U.S. Works to Defuse Spat With Venezuela

[cal04]

Washington formally protested Friday against Venezuela's seizure of cargo from a U.S. Embassy convoy while Venezuela defended the action, alleging it was an incident of smuggling that flagrantly violated diplomatic protocol.

Venezuelan National Guard stopped trucks carrying cargo from a U.S. military aircraft to the American embassy on Wednesday and seized 20 pieces.

The State Department lodged a formal complaint with Venezuela over the seizure, saying it violated international diplomatic laws.

''We have requested an explanation for the entire incident,'' said department press officer Gonzalo Gallegos.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Venezuela-US-Diplomatic-Bags.html

[IChing]

1. Trucks of cargo? This doesn't sound like little pouches

Trucks of cargo........they must have a lot of mail.

[Union Thug]

2. The US cries over violations of international law?

Now THAT is rich!

[Vidar]

3. "Formally protesting" is sure to "defuse a spat".

[krispos42]

4. U.S. Works to Defuse Squat With Venezuela...

Should be the headline. Is the Fleet offshore yet? And aren't the B=2s based in Missouri? That's not too far from Chavez.

Of course, Bush might invade Vermont instead. It's kinda similar, and a blue state...

[gorbal]

5. I'm a bit confused

Forgive me, it's early in the morning here, but is the suggestion that the US is shipping items to use AGAINST Venezuela, or to give them as a gift?

[Ghost Dog]

8. "..cartridge devices, detonator fuses, rocket motors and pliers"

cf. http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2476510

Apart from a 'cavalier' attitude to diplomatic norms, supplying the "freedom fighters", looks like.

[bvar22]

17. That stuff sounds like the makings of...

TERROR WEAPONS

[sattahipdeep]

9. They brought in food goods without any health controls

176 pounds of chicken?

[Joanne98]

6. LOL! Go Chavez!

[0007]

7. Any word on our boy, Bernie Kerik sneaking around the outskirts

of Venezuela these days?

[Supersedeas]

27. a military shipment derailed in a sovereign country--Condi objects

[Demeter]

10. Venezuela says US was smuggling --BBC

The authorities in Venezuela have accused the US embassy in Caracas of importing cargo illegally after halting lorries carrying diplomatic baggage. Cargo found arriving at Caracas airport included parts for military aircraft ejector seats and chicken meat, said Interior Minister Jesse Chacon.
"Everything that doesn't pass through customs is contraband, we are talking about contraband here," he said.

Denying wrongdoing, the US demanded to know why diplomatic cargo was searched. "The impounded cargo consisted of household effects of a US diplomat and a shipment of commissary goods," said US state department spokesman Edgar Vasquez. The search, he added, had violated long-established procedures. "We have requested an immediate explanation of the entire incident," he said.

Displaying a photo of the lorries for journalists, Mr Chacon said that only four out of 20 packages were considered diplomatic baggage covered by international protocol. The US had bypassed customs and the necessary paperwork with the other 16 which included 80 kilos (176 pounds) of chicken, he said. "They brought in food goods without any health controls, they brought in armaments without any legal control," he told reporters. "It's not the Venezuelan government that is making violations - it's the US embassy that's making them."

Washington officials said that the cargo, which was delivered by a US military plane, included replacement ejection seat parts for Venezuelan combat planes but no weapons or arms. Mr Chacon said the Venezuelan air force had requested ejection seat propulsion motors but the cargo contained items it had not asked for such as cartridge devices, detonator fuses, rocket motors and pliers.


Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/americas/5288214.stm

[Joanne98]

11. Go Hugo.

[hobbit709]

12. Since when

do military parts for the local government arrive under diplomatic pouch? If the venezuelan government had bought these parts for their military, they would have arrived as military cargo with the proper paperwork. Stuff under "diplomatic' seal arriving like that makes me wonder WTF is going on?

[w13rd0]

13. Probably...

...the US Gov trying to set up another coup attempt.

