Trump threatens Venezuela with unspecified 'military option'

[rooster59]

Trump threatens Venezuela with unspecified 'military option'

By James Oliphant

 

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters about North Korea before meeting with participants in a workforce and apprenticeship discussion at his golf estate in Bedminster, New Jersey U.S. August 11, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

 

BEDMINSTER, N.J. (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday threatened military intervention in Venezuela, a surprise escalation of Washington's response to Venezuela's political crisis that Caracas disparaged as "craziness."

 

Venezuela has appeared to slide toward a more volatile stage of unrest in recent days, with anti-government forces looting weapons from a military base after a new legislative body usurped the authority of the opposition-controlled congress.

 

"The people are suffering and they are dying. We have many options for Venezuela including a possible military option if necessary," Trump told reporters in an impromptu question and answer session.

 

The comments appeared to shock Caracas, with Venezuela's Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino calling the threat "an act of craziness."

 

The White House said Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro requested a phone call with Trump on Friday, which the White House appeared to spurn, saying in a statement that Trump would gladly speak to Venezuela's leader when democracy was restored in that country.

 

Venezuelan authorities have long said U.S. officials were planning an invasion. A former military general told Reuters earlier this year that some anti-aircraft missiles had been placed along the country's coast for precisely that eventuality.

 

In Washington, the Pentagon said the U.S. military was ready to support efforts to protect U.S. citizens and America's national interests, but that insinuations by Caracas of a planned U.S. invasion were "baseless."

 

Trump's suggestion of possible military action came in a week when he has repeatedly threatened a military response if North Korea threatens the United States or its allies.

 

Asked if U.S. forces would lead an operation in Venezuela, Trump declined to provide details. "We don't talk about it but a military operation - a military option - is certainly something that we could pursue," he said.

 

Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, criticized Trump's new stance.

 

"Congress obviously isn't authorizing war in Venezuela," he said in a statement. "Nicolas Maduro is a horrible human being, but Congress doesn’t vote to spill Nebraskans' blood based on who the Executive lashes out at today."

 

'MADURO MUST BE THRILLED'

 

The president's comments conjured up memories of gunboat diplomacy in Latin America during the 20th century, when the United States regarded its "backyard" neighbors to the south as underlings who it could easily intimidate through conspicuous displays of military power.

 

The U.S. military has not directly intervened in the region since a 1994-1995 operation that aimed to remove from Haiti a military government installed after a 1991 coup.

 

Trump's more aggressive discourse could be an asset to Maduro by boosting his credibility as a national defender.

 

"Maduro must be thrilled right now," said Mark Feierstein, who was a senior aide on Venezuela matters to former U.S. president Barack Obama. "It's hard to imagine a more damaging thing for Trump to say."

 

The United States sanctioned Maduro and other Venezuelan officials in July after Maduro established a constituent assembly run by his Socialist Party loyalists and cracked down on opposition figures. The assembly's election drew international condemnation and critics have said it removed any remaining checks on Maduro's power.

 

Maduro says only continuing the socialist movement started by his predecessor, Hugo Chavez, can bring peace and prosperity to Venezuela, which is suffering from an economic collapse and widespread hunger.

 

Washington has not placed sanctions on the OPEC member's oil industry, which supplies America with about 740,000 barrels per day of oil.

 

Venezuela possesses a stockpile of 5,000 Russian-made MANPADS surface-to-air weapons, according to military documents reviewed by Reuters. It has the largest known cache of the weapons in Latin America, posing a concern for U.S. officials during the country's mounting turmoil.

 

The United Nations Security Council was briefed behind closed doors on Venezuela in May at the request of the United States. At the time, U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley said Washington was just trying to raise awareness of the situation and was not seeking any action by the 15-member Security Council.

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-08-12

[FritsSikkink]

Lunatic

[boomerangutang]

Caracas should quickly make a big ticket biz deal with one or more Trump family members.  It will decrease the odds of getting bombed by the red-faced Ding Dong.

[Rancid]

So let's see, we have seen threatened war so far with China, Iran, Syria, N Korea, Russia and now Venezuela. As all the former options look too hard, my money would be on Venezuela, plus there is the oil factor of course.

[Jingthing]

trump appears to be bucking for some kind of war because the Russian investigation is quickly closing in on him. Classic tactic of corrupt authoritarians with very low approval. This situation is not funny.

[boomerangutang]

This is true:   Twice per day, Trump is given a multi-page report to read. Many color pics and graphs.   Every article praises Trump.  It's put together by his staff.  They realized, early on, that Trump won't go into screaming angry rages when he sees/hears news that praises himself.  

