January 14, 2006
WHY DON'T WE SELL ETA SOME STINGERS?:
U.S. Bars Spain's Sale of Planes to 'Antidemocratic' Venezuela (RENWICK McLEAN, 1/14/06, NY Times)
The United States will not allow Spain to sell military aircraft with American technology to Venezuela, saying the sale would aid the increasingly "antidemocratic" government of President Hugo Chávez and would destabilize the region, the American Embassy announced Friday. [...]In rejecting Spain's request, American officials said the sale amounted to support for an oppressive government that threatened to spread instability.
"Despite being democratically elected, the government of President Hugo Chávez has systematically undermined democratic institutions, pressured and harassed independent media and the political opposition, and grown progressively more autocratic and antidemocratic," the embassy said in a statement.
Posted by Orrin Judd at January 14, 2006 9:51 AM
I like it.
What are we going to do if the Democrats take the reins? What would Gore or Kerry have done?
Posted by: Genecis at January 14, 2006 11:56 AMI guess Dems would follow the Clinton model.
Posted by: erp at January 14, 2006 12:29 PMChavez plans to rewrite the Venezuelan Constitution to remain in office until 2030.
Posted by: Gideon at January 14, 2006 12:36 PMGood policy. The only problem is that now the French will step in and sell them the stuff. Chirac and de Villepin have no morals when it comes to that.
Posted by: dick at January 14, 2006 1:12 PMChavez will only leave office in a box. The inexplicable lack of resolve shown by those who had him in their control during the coup a few years ago will have catastrophic results for Latin America.
Posted by: b at January 14, 2006 3:02 PMwe should recognize catalonia diplomatically.
Posted by: toe at January 14, 2006 4:46 PMSomewhere Franco weeps.
Posted by: Jim in Chicago at January 14, 2006 5:41 PMSell them the planes, subject to US inspection first. I'm sure we can 'enhance' the avionics just for Chavez.
Gore or (especially) Kerry would have been in Caracas, kneeling before Chavez to ask forgiveness for hurting his feelings. After waiting for 6 hours, like Assad made Warren Christopher wait.
Posted by: jim hamlen at January 14, 2006 8:20 PMHi guys, in spite of the discussion about the sale of military stuff to Venezuela by Spanish government and even saying that in my opinion that behaviour in our foreign policy is completely wrong, it is important to highlight that Venezuela is a country and ETA a terrorist organization: To compare ETA and Chavez is -rather than annoying- simply wrong.
The other discussion is still valid. Best regards,
Fernando (one Spanish visitor).
Posted by: Fernando at January 24, 2006 12:21 PMYes, ETA is less dangerous.
Posted by: oj at January 24, 2006 12:25 PM