Ex-Bolivian leader blames U.S. in missile scandal

[bemildred]

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U.S. Ambassador David Greenlee said in a written statement: "It is good that those missiles were destroyed and the way we saw it was that everything was done legally and at the request of the Bolivians."

The United States has been campaigning to rid Latin America of portable arms that could fall into the hands of terrorists.

Greenlee declined to respond when asked why Washington thought it had Bolivian government authority to remove the missiles or why it insisted on removing the missiles rather than destroying them in Bolivia.

The missile scandal gave Morales a reason to force 56 generals and admirals, some of whom had developed close ties with U.S. military officers, into early retirement by naming a lower-ranking officer as armed forces chief.

CNN

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. there's a bigger story behind this

the growing hatred of the Bush administration is so powerful, that we risk losing all allies in previously friendly parts of the world.
The recent (and consistent) wins by leftist or moderates throughout the central and south american countries is more of an indictment against US policies and tactics, than a quiet revolution in the making. I suspect that as investigations continue, Mexico's election will also be called into question.

[1932]

4. dupe

...

[1932]

5. Latin America isn't turning left because of Bush.

It's turning left because of decades and centuries of injustice that is finally being addressed. If a Democrat had been in office after 2000, the same thing would have happened (however, there probably wouldn't have been an attempted coup in Venezuela in April 2002).

[ChairmanAgnostic]

7. it is possible. But, I submit that Bush sped things up tremendously.

His policies have created more strife and pain around the world since the last hot world war. the cold war may have caused some pain, death, instability in various regions, but nothing like Bush.

[1932]

9. I think Bush might be slowing it down, but only incrementally.

I think Venezuela, Mexico, and Ecuador would be farther along if they didn't have to deal with a US which tries to undermine them.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

12. i think we agree.

they would be far better off without our interference.

[bobthedrummer]

2. I wonder how many of the military leaders were SOA graduates. n/t

[Judi Lynn]

3. 3 small paragraphs re. the same story:Ex-leader wants U.S. to clarify his

Friday, August 18, 2006 - Page updated at 12:50 AM
Ex-leader wants U.S. to clarify his role

La Paz, Bolivia
Bolivia's former president says Washington is refusing to clarify that he had nothing to do with the secret removal of anti-aircraft missiles to U.S. soil, an incident that has him facing treason charges under the new leftist government.

"They ought not to be leaving us hanging," said Eduardo Rodriguez, a former Supreme Court chief who stepped in as caretaker president last year after two Bolivian leaders were ousted by protests. He organized December elections won by the leftist Evo Morales.

Twenty-eight Chinese-made shoulder-fired missiles — Bolivia's lone anti-aircraft defenses — were spirited out of the country in early October by senior Bolivian military officials and American officials, according to documents provided by Rodriguez. Rodriguez said he learned about the operation only later, and protested it, but Morales has used the U.S. action to discredit one of his chief potential rivals.
(snip/)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003207314_wdig18.html

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Eduardo Rodriguez appears in all the photos above.

[eccles12]

6. No country should disarm in the face of American imperialism.

All calls for diarmament should just be moot. What self-respecting nation would disarm knowing what is going on in the world today? I'm not saying that nations should attack anywhere but they should be armed for their own self-defense.

[Judi Lynn]

8. Absolutelly right. Bush was in a feverish rush to take their defensive

weapons as quickly as possible before a populist was elected, knowing Latin America is losing its appreciation for murderous right-wing, U.S. Republican-pampered, oligarchy puppets who put American right-wing interests above those of their own poorer countrymen and women.

[MrPrax]

11. Right Said...

Unless your a GOP fanatic, objectively...US policy is so irrational...even Americans can't understand it...so why, as you clearly state, should any country take the chance and trust disarmament or any 'peace' talk.

The Bush regime is fighting both high and low intensity conflicts with impunity...and apparantly with little or no opposition in the US itself.

One thing that is hopeful is that civillian authority is starting to reign in the generals. I sure hope this general and his buddies rot in prison...

Would any western country be so charitable to traitors? Well yeah, Powell, Negroponte, Poindexter are all happily employed and ironically doing the same type of things...violating US law, international law, trading with the enemy...

The point being that these new leaders are morally superior to the their enemy; they understand democracy, they understand loyality and they understand nationalism.

The GOP doesn't; the GOP loyality is to 'rid the world of evil' and the ends will always justify the means. They kill people and then give homilies about freedom over the corpses. They are insane, dangerous and evil.

[IndianaGreen]

10. Those missiles were a threat to USAF's bombing missions on Bolivia

were the US to attack Bolivia to smash the legitimate aspirations of anti-globalist Bolivian workers and peasants.