[Show_Me _The_Truth]

14. With "parts for ejector seats?"

Come on. Now if they had said they found Ak-47's or ammunition, or handguns, then maybe. But this makes me skeptical of the Venezuelan side of the story.

And Hugo usually has such good PR people.

[Pierre.Suave]

15. Perhaps...

the US embassy in venezuela is building their own Bond car, complete with ejector seats.

[Kailassa]

24. Read ... That's the part the US admits to ...

"Washington officials said that the cargo, which was delivered
by a US military plane, included replacement ejection seat parts
for Venezuelan combat planes..."

From the article quoted above.

[Show_Me _The_Truth]

20. With Ejector seats

Admittedly ordered by the Venezuelan Airforce and pliers?

Albeit the shipment contianed more PARTS FOR EJECTOR SEATS than the Venezeulan AF ordered, how are these components for a coup?

[rman]

25. Why bring in military equipment ordered by Venezuela, as diplomatic

cargo? Isn't that at least extremely unusual, if not downright suspicious?

[Show_Me _The_Truth]

16. "Assault Pliers"

Must have been that secret program the CIA was working on to start another coup. The rebels were only short pliers before their plans could be enacted. Gotta have pliers for a good coup.

Much hohahh about nothing. Mmost likely a screw up in the government requisition system. Some clerk probably entered the SKU for a kit instead of the single part that they had requested.
Just a show for his local populace and the Hugo lovers around the world showing the USA is after him again.

Hugo and Bush are so alike in so many ways, gotta keep terra terra terra on the minds of the cattle.

[BrotherBuzz]

19. Them pliers were intended for MacGyver ...

it's all he needed to assemble all those parts. No telling what he was dreaming up....:shrug:

[Ghost Dog]

22. Hmm, yeah, "Pliers": "Alicates"

Alicates o Tenazas en español, in Spanish. There are a couple of layers of translation/re-translation here (and also intemediation by journalists/editors/media). Maybe a very specific variety of pliers (given the context)? As in, for example, crimping tool?

As a complete aside, btw, I've greatly appreciated both the linguistic versatility, the poetry, and the sense of history provided by knowing that what is in English called a "Spanner" is, in Spanish known as "una llave inglesa" - literally, "an English key" (and the same applies in French: un clef anglais).

[rman]

26. Sounds like a reasonable argument,

until one realizes you ignore "cartridge devices, detonator fuses, rocket motors".

[zann725]

18. First the U.S. needs to treat Chavez with a bit more dignity...and

credit his "intelligence" to see U.S. interference in his country, and with his ELECTED rule.

That would do MUCH to diffuse problem with Venezuala.

[cliss]

21. OMG.....this is unbelievable.

Have we become so blatant that we ship shit to the U.S. Embassy? What the hell are they thinking???????

OMG..they are out of their minds in Washington. For Christ's Sake, get a GRIP. Use your brains, State Department. I'm involved in exporting U.S. products to other countries, and this crap needs to stop.

[cal04]

23. Venezuela Accuses US of Smuggling under Diplomatic Cover

(snip)
According to Chacón, however, while shipping documents indicated that the military shipment included ejection seat propulsion motors for Bronco airplanes that had been ordered by Venezuela’s military, there was also other material that it did not order, such as detonators, pliers, rocket motors, and other items. “What is this material coming for? This has us worried,” said Chacón. Also, none of this material has so far been received by Venezuela’s military.

For Chacón it is the US that violated the Vienna Convention. “I have no doubt that in the case of the diplomatic valise of the United States an open and flagrant violation of the Vienna Convention has been committed. Along with Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry we are trying to identify the type of violations the North American government has committed,” said Chacón.

Chacón further explained that the 20 containers on the four trucks measured about 3 meters wide, by 2 meters high. Chacón also demonstrated some of the paperwork that supposedly authorized the shipment, saying that the license plates of the trucks did not match the documentation and that the fees for processing the paperwork were paid a full day after the shipment had arrived.

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news.php?newsno=2054