in the U.S. without intermediaries."

For the full story, click on the headline

Rumsfeld Shores Up Military Discontent with Pep Rally

The Washington Post published what appears to be a USA-Today sized glossy summary from Rumsfeld's press office, through the defense secretary's apparent WP conduit, Josh White. Editorial comments are in parentheses, bold and italic print.

Rumsfeld: U.S. (Corporations) Won't Lose in Iraq

By Josh White
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, August 30, 2005; Page A03

FORT IRWIN, Calif., Aug. 29 -- Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld offered a passionate defense of the war in Iraq while speaking to a group of hundreds of soldiers at the Army's National Training Center on Monday afternoon, urging them not to give up on the war (formerly) against (weapons of mass destruction, then Al Quaeda terrorists, and now against US created) extremism (in opposition to US-style free-take economics and indiscriminate murder of innocent civilians) as they prepare to re-enter the fight in coming months.

While Rumsfeld has consistently emphasized the need for the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, his speech was particularly emphatic and included criticism of those in Congress and the media who have questioned the rate of (outlandish spending on political supporters, and war industry corporations) progress, specifically in Iraq.

He said some people are emphasizing the negative aspects of the war -- such as the deaths of U.S. soldiers and Iraqi civilians at the hands of insurgents -- while failing to give appropriate attention to the "historic" (puppet) democratic efforts there.

"We have no choice but to take the offensive," Rumsfeld told a packed auditorium of soldiers and families of those already deployed, arguing that a hasty withdrawal from Iraq is not a viable option. "People who want to toss in the towel were wrong yesterday, they're wrong today, and they'll be wrong tomorrow."

Facing mounting domestic pressure over the war as public support has waned in recent months, Rumsfeld directly addressed what he calls a misperception on the part of the American people. When one (planted) soldier asked Rumsfeld at the town-hall-style meeting why troops in Iraq feel the war is going better than people at home do, the defense secretary replied that he believes good news and progress simply cannot compete with the war's bloody images.

Rumsfeld reiterated that (a corporate controlled) democracy takes time and that it is not easy, adding that the problems the Iraqis are having in developing a constitution mirror the difficulties the United States had more than 200 years ago.

"The United States is not losing the global war against terrorism, nor are we losing the war in Afghanistan or Iraq," he said. Railing against violent extremists, he added, "They are what's wrong with the world."

Rumsfeld spoke with soldiers who are training in advance of new tours in Iraq, including a brigade of the 4th Infantry Division, which was part of the first deployment into the war. Pentagon officials said Monday that approximately 55 percent to 60 percent of soldiers with the 4th Infantry preparing to go to Iraq have been there previously, but they return to face insurgents who have grown more lethal and whose level of attacks in some areas of the country have remained consistent, even more than two years later.

After a speech about environmental conservation at a conference in St. Louis on Monday, Rumsfeld told reporters aboard his airplane that the troops about to go to Iraq in December -- about the time elections are scheduled there -- are going to face a very different situation than they did during their last rotation in 2003. Then, the focus was on ousting a dictator's government and freeing the (natural resources of the) people of Iraq; now, it's about supporting (puppet) Iraqi troops and handing the country over to the (pro free-take) Iraqi people.

"The real battle we're fighting is the test of wills," Rumsfeld said en route to the Mojave desert.

At Fort Irwin, where temperatures were near 100 degrees, Rumsfeld echoed those comments to a boisterous and supportive crowd: "The U.S. military is not going to lose a battle or a war over there." (Just tens of thousands of lives of soldiers and hundreds of thousands of lives of innocent civilians)

Still, he reiterated the need to wage war on (petroleum rich) stages like Iraq, saying that such wars are the only means to secure America's (green zone's) freedom and peace, the only way to (create and) stave off the reach of Islamic extremism. He reminded listeners of the deaths on Sept. 11, 2001. (which had nothing to do with Iraq)

"Your mission is to go on offense, (like our foreign policy,) to go on the attack," Rumsfeld told the troops, praising those who are currently fighting. "They are engaging the terrorists where they live, so we don't have to engage them where Americans live (in the green zone, Israel and its occupied territories, and at middle eastern petroleum installations)."

The trip, during which Rumsfeld plans to attend President Bush's speech commemorating V-J Day on Tuesday, comes as Pentagon officials (threaten, and therefore) expect violence in Iraq to get worse leading up to a scheduled constitutional referendum by Oct. 15 and then an election on Dec. 15. The next rotation of troops will allow for a temporary boost in U.S. force levels to roughly 160,000. (to prevent the Sunnis from overwhelmingly turning out to vote the US drafted constitution down.)

