Nominated for quote of the week (CIA's Leon Panetta)

[rabs]

“I do not believe what I said and neither does the government of the United States. It was my mistake to repeat something that someone told me. It was not my intention to assume that thought as my own,” said Panetta, according to Timerman. (Argentina's ambassador to the United States.)

Background:

http://www.speroforum.com/a/18322/The-CIAs-Panetta-begs-Argentinas-forgiveness

[pocoloco]

1. Wow! Panetta is gonna fit right in.

Smooth transition from old to new.

[peacetalksforall]

2. I read the article and something is missing. Who was Panetta quoting, how was it said

they everyone thought the words were Panetta's?

If Panetta was quoting someone, sounds like it might be a Republican corporate affiliated lobbyist of someone similar.

Just this morning there was an article on DU about Ecuadoreans organizing to keep their earth resources for themselves. And we know the Republicans hate Chavez and Venezuela.

[rabs]

4. Colombian Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos

Santos was in Washington this past week for four days. He met with Panetta on Tuesday, Panetta made his careless remarks on Wednesday.

Colombia is not on good terms with Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador and Venezuela.

Santos is known as an extreme right-winger and likely presidential candidate to replace Alvaro Uribe in next year's elections. He was in Washington seeking another half-billion dollars for "Plan Colombia," in which the U.S. has already poured $6 billion.

[peacetalksforall]

5. Thanks. I'm behind the times. Too bad about Colombia when so many other

SA countries are being represented by people who are trying to get out from under us, the IMF, World Bank, their debt, the obligations through deals of their leaders. Maintaining poverty and basic living arrangements has been good for gringos and Europeans over the decades and now it all seems to be changing, but not within Colombia?

Thanks again. Glad Panetta learned a lesson early. I hope we're not going to maintain the deals we've made (make that - our former adminstration has made) with Uribe, now with Santos?

[rabs]

6. Not behind the times at all ...

You have a good overview of what is happening as the "pink tide" sweeps Latin America.

Used to be the United States was the big bully in this country's "traditional backyard." Thanks to the eight years of the bushies, that is no longer the case. The big guy is now Brazil and it is working hand-in-hand with the little guys, the struggling smaller countries.




Member states: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela.

Associate states: Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.

Mercosur (English: Southern Common Market) was founded in 1991 by the Treaty of Asunción, which was later amended and updated by the 1994 Treaty of Ouro Preto. Its purpose is to promote free trade and the fluid movement of goods, peoples, and currency.

Comprising Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela and Brazil, the Southern Common Market - MERCOSUR represents a total population of 270 million individuals, living in an area larger than the total surface of the european continent, covering more than 13 million square kilometers. In 2006, the total Gross Domestic Products (GDP) of these five nations was approximately US$ 2.42 trillion.

[GeorgeGist]

3. The Secretary of Defense believes it ...

and that's probably where Leon the Lion :sarcasm: heard it.

[Solly Mack]

7. Can I get that on a pillow?

Damn