Chavez: Venezuela Captured 4 U.S Spies

[Robbien]

CARACAS, Venezuela - President Hugo Chavez said Friday that Venezuela has caught four people spying for the U.S. government and has turned them over to the Americans. Speaking at a campaign rally, Chavez referred to the four after reading aloud a news report about the U.S. naming a "mission manager" for Cuba and Venezuela to oversee U.S. intelligence efforts for the two countries.

The Venezuelan leader gave few details about the circumstances, or how recently the four cases occurred. But he said one woman was caught not long ago while taking photos _ of what it remained unclear _ in the north-central city of Valencia.

. . .

Speaking to a sea of supporters, Chavez read the name of the official named by Negroponte to head the Cuba and Venezuela mission, 32-year intelligence veteran J. Patrick Maher, and laughed.

"They selected 'Jack the Ripper,'" Chavez said. "What a little problem this is."

"These are signs that the empire doesn't rest," Chavez said, referring to the U.S. "The plan to try to destabilize us has already begun." He predicted the U.S. could try to discredit the results of Venezuela's Dec. 3 presidential election, in which Chavez is seeking another six-year term, or could try to provoke violent unrest around the time of the vote.

http://www.jg-tc.com/articles/2006/08/19/ap/international/d8jj97mg0.txt

[radwriter0555]

1. Mike Ruppert just fled the US to live at peace in Venezuela....

Good to see Chavez being vigilent.

[Pachamama]

17. What????

Your kidding right? :eyes:

[Name removed]

20. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

24. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Judi Lynn]

2. Chavez pokes fun at new US spy chief for Venezuela

Chavez pokes fun at new US spy chief for Venezuela
Sat Aug 19, 2006 12:34am ET

Caracas, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez poked fun on Friday at the freshly appointed chief of U.S. spy operations on Venezuela and Cuba, Jack Patrick Maher, calling him "Jack the Ripper."

During a speech to hundreds of screaming supporters in his home province of Barinas, Chavez, who is running for re-election in December, was handed a CNN report saying Maher had been appointed to head U.S. efforts to collect intelligence on the two Latin American countries.

Chavez, a constant critic of Washington who says socialism can unite South America against U.S. "imperialist" influence, said the appointment of Maher was a sign that "the empire is organizing a plan for December or before December."
(snip/...)

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-08-19T043355Z_01_N18392646_RTRUKOC_0_US-VENEZUELA-CHAVEZ-MAHER.xml&WTmodLoc=NewsHome-C1-topNews-6

[Robbien]

4. Please go read this great story on Chavez "Arab Hearts and Minds"

small excerpt

Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan president, found himself at the centre of Middle Eastern politics when he announced that he was withdrawing his most senior diplomat from Israel, the Venezuelan charge d'affaires in Tel Aviv. Not for something Israel did to his country, but for what it does to Palestinians and Lebanese thousands of miles away.

The action was preceded by Chavez's repeated condemnation of what he describes as Israel's "aggression" against Lebanese land and its "genocide" against the Lebanese people. He was the first head of state to say such harsh words towards Israel after violence broke out on the Israeli Lebanese border last month, even before that of any Arab or Muslim country.

Today on many Arabic internet sites one can read comments such as: "I am Palestinian but my president is Chavez, not Abu Mazen." Or: "I don't want to be an Arab. From now on I shall be Venezuelan."

In Gaza and Ramallah in the Palestinian Territories I am told that next to Arafat's and Che Guevara's posters, a new poster of Chavez is being added.

On world television channels one could even see Venezuelan flags in demonstrations in Beirut, next to Lebanese and Palestinian flags, and in many prominent newspapers across the Arab World, columnists wondered: why can't Arab leaders do what a Latin American non-Arab non-Muslim leader dared do?

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/0393C044-9D53-43FB-9B2F-3F15DF88AF91.htm

[0007]

5. Thanks for link Robbien

[Judi Lynn]

10. Now THAT'S an interesting item! Never heard this info. before.

From the article:

This solidarity with Arab causes is widely shared by most Venezuelans, and also by most Latin Americans, especially the poor. Many marched in the streets of Caracas and other cities in Venezuela - as well as in Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia and elsewhere - to show solidarity with the Lebanese and Palestinians in their plight.
(snip)

It shows you we REALLY don't get too much of the information we want and need if we have to get things like this from OUTSIDE the country. Very typical, isn't it?