 

That would at least partly explain why Trump consistently makes such wrong statements.  He simply doesn't get fed correct data - about what's going on in the world, and how Americans view him.

[JHolmesJr]

In the past, the US has waded in when human rights are threatened in latin america.

 

No one called those presidents crazy…..but now its open season for the all kinds of unhinged people to take a shot at him. Losing makes people twisted.

 

 

 

[boomerangutang]

4 minutes ago, Rancid said:

So let's see, we have seen threatened war so far with China, Iran, Syria, N Korea, Russia and now Venezuela. As all the former options look too hard, my money would be on Venezuela, plus there is the oil factor of course.

I don't think Russia belongs on that list.   Trump is incapable of saying anything non-adulatory about Putin or Russia.   The other countries, yes.  Which countries are next?    Mexico, for not sending 25 billion $$'s to DC to pay for the wall?   El Salvador for sending too many hoodlums to the US?   Germany and Sweden for being too accommodating to brown-skinned refugees?   The Vatican for not lavishing holy praise on Trump?

[ilostmypassword]

2 minutes ago, JHolmesJr said:

In the past, the US has waded in when human rights are threatened in latin america.

 

No one called those presidents crazy…..but now its open season for the all kinds of unhinged people

to take a shot at him. Losing makes people twisted.

 

 

 

I believe the last time the US openly intervened militarily in Latin American was the invasion of the Dominican Republic in the middle 60's. A lot has changed since then. But it's especially bizarre to be threatening it while you're threatening another country on the other side of the world at the same time. It's doubtful anyone takes it seriously but it does give the government of Venezuela a good excuse to continue its repression.

[boomerangutang]

1 minute ago, JHolmesJr said:

In the past, the US has waded in when human rights are threatened in latin america.

No one called those presidents crazy…..but now its open season for the all kinds of unhinged people

to take a shot at him. Losing makes people twisted.

                          Let's hope Uncle Sam learned a few tough lessons from the past.   I just read a detailed account of Guatemala in the 60's and 70's.   The ultra-right-wing military gov't there would go out and kill scores of villagers as easily as you eat noodles.   The US supported the carnage.  That's just one of a dozen examples of the US going in and creating larger problems in Latin/South America - than existed prior.   

 

                               There are dire problems in parts of Central and South America.  By and large, those countries should be left to try and find solutions with their own nationals.  The US should not intervene, except perhaps in the most extreme situations where, for example, thousands of innocent people are being slaughtered by iron-fisted dictators. 

[zydeco]

3 minutes ago, ilostmypassword said:

I believe the last time the US openly intervened militarily in Latin American was the invasion of the Dominican Republic in the middle 60's. A lot has changed since then. But it's especially bizarre to be threatening it while you're threatening another country on the other side of the world at the same time. It's doubtful anyone takes it seriously but it does give the government of Venezuela a good excuse to continue its repression.

Panama 1990

[ilostmypassword]

13 minutes ago, zydeco said:

Panama 1990

I stand corrected.  Which didn't make it legal. Although the Canal Zone treaty might have provided some sort of justification. But what legal justification would there be for taking military action against Venezuela?

[halloween]

16 minutes ago, zydeco said:

Panama 1990

Operation Just (Be)Cause, but they were back in Haiti in 2004.

[otherstuff1957]

5 minutes ago, ilostmypassword said:

I stand corrected.  Which didn't make it legal. Although the Canal Zone treaty might have provided some sort of justification. But what legal justification would there be for taking military action against Venezuela?

Venezuela doesn't have nukes, but does have oil.

 

It would be much less likely to spin out of control than N. Korea and would provide a nice distraction from health care, Russia, N. Korea, tax breaks for the wealthy, raising the debt limit, etc... etc...

 

[puck2]

32 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

trump appears to be bucking for some kind of war because the Russian investigation is quickly closing in on him. Classic tactic of corrupt authoritarians with very low approval. This situation is not funny.

+1

Yes, it seems Trump tries to whitewash his policy and personal failures by playing the strong man and missing again all common sense. Furthermore he is completely unable to learn a little bit. Within the last 2 decades the US has already tried to impose democracy in states where democracy wouldn't work, as i.e. in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria, although never tried to do the same in Saudi Arabia i..e. 

 

This threats against V. are understandable, but incredible and arrogant, because contradicting the US-behavior in other cases.

.

[Justgrazing]

Police person of the world is the U S and quite right too .. Without them waving the big stick about who else is gonna maintenir l'ordre mondial .. And the fat kid with the bad haircut had best sit down or the US's 45th will be giving him a slap and then it will end in tears .. 