After the Fort Irwin stop, Rumsfeld headed to San Diego. He plans to meet with Navy SEALs at the Naval Amphibious Base at Coronado on Tuesday. Rumsfeld visited the troops in California to wish them well and to let them know how much he appreciates what they are doing for the (companies, uh I mean) country.

He took eight (planted) questions, which dealt with a variety of issues, from Rumsfeld's involvement in wrestling in his youth to the Army recruitment shortfall to how to respond to people who suggest the United States should pull out of Iraq. Rumsfeld encouraged the soldiers to be proud and to stand strong.

"Everyone would like it to be perfect, and life isn't perfect," Rumsfeld said. (nor fair for the hundreds of thousands of murdered and/or tortured innocent civilians and the thousands of dead soldiers and their families)

Sunnis Reject Iraq Constitution, Bush Threatens Violence

Last week Bush warned, "We can expect ... atrocities to increase in the coming months because the enemy knows that its greatest defeat lies in the expression of free people in freely enacted laws and at the ballot box."

The term "enemy" is ominously ambiguous, and the Bush administration knows something about this already as the electoral process so far has led to an Iraq now sympathetic, if not inter-related, to the hard line Islamic government in neighboring co-"Axis of Evil" member Iran. And ironically, the US has been applying pressure lately to the Shiite Kurd alliance to refrain from steamrolling the Sunni opposition, but at home has been doing to the opposition exactly the type of steamrolling that they are advising the alliance against.

Much of the Sunni distaste for the proposed constitution comes from what they see as unfair petroleum profit distribution, and they will have an opportunity in October to reject the constitution and start from scratch. That is, if "atrocities" do not keep them from the polls.

click on the headline for the full story

"Back Door" Bolton Torpedoes UN Millenium Goal of Reducing Poverty

"Back Door" Bolton's leaked US version of the 7- month-in-the-making UN Summit Agreement sheds a light on Bush foreign policy goals. "The hundreds of deletions and insertions represent a helpfully annotated map to Washington's disagreements with most of the rest of the world on just about every global issue imaginable."
Click on the headline for the Guardian's full story.

US Establishes Military Base in Paraguay, Suitable for Destabilization of Argentina, Brazil and Bolivia

Long sought after base acquired after closed door meeting, with neither debate nor public input. Highlights of the deal with the politicians representing the second most corrupted nation on Earth include impunity for the heavily armed US troops, and teaching of Paraguayan forces Fort Benning's School of the Americas style terror tactics. While the base was set up nominally for anti narcotics and terrorism operations, at stake are large gas and petroleum reserves and a popular backlash against Washington's free trade (bribes for unhindered access to oil and gas) agenda. Click on the headline for the full story from COHA.

Christian Coalition Leader Calls for Murder of Venezuela's Chavez and Overthrow of Democracy

Editor's comment: I'm shocked. Is this what Jesus taught? Where does Robertson get the idea that Venezuela is a staging ground for communists and Muslim extremists? Why is no proof offered to support this manifestation of psychosis? And why would the US want to destabilize a country that sells and will continue to sell gasoline to the US through its own Venezuelan owned Citgo line of gas stations? When logic can't be applied to a political situation, either follow the money or crackpot religion. I guess Robertson's purpose is to try bring on the armageddon, and that neither honesty nor integrity is necessary to make and save in the range of $200,000,000 to $1,000,000,000 in the US religion business.


Pat Robertson says U.S. "doesn´t need another 200 billion dollar war to get rid of one strong-arm dictator"
U.S. Christian Leader Calls for the Assassination of Venezuelan President

Tuesday, Aug 23, 2005 Print format
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By: Cleto Sojo - Venezuelanalysis.com



For Pat Robertson it is a lot cheaper to assassinate Chavez than to start a war to overthrow him.
Credit: CBN


Caracas, Venezuela, August 23, 2005 (Venezuelanalysis.com).- U.S. Christian televangelist Pat Robertson, host of "The 700 Club" show on the U.S. Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), called for the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, during his television show on Monday.

"You know, I don't know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it." Reverend Robertson commented after his network aired a news piece highly critical of the twice-elected South American leader.

"We have the ability to take him out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability. We don't need another 200 billion dollar war to get rid of one, you know, strong-arm dictator. It's a whole lot easier to have some of the covert operatives do the job and then get it over with," Robertson continued.

In recent months Chavez has hinted that the U.S. government, after failed attempts to remove him from the presidency, might contemplate his assassination, given the fact that his high approval ratings in Venezuela make him very likely to be reelected next year.

"It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war. And I don't think any oil shipments will stop. But this man is a terrific danger and the United ... This is in our sphere of influence, so we can't let this happen," the televangelist continued.