Thanks a lot.

[MrPrax]

18. Chavez made an impression in Iran

"...The Venezuelan president expressed satisfaction with talks with his Iranian counterpart in Tehran, adding that he was first introduced to Ahmadinejad was during his term in office as Tehran mayor, as he was unveiling Simon de Bolivar's statue at one of the capital's most beautiful parks..."

IRNA

(I had a heck of a time finding this factoid...read about it in late July)

But back to Venezuela...under the logic of Bush imperialism, wouldn't the publicly stated attempt to undermine both Cuba and Venezuela with an active intelligence program aimed at overthrowing those regimes, constitute an attack and justify a 'pre-emptive strike'?

Both America and Israel have killed thousands over a lot less than 'intelligence management'.

[Vidar]

3. Good for Chavez.

[xchrom]

6. good for chavez.

[mogster]

7. Keep up the watch on the Bush regime Hugo, remember last time

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5832390545689805144&q=the+revolution+will+not+be+televised

[seafan]

8. Dept of Homeland Security link to 4 escapees in Venezuela

From August 15... too late for LBN, but important.

For some reason, the main web page for Prensa Latina is not accessible, but the cached version is still available.


Venez Links Escape with Plots
August 15, 2006

Caracas, Aug 15 (Prensa Latina) Venezuelan police investigations into the escape of four conspirators from a military prison in Caracas Sunday, detected US electronic communications related to the perfectly-coordinated flight.

VEA daily s director Guillermo Garcia Ponce urged authorities to be alert in the face of possible attempts at destabilization, as he believes there is evidence of a counterrevolution and a fifth column in the nation..

The four fugitives are ex union leader Carlos Ortega, serving 15 years for civil rebellion, instigation to break the law, and use of false public documents, Col. Jesus Faria and Capt.Rafael Faria, serving a nine years for assisting Colombian paramilitary to enter the country, and Col. Dario Faria, awaiting trial for the stealing war weapons, among other charges.

In an interview with Confianza program on Venezolana de Television, Garcia Ponce pointed out the police detection of an e-mail sent by Leopoldo Torres, who works in the US Homeland Security, to Edith Ruiz, an assistant of Alberto Federico Ravell, director of opposition Globovision channel.

VEA revealed that Leopoldo Torres is the son of Betty Torres, a former judge sentimentally connected with Carlos Ortega.

It notes further that the e-mail included a sound archive with the voice of Col. Jesus Farias, read by Globovision, in which he addresses the nation to explain the causes of his getaway.

snip

With the growing collection of news stories like these, it looks like *Co wants to make a move before the end of the year.

The world will stop these ba$tards.

[Judi Lynn]

12. Astounding. Obnoxious beyond belief.

Connections going righ to Homeland Security. Figures, doesn't it?

The C.A.N.F. spirited CIA agent/Venezuelan secret police chief/Cuban "exile" mass murderer Luis Posada Carriles out of Venezuelan prison, related to the N.Y. Times by Posada years ago in another slick operation.

We heard about Carlos Ortega this week, but NOT the three OTHER clowns.

Thank you for breaking the story at D.U.!

[seafan]

23. Just bustin' rocks. Amazing what ya find. Thanks Judi Lynn. n/t

[NYC]

15. That's a very interesting article.

Thanks for posting it.

[dipsydoodle]

19. Not sure which link you use

try this : http://www.plenglish.com/Default.asp

That worked for me ok a minute ago.

[seafan]

22. Thank you, edwardlindy! It's working again for me now. n/t

[eccles12]

9. So would it be ok for Venezuela to announce assassination plans for

those named by Negroponte as an act of "self-defense?" If not, why not since this has been a practiced accepted by the world when Israel announces such?

