U.S. Must Stand by Colombia
Chavez is getting more insane and dangerous all the time:
CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela President Hugo Chavez ordered tank battalions to the Colombian border and mobilized warplanes on Sunday after Colombian troops struck inside Ecuador in an attack on rebels.
He also ordered the shutting of Venezuela’s embassy in Colombia and the withdrawal of all diplomatic staff in the dispute, warning Colombia’s actions could spark a war in South America.
“Mr. Defense Minister, move me 10 battalions to the frontier with Colombia immediately, tank battalions,” Chavez said on his weekly TV show. “The air force should mobilize. We do not want war.”
Colombia’s military said on Saturday troops had killed Raul Reyes, a leader of Marxist FARC rebels, during an attack on a jungle camp in Ecuador in a severe blow to Latin America’s oldest guerrilla insurgency. The operation included air strikes and fighting with rebels across the frontier.
On Saturday, the anti-U.S. Chavez warned Colombia against doing the same in Venezuela because he would interpret it as a “cause for war.” On Sunday, he said he would send Russian-made fighter jets into U.S. ally Colombia if its troops struck in Venezuela.
The US is committed by treaty to assist Colombia in defending itself and I think it vital that we inform Chavez that any attempt to make war will bring him into conflict with the United States. We cannot allow Chavez to bully himself into domination of South America - and the only way to deal with someone acting like a thug is to stand firm against him.
85 comments March 2nd, 2008