Robertson, founder of the Christian Coalition, accused the U.S. of not doing enough to overthrow Chavez. "There was a popular coup that overthrew him, and what did the United States State Department do about it? virtually nothing. And as a result, within about 48 hours that coup was broken; Chavez was back in power, but we had a chance to move in," Robertson said referring to the April 2002 coup, which was reversed after millions of Venezuelans took the streets to demand the return of their elected president.

Chavez and many independent analysts argue that the U.S. government was involved in the coup. Documents obtained under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act, show that the U.S. government channeled millions of dollars in grants to U.S. and Venezuelan groups opposed to President Chávez, including several that participated in the failed coup. The documents, posted at www.VenezuelaFOIA.info, also show the CIA had advanced knowledge of the coup, giving credibility to reports of U.S. involvement.

Robertson accused Chavez of destroying the Venezuelan economy, which grew 17% in 2004, and is expected to grow double digits again in 2005. "He has destroyed the Venezuelan economy, and he's going to make that a launching pad for communist infiltration and Muslim extremism all over the continent," he said. Politically-motivated capital flight, lock-outs, strikes, and a coup attempt, caused the Venezuelan economy to contract in 2002 and 2003. The economy later recovered in 2004 after Chavez regained control of the state-owned oil company, and Venezuelans went to the polls exercising their right to demand the recall of the President.

America for the Americans

Robertson invoked the Monroe Doctrine under which the United States must exercise control over the Americas. "We have the Monroe Doctrine; we have other doctrines that we have announced. And without question, this is a dangerous enemy to our south, controlling a huge pool of oil, that could hurt us very badly," he said. Venezuela has the highest reserves of crude oil outside of the Middle East and it is one of the main suppliers of oil to the U.S.

The televangelist is a strong supporter of U.S. President George W. Bush, and mobilized his millions of followers during the two recent presidential elections.

Robertson, whose fortune ranges between 200 million and one billion dollars, is a strong believer in God and the power of prayer. "I want to be part of God's plan of what He is doing on earth, and I want to bring Him glory," reads his mission statement on his website.

Rumsfeld Makes Wild Accusations

The following are two articles based on what appears to be a Rumsfeld press release. The first one is a neutral account by BBC, and the second appears to be the message the administration wanted released. Editorial comments are in parentheses, bolded, and italicized.


From the BBC:
US warns of Bolivian interference

Donald Rumsfeld may find it hard to get regional backing

The US defense secretary has accused Cuba and Venezuela of fomenting unrest in Bolivia, which has led to the overthrow of two presidents since 2003.
Speaking in Paraguay, a close US ally, he asked South American nations to take a multi-lateral approach to the issue.
But while Donald Rumsfeld has had a warm reception in Paraguay, he will have a hard time persuading other South American leaders, correspondents say.
Many countries in the region are improving their ties with Venezuela.
'Isolation effort'
US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said there was evidence that both Cuba and Venezuela had been "involved in the situation in Bolivia in unhelpful ways".

He did not give more details.

BBC South America correspondent Tom Gibb says Washington is clearly worried that the strongly anti-US coca grower, Evo Morales, who has led many of the Bolivian protests, could win elections there in December.
Mr Rumsfeld's accusation represents a significant stepping-up of attempts to isolate the left-wing Venezuelan President, Hugo Chavez, our correspondent says.
But countries like Brazil and Argentina are increasing economic and political co-operation with Mr Chavez rather than trying to isolate him.
And many analysts dispute Washington's view, saying the turmoil in Bolivia owes more to home-grown factors than external influence.
Mr Rumsfeld is also due to visit Peru which, like Paraguay, shares a border with Bolivia.


From the Washington Post:

Rumsfeld, in Latin America, Voices Democracy Concerns
Bolivia Is Focus of Appeals for Regional Help
By Josh White
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 17, 2005; Page A08
ASUNCION, Paraguay, Aug. 16 -- Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, arriving in this South American capital Tuesday, said countries in the region should help strengthen (a rigged) democracy in Bolivia and suggested that governments in Cuba and Venezuela have been involved in Bolivia in "unhelpful ways." (The administration has been repeating this accusation but has never presented any evidence)
Rumsfeld's brief trip is aimed at reinforcing ties with regional (client state only) democracies as they fight political instability, terrorism and drug trafficking, defense officials said. (All South American nations have democratic governments now, after the overthrow of US sponsored right-wing dictators) Rumsfeld will also visit Peru. (to read more about the kind of client state regime the US has previously sponsored in Peru, follow this link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4161526.stm )