[muryan]

11. Defending themselves from what?

[ret5hd]

14. another cia sponsored coup attempt maybe?

here's an inside look at the last cia sponsored coup attempt on chavez:

"The Revolution Will Not Be Televised"
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5832390545689805144&q=chavez+inside+the+coup

[ronnie624]

21. "Defending themselves from what?"

Surely you jest.

<http://www.mindfully.org/Reform/2003/US-Interventions-1823.htm>

[Judi Lynn]

13. Sure it would, apparently, following the example set already. n/t

[happydreams]

25. No....

Only fascists can use the "self-defense" argument. All others must put up with fascist spies in their midsts.

[IndianaGreen]

16. They should have been shot, as all spies usuallly are

Chavez is too humane for his own good sometimes!

How ironic that the United States has incarcerated 5 Cubans, the Miami Five, for the crime of reporting on terrorist activities by Miami-based exile groups!

AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM THE NATIONAL COMMITTEE TO FREE THE CUBAN FIVE

August 6, 2006

Dear Friends of the Cuban Five:

We are at a crucial point in the case of the Cuban Five. With the denial of the latest appeal (see Breaking News above) by the 11th Circuit Court, the political struggle to free the Five has taken on even greater importance. Many of you have signed petitions, helped to organize events and contributed funds to win their freedom. For all those efforts we—and the Five—are most appreciative. Now we must ask for your support again. Please take a few moments to read this letter.

In September, it will be eight years since the Cuban Five were arrested by the FBI. For eight years the Five have been unjustly imprisoned for the “crime” of risking their lives in order to stop violent terrorist attacks from the U.S. on Cuba.

September 2006 will also mark the 30th anniversary of the car-bomb murder in Washington DC of Orlando Letelier and Ronni Moffitt by Cuban counter-revolutionaries working closely with the CIA. Letelier was Chile’s ambassador to the U.S. during the time that Salvador Allende was president of Chile. After the bloody CIA coup, Letelier was a leading voice in exposing the crimes of the Pinochet regime and its U.S. backers. For speaking out, he and his aide, Ronni Moffitt, were assassinated.

Just two weeks after the murder of Letelier and Moffitt, the same terrorist network bombed a Cuban airliner in flight over Barbados, killing all 73 passengers aboard, on Oct. 6, 1976.

It was to stop these kind of horrific attacks that the Cuban Five — Gerardo Hernández, Ramón Labañino, Antonio Guerrero, Fernando González and René González — came to south Florida and infiltrated the terrorist groups which operate there with impunity.

On September 23, to commemorate the victims of 1976 and to demand freedom for the Cuban Five, we will be holding a March to the White House and major public forum in Washington.

http://www.freethefive.org/

[stepnw1f]

26. Could You All Imagine If It Were The Other Way Around

That the US caught 4 Venezualian spies in the US. We'd be nuking Venezuala right now with these neo-nutbags in power.

[Say_What]

27. WTF??? CHAVEZ IS TALKING ABOUT THE PAST TWO YEARS...

More election year lies by the MSM to discredit and demean Chavez. We can expect regular doses of this type of propaganda because Chavez's second term is up this year and the so-called opposition has a candidate running against him.
:argh:

...During the past two years, the Venezuelan Government has discovered and expelled four U.S. officials engaged in espionage activities. Two of these individuals were military attachés, Capitan John Correa and Lieutenant Humberto Rodriguez, and had been actively recruiting members of the Venezuelan armed forces to provide strategic and secret information about internal Venezuelan affairs to the U.S. government.

The other two accused spies are not publicly known, though President Hugo Chávez recently made reference to a “beautiful woman caught taking photographs in the city of Valencia”, indicating she was a CIA operative who had been detained and turned over to the U.S. Embassy.