[ilostmypassword]

6 minutes ago, Justgrazing said:

Police person of the world is the U S and quite right too .. Without them waving the big stick about who else is gonna maintenir l'ordre mondial .. And the fat kid with the bad haircut had best sit down or the US's 45th will be giving him a slap and then it will end in tears .. 

You need to get your memory checked.

[Justgrazing]

19 minutes ago, ilostmypassword said:

You need to get your memory checked.

For what purpose pray may I ask .. 

[ilostmypassword]

30 minutes ago, Justgrazing said:

For what purpose pray may I ask .. 

You don't seem to recall the outcomes of earlier US attempts at policing.

[fasteddie]

1 hour ago, JHolmesJr said:

In the past, the US has waded in when human rights are threatened in latin america.

 

No one called those presidents crazy…..but now its open season for the all kinds of unhinged people

to take a shot at him. Losing makes people twisted.

 

 

 

''In the past, the US has waded in when human rights are threatened in latin america.''

 

That's a laugh, the only threat to human rights in Latin America has always been the US.

[Justgrazing]

4 minutes ago, ilostmypassword said:

You don't seem to recall the outcomes of earlier US attempts at policing.

Yes but if you've missed some of the rhetoric flying about at the moment its hard not to get the impression D J T is not gonna make some of the errors of his predecessor's when it comes to getting the US's  " point of view " across .. As the North Korean kid is about to find out if he keeps pulling the US tail .. 

[ilostmypassword]

14 minutes ago, Justgrazing said:

Yes but if you've missed some of the rhetoric flying about at the moment its hard not to get the impression D J T is not gonna make some of the errors of his predecessor's when it comes to getting the US's  " point of view " across .. As the North Korean kid is about to find out if he keeps pulling the US tail .. 

You mean like the way he stood up to the Syrians?

[dunroaming]

Maybe this is because the Chinese have slapped him down over NK.  

[JHolmesJr]

50 minutes ago, fasteddie said:

That's a laugh, the only threat to human rights in Latin America has always been the US.

 

Are you for realz?

[Grouse]

Trump will try for a Thatchesque Faulklands Factor by invading Venezuela because there will be less "political fall out" than would've the case with NK.

[Justgrazing]

2 minutes ago, ilostmypassword said:

You mean like the way he stood up to the Syrians?

Exactly as anyone who was near any of the 59 cruise missiles that were lobbed at Syria on 07/04/17 in response to the Syrians using poison gas will probably testify .. Not to mention the on going air campaign there ( tens of 000's of munitions and counting ) .. Sure the U S are not perfect when it comes to the peace person role , they can be selective , they can be a touch insensitive and no they are not always successful with their intervention's but consider this .. The first half of the 20th century saw two devasting wars the second of which need the detonating of  Atom bombs to bring to a close .. The belligerence and weight of presence of the USSR after the end of that conflict demanded that the West have a police person to look after their interest's and if you lived in Germany at the time even you're existence .. And who better for the role than the U S A .. so while some may look at where they haven't been so successful don't overlook the fact that without them being the World's cop for the last 70 odd yrs you ( or any of us come to that ) might not be here to exercise any disapproval .. 

[dunroaming]

Trump is like a man who has taken the Viagra, got an erection and needs to stick his missile into something, anything will do before the drug wears off!

[Emster23]

"Give me a war, any kind of war, anywhere, as long as it distracts" seems to be "Trump doctrine"

Recall more gentle times when Bush2 said in debate with Gore that he wouldn't be into "nation building" (never said against nation destroying, as in Iraq).

So much for "from this day forward, it will be America first"....

[Justgrazing]

32 minutes ago, dunroaming said:

Maybe this is because the Chinese have slapped him down over NK.  

They haven't thats what's making the N K situation all the more dangerous ..  China is in a very difficult position it borders N K and understands the N K position probably better than the West ever could but at the same time It can be imagined that China are not happy about N K having Nuclear weaponry ..  and brandishing them about as they have recently to the point where they're taunting America is just asking for it .. Its like an over confident younger brother who's always looking to prove himself to his peers you know at some point he's gonna get a slap you just hope its not a proper kicking .. 

[soalbundy]

7 hours ago, JHolmesJr said:

In the past, the US has waded in when human rights are threatened in latin america.

 

No one called those presidents crazy…..but now its open season for the all kinds of unhinged people

to take a shot at him. Losing makes people twisted.

 

 

 

He isn't so great on human rights himself,it's only the checks and balance system which is keeping him under control. He definitely needs a war to prove what a big strong baby he is, the trouble is he has to win it.