Increasing political problems in Bolivia, which borders Paraguay to the northwest, have been fostered by Cuban and Venezuelan authorities, U.S. officials contend. (Again, without offering even the slightest evidence)
U.S. officials said the challenge is to steer Bolivia toward a democratic (client state) outcome (to tap their expansive natural gas reserves for next to nothing) while encouraging South American neighbors to work together. (to force-feed their citizens the Washington line) Peasant groups, urban activists and socialist parties have staged repeated protests (to nationalize the gas reserves instead of giving them away) in Bolivia, a deeply impoverished country. (due to previously disastrous "free market" economics)
"Any time you see issues involving stability in a country, it is something that one wishes would be resolved in a democratic, peaceful way," (which so far has been the case, ironically excepting for the US supported coups in Venezuela and Haiti) Rumsfeld told reporters en route to Paraguay. "There certainly is evidence that both Cuba and Venezuela have been involved in the situation in Bolivia in unhelpful ways." (to Washington's one-way free trade agenda) (Again, the same accusation without a shred of evidence, much like Saddam's yet unfound nuclear weapons)
The visit was Rumsfeld's fifth to the continent since late 2002 and the first time a U.S. defense secretary has landed in Paraguay, a country about the size of California landlocked in the "tri-border" area among Brazil, Argentina and Bolivia.
The tri-border area has teemed with cocaine traffickers and smugglers, and defense officials said it might also harbor groups that finance international terrorism. (another whopper) One (unidentified) defense official who briefed reporters Tuesday said Hezbollah and Hamas, radical Islamic groups in the Middle East, "get a lot of funding" from the tri-border area. The (still unidentified) official said further unrest (against Washington's unilateral economic agenda) in the region could leave a political "black hole" that would erode other democratic efforts. (or more accurately, erode Washington's attempts to undermine valid democracies)

Truth Leaked in London Police Murder

Leak disputes Menezes death story

The leak suggests Mr de Menezes was restrained before shot

Leaked documents appear to contradict the official account of how police mistook a Brazilian man for a suicide bomber and shot him.
The documents, from the probe into the death of Jean Charles de Menezes and leaked to ITV news, suggest the he was restrained before shot by officers.
Mr de Menezes was killed at Stockwell Tube station on 22 July.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has said it will not comment on its investigation.
Public inquiry
The documents, including witness statements, also suggest Mr de Menezes did not hurdle the barrier at Stockwell tube station, as first reports previously suggested, and was not wearing a padded jacket that could have concealed a bomb.
The family of Mr de Menezes has called for a public inquiry into his death.
His cousin Allessandro Pereira said: "My family deserve the full truth about his murder. The truth cannot be hidden any longer. It has to be made public."
In a statement, the IPCC said it does not (want to) know where the documents came from and that its priority was to keep Mr de Menezes family (un)informed.
'Acting suspiciously'
The shooting occurred the day after the failed bomb attacks of 21 July.
The latest documents suggest Mr de Menezes had walked into Stockwell Tube station, picked up a free newspaper, walked through ticket barriers, had started to run when he saw a train arriving and was sitting down in a train when he was shot.
In the immediate aftermath of the incident, police said Mr de Menezes had been acting suspiciously and suggested he had vaulted the ticket barriers.
The IPCC made it clear that we would not speculate or release partial information about the investigation, and that others should not do so
IPCC statement
Police also said the Brazilian electrician had worn a large winter-style coat - but the leaked version suggested he had in fact worn a denim jacket.
The leaked version said Mr de Menezes was being restrained by a community officer when he was shot by armed police.
'High security'
The IPCC would not comment on the details of the leak.
What sort of society are we living in where we can execute suspects?
Harriet Wistrich
The commission said the family "will clearly be distressed that they have received information on television concerning his death".
Its statement added: "The IPCC made it clear that we would not speculate or release partial information about the investigation, and that others should not do so. That remains the case."
The commission said it operated a "very high degree of security" on all of its investigations.
'Great embarrassment'
Harriet Wistrich, solicitor for the family of Mr de Menezes, said the information the leaked documents contained was "terrifying".
She urged the government and police to review the shoot-to-kill policy.
"What sort of society are we living in where we can execute suspects?" she said.
"First of all it tells us that the information that was first put out, which was first reported in the news, is almost entirely wrong and misleading.
"There was no suggestion that this person was a suspect in any way, that he was running from the police".
She said it also suggested the information given to the pathologist who carried out the post-mortem examination on Mr de Menezes was incorrect.
Former Flying Squad commander John O'Connor told the BBC the leaked report would cause "great embarrassment" to Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair, adding he would be under pressure to "go".
He also said it was "very difficult" to blame individuals for the death of Mr de Menezes. (Presumably because it's more a case of a maliciously designed system than corrupt individuals, much like the US torture centers officially designated as detention facilities in Iraq)
"Simply because it would appear that they were acting on information that this was a positive identification of Osman [Hussain], one of the suspect bombers.
"But had the normal procedures taken place in which a warning is given and officers wear specially marked clothing then this young man may not have been killed."
Scotland Yard and the Home Office have so far said it would be inappropriate to comment.