In this image released by Miraflores Press, Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez leads his security guards and government workers during his visit to a livestock support center in Venezuela's Tachira state, Friday, Aug. 18, 2006. (AP Photo/Miraflores Press, Marcelo Garcia, HO) (Marcelo Garcia - AP)

[Judi Lynn]

28. Looked up the first name, Capt. John Correa, and THEN it was easy

to remember him. We read about him near the first of the year, and it was discussed here. Here's more on this from Eva Golinger:

During the past few days, the Venezuelan government has made public concrete evidence of an espionage case that has resulted in the expulsion of a U.S. military attaché, Navy Capitan John Correa, from this South American nation. Capitan Correa had been recruiting Venezuelan naval officials over a period of more than twelve months, with the aim of obtaining inside information of military and political strategies of the Venezuelan government and pressuring officials to turn against President Hugo Chávez. Although the U.S. Embassy in Caracas and its Ambassador, William Brownfield, have denied knowledge of any wrongdoing on the part of U.S. diplomatic officials, evidence of illegal penetration of Venezuelan armed forces by U.S. military attachés has been provided to this author.

An excerpt of testimony from a Venezuelan soldier recruited by the U.S. Embassy and working as a "double-agent" for the Venezuelan government, to be published in entirety in my next book, the follow-up to The Chávez Code: Cracking U.S. Intervention in Venezuela, follows:

"I am an enlisted soldier pertaining to the action command group. I am testifying about the activities of officials from the United States Embassy {in Caracas}. They seek information and analysis about certain activities of members of our Armed Forces and have contacts with officials that work with the Minister of Defense and they provide them with activities about our Armed Forces. My job is to try and find certain information and to monitor different political organizations, such as the Tupamaros, Bolivarian Circles, the people who work with Lina Ron, as well as information about the acquisition of arms in the Armed Forces. I note herein that I am working as an infiltrator in these groups, an undercover agent, I do not share the anti-American views of these groups, I am just trying to obtain the best information possible for my superiors, for the defense of our nation."

"What do they give you in return?"

"Money, political contacts and the possibility of work"

"What is the best they have given you up until now?"

"A ten-year visa to enter the United States, whenever I want, and according to them, in the future I can attend a course in their intelligence agency in the United States and once I prove my loyalty to them and they see I truly have guts, I can possibly do an intelligence course with the CIA, that's what the military attaché at the Embassy, {name removed}, told me himself."
(snip)

http://www.counterpunch.org/golinger02032006.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ms. Golinger works in New York. She'd better watch her back, now more than before. I wish her a long, murder-free life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Found this photo of the opposition pig during an anti-Chavez demonstration in Caracas (you remember they killed a man with a marble from one of these slingshots there, as per the autopsy photos) which was proudly posted at the bottom of the website of Cuban "exile" terrorist group, "Alpha 66," with members like Ernesto Díaz Rodríguez, who are personal friends of the _Bushes.

[unda cova brutha]

29. chavez should have had them shot

[killbotfactory]

30. Venezuela has no death penalty

[bemildred]

31. US names spy operations 'manager' for Cuba, Venezuela

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States has named a special "manager" for its intelligence operations against Cuba and Venezuela, in effect putting the two Latin American nations on a par with "axis of evil" states confronted on multiple levels by the administration of
President George W. Bush.

North Korea and
Iran are the only other countries that have been assigned so-called "mission managers," who supervise intelligence operations against them on what the office of national intelligence director called "a strategic level."

In a statement released Friday, the office of National Intelligence Director John Negroponte said the manager would be responsible "for integrating collection and analysis on Cuba and Venezuela across the intelligence community" and "ensuring the implementation of strategies" that have not been disclosed.

"Such efforts are critical today, as policymakers have increasingly focused on the challenges that Cuba and Venezuela pose to American foreign policy," the statement said.

Yahoo

[0007]

32. Strategies that have not been disclosed?

Director John Negroponte said the manager would be responsible "for integrating collection and analysis on Cuba and Venezuela across the intelligence community" and "ensuring the implementation of strategies" that have not been disclosed.

