I’ve criticized Venezuelan (and Chilean for that matter) spending on arms, but the recent Senate Arms Services Committee hearing is still nuts. We have National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell and DIA chief General Michael Maples offering up our best intelligence on Venezuela:
- Venezuela might be helping the FARC, but all the evidence suggests the purchased rifles are going into armories
- Venezuela “could very well be” destabilizing neighbors, but we have no evidence of it
- Chávez might have bought the weapons for domestic control, but we have no evidence of it
- As a topper, in Cuba the move from Fidel to Raúl may spark mayhem, but we have no evidence of it
This is just from a short news story—who knows how many more would be in the original transcript. I’m glad to see that intelligence dollars in the U.S. remain so well spent.
What else do we have no evidence of?
8 comments:
The US two biggest exports are war and capitalism, what did you expect?
Plus, the human Intel was sooo depleted during prior administrations that it will cost mucho dinero to get up to par.
I guess someone figured out you can't replace humans with machines where it counts. Technology should never replace people.
actually, Chavez purchases of Russian military gear exceeds USD $5 billion and climbing fast. There are 3 subs, military cargo aircraft, refuelling aircraft, attack helicopters, and air-defense missile system on order on top of the $3 billion already disclosed - the choppers, fighter-bombers and rifles that have been frequently mentioned in the media.
Greg, military analysis is not your strongpoint. Neither is Latin American specially Venezuela.
one more thing, do you really believe the intel chiefs are going to tell the world exactly what they know?
those reports are usually 'top secret' or something like that.
the chavez spending spree has many reasons. the jets are to keep the air force happy after the US arms embargo. it only takes one air force jet to win a fight. http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_161.shtml
but then you also want to kiss ass to putin in the belief that he will become your staunch ally when taking on the americans.
then you need rifles but you cannot keep the same ass kickin' 7.62Nato round and opt for Russian calibers creating havoc in the armories. To top it off, you decide to build a Russian rifle factory in Maracay complete with an entire neighborhood with housing for 500 Russian workers and their families.
I'm not going to bother with the subs and SAMs and attack helicopters, etc.
greg, check out FAV-Club website and sign up for forum ... good place to learn about Ven-Mil.
here's one today about military strategy that is good:
http://doc.noticias24.com/0802/pen29.html
I think you are not spending enough time reading local sources in spanish
Well, what was caught on the FARC was ammo for their AK's straight out of Venezuela's inventory.
Which brings up the confusion caused by the FARC's dual role as an insurgency and narcotics trafficking enterprise. They can (and do) pay Venezuelan commanders good money for provisions, weapons, safe haven, and help in moving dope through Venezuela.
Then there is increased evidence of Chavez-sanctioned help for the FARC, like very high level Venezuelan military Id's issued to FARC people or the ammunition. But it is still stuff that a drug dealing enterprise could bribe its way to get in a country listed by Transparency International as one of the most corrupt in the world.
There is also the issue that some of this intel, is in the hands of the DEA, which in the past has been less than cooperative in sharing it with DOD and DOS,
The US is hilarious! If it doesn't exist, just make it up. The US needs to mind its own business. Maybe stop irritating everyone over drug running when it should be doing something about all its damn junkies.
The US is the biggest arms seller in the world.
The only country known to run around the world warring is the USA. The only country to detonate nuclear bombs on civilians is the USA. The only country which claimed to be stopping genocide in Bosnia by carpet bombing civilians; yep the USA. The only country running secret trials at secret prisons is the USA.
People should be concerned with the US having too many weapons. Its proven itself to be aggressive and hostile to the rest of the world.
Not that Chavez cares what the US has to say.
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