The Death Squad Master has spoke

[Judi Lynn]

38. Maher sounds creepy. Here's his bio.:

J. Patrick Maher
National Intelligence Officer for the Western Hemisphere
Pat Maher, a 31-year veteran of the CIA, was appointed NIO for the Western Hemisphere in August 2005. Mr. Maher recently completed a 20-month tour as Deputy Director of the DI's Office of Policy Support. Before assuming senior management positions in the DI, Mr. Maher had spent most of his career as a Latin American specialist. His assignments included that of Issue Manager of the Colombia Working Group (2000-2001); Issue Manager for Mexico (1997-1999); and Chief of ALA's Middle America-Caribbean Division (1995-1997). He served in Brazil on a rotational assignment with the Department of State from 1986 through 1988. In addition, Mr. Maher was a Congressional Fellow in 1982-1983, finishing his tour with a stint on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Mr. Maher joined the Agency in 1974 with an MSFS from Georgetown University and three additional years in the PhD program at John Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His undergraduate degree is from the College of Wooster. Mr. Maher was assigned to Colombia for two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer (1966-1968) and returned to that country for a year and a half of field research while at SAIS. He taught briefly at the University of Maryland in Baltimore County before joining the CIA. He speaks Spanish and Portuguese.
(snip/)

http://www.dni.gov/nic/NIC_personnel.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Considering how spotty his record, it may be safe to assume he has worked with Negroponte in his heavenly work for humanity already. No photo available of this guy.

[0007]

39. These guys are a real work of art. They are the genuine authentic

government stamped terrorist of the world.

[formercia]

40. When I joined

you could not mix Peace Corps and CIA. supposedly to prevent cross-contamination. :sarcasm:

[IntiRaymi]

42. Mr. Maher's stint in the Peace Corps reminds me of something.

In 1971, or so, the Peace Corps was ran out of Bolivia by the then socialist President, General Juan Jose Torres. The reason provided was that the Peace Corps had been a front for CIA operations, and that there was no reason to have this spy organization operating in the country, unchecked.
This short little biography seems to confirm this suspicion, since Mr. Maher served in the Peace Corps, in Colombia, from 1968 to 1969 - and was later assigned to something called the 'Colombia Working Group' in 2000 and 2001.
Spend some time among the locals and you'll become an asset, later on, when you might be called upon to do some pretty coldblooded things.

[notadmblnd]

33. would these be the Jackels that John Perkins spoke of in his book

I'm thinking assination attempts to be made soon. I wonder if their actual targets are Chavez and Castro?

[Judi Lynn]

35. It would probably include anyone who tries to protect them, too, as

incidental "collateral damage."

No act is too filthy for this administration.

[madrchsod]

34. the chinese will have spys spying them...

for some reason no one likes to say anything about china. could it be they don`t want the voters to know they let the chinese in the door....

[sevenleagueboots]

36. World opinion counts more in the rush for regional resources

The U.S. with blood on its' hands world-wide will tread lightly at first in this hemisphere if only to avoid
shedding indigenous people's bodily fluids. It's getting closer to home, folks.

Go here for an excellent perspective on the future balance of power regarding China/U.S. Especially why it
is impossible to contain nuclear proliferation:

http://atimes01.atimes.com/atimes/China/HH17Ad01.html

[lpbk2713]

37. "Mission Manager"?

Haven't we had enough of this asshole and his catastrophic bogus "missions" by now?

[IndianaGreen]

41. Negroponte, the death squad war criminal, is back to is old tricks again

American foreign policy is at odds with the interests of the American working class. We must oppose it and its agents just as we must oppose all trappings of Bush's tyranny.

[Say_What]

43. "They selected 'Jack the Ripper,'" Chavez said. "What a little problem thi

From a more complete article:



"They selected 'Jack the Ripper,'" Chavez said. "What a little problem this is."

"These are signs that the empire doesn't rest," Chavez said, referring to the U.S. "The plan to try to destabilize us has already begun."

He predicted the U.S. could try to discredit the results of Venezuela's Dec. 3 presidential election, in which Chavez is seeking another six-year term, or could try to provoke violent unrest around the time of the vote.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/08/19/ap/world/mainD8JJ97MG0.shtml


# Venezuela's president, Hugo Chavez, dances with Colombian Foreign Minister, Maria Consuelo Araujo, after meeting in the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, August 15, 2006. Araujo finished a one day official visit to Venezuela.(AP Photo/Gregorio Marrero) AP - Aug 15 3:30 PM

[Name removed]

44. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Heidi]

45. Locking.

This discussion has veered far afield, and the link in the OP doesn't work.

Thank you.

Heidi,
DU Moderator