Chavez Talks War With US

[DOXXP29 5]

Interesting little article I saw today. Seems Venezuela is enhancing their military arsenal with Russian stock to fend off any imperialist aggression. Chavez claims the U.S. is engaging in psychological and economic warfare with Venezuela. He's probably right. The U.S. tends to do that.

Chavez Warns of Resistance War With U.S.

By CHRISTOPHER TOOTHAKER, Associated Press Writer

2 hours ago

CARACAS, Venezuela - President Hugo Chavez urged soldiers on Sunday to prepare for a guerrilla-style war against the United States, saying that Washington is using psychological and economic warfare as part of an unconventional campaign aimed at derailing his government.

Dressing in olive green fatigues and a red beret, Chavez spoke inside Tiuna Fort _ Venezuela's military nerve-center _ before hundreds of uniformed soldiers standing alongside armored vehicles and tanks decorated with banners reading: "Fatherland, Socialism, or Death! We will triumph!"

"We must continue developing the resistance war, that's the anti-imperialist weapon. We must think and prepare for the resistance war everyday," said Chavez, who has repeatedly warned that American soldiers could invade Venezuela to seize control of the South American nation's immense oil reserves.

U.S. officials reject claims that Washington is considering a military attack. But the U.S. government has expressed concern over what it perceives as a significant arms built-up here.

Chavez _ a close ally of Cuban leader Fidel Castro _ told soldiers the Washington was trying to weaken and divide Venezuelan society, including the armed forces, without resorting to combat.

"It's not just armed warfare," said Chavez, a former army officer who is leading what he calls the "Bolivarian Revolution," a socialist movement named after 19th-century independence hero Simon Bolivar. "I'm also referring to psychological warfare, media warfare, political warfare, economic warfare."

Under Chavez, Venezuela has recently purchased some $3 billion worth of arms from Russia, including 53 military helicopters, 100,000 Kalashnikov rifles, 24 SU-30 Sukhoi fighter jets.

Last week, Chavez said he is considering arms purchases, including submarines and a missile-equipped air defense system, as he prepares for a tour of Russia, Belarus and Iran.

"We are strengthening Venezuela's military power precisely to avoid imperial aggressions and assure peace, not to attack anybody," he said Sunday.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

[JanYpe 17]

"Media Warfare", wasn't that also the reason he gave for forcibly shutting down the Venezuelan media who disagreed with him, not too long ago?

[Albatross Domain 2]

he's about as retarded as some of these wanna-dictators... when it was he the personnally shut down the Gov't owned TV stations, in Ven.

[edd17 1]

The stations (RCTV) licence had expired, and the government did not renew the licence as it had a legal right to. The station had also violated the terms of its licence by breaking Venezuelan law and openly supporting the military coup. Chavez may be damaging the Venezuelan economy and wasting money on the military but he was democratically elected, remains in power democratically (despite the brief coup) and has broken no laws.

[DanWalker8 3]

goodness, another selfish dictator is going to get his young men killed. For what? Venez would get wiped off the map so fast :/

[simzebu 19]

^^Not if your forces are spread as thin as ours, and they are stacking up theirs, so I wouldn't bet on it.

On the plus side, Sr. Bush is to busy in Iraq/n right now to worry about Venezuela. So unless he can find some way to place terrorists there, we won't be fighting them.

[Barbarossa 51]

Big deal. Chavez is like a burr under the saddle, from a US perspective. He is doing his best to irritate us, but I can't say I really blame him for it, nor can I say it will have any serious impact. American involvement in Central/South America is an ongoing practice. While I understand people, usually Americans, complain about him, I think it is important to understand that the US has never actually CARED about that region, except to have influence (the wrong kind) and to get oil.

Barbarossa

[toxicpiano 125]

*sigh* Another maniac to add to the list. So now we have Bush, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Ehud Olmert, John Howard...

[Yoman3 5]

I think a more appropriate name for this topic would be Chavez Talks Suicide With US. Even with American forces spread thin one CVBG could do alot of damage, and there are two in the Atlantic. The Su-30s while advanced and cool looking aircraft wouldn't last very long, not only because they'd be outnumbered but out trained also. I must agree with Barbarossa, he is just a fly that irritates people.

[Odainsaker 2,135]

Manufacturing a seige mentality for domestic consumption to justify tightening his grip and deflect attention from his policy failings.  Wait now, the topic is Chavez, not Bush.  Poor Chavez, being bent-out-of-shape with all that endless heated bluster and bombastic anger probably gives him gastrointestinal cramps, which won't be so fun for him in the long term if he succeeds at changing the laws to name himself President for Life with permanent "emergency" powers to rule by fiat. Just look at Castro's ongoing medical troubles.

I wonder when Chavez will use his nationalist socialist rhetoric to try seizing those tiny Dutch coastal islands sitting atop his offshore oil fields, much like Argentina's failing military junta tried to do to the Falklands.

Time to pull the Perón-wannabe's fangs by ceasing to buy his oil. Oops, silly me, I forgot...the Spice must flow! Hehe, Frank Herbert's old wordy book is looking less like science fiction and more like current history everyday...I wonder if Cheney floats around the White House in anti-grav suspenders.

[patriots_1228 51]

this isnt really a threat IMO. Im more concerned about getting our troops out of Iraq than some Wannabe Hilter claiming hes gonna destroy the US. With what, bananas?

[toxicpiano 125]

You know that the mayor of London, Ken Livingston (Who is actually a communist like Chavez) has done a deal with venezuela to have cheap oil supplied for London transport in return for advice on public transport solutions.

[mjig_dudy 11]

err... wannabe Hitler? Maybe you should read up on your political ideals before making unfounded insults.

The way i see it Chavez seems a pretty decent leader, investing in removing poverty. But talking war against the USA isn't really great plan, i don't think even the Bush would sink as low as to try and remove and democratically elected leader from power, but maybe I am wrong.

[MrFingers 0]

Chavez fancies himself as a big important man, when in fact he's a little twerp America could flick off the map in less than a day.

Get lost Chavez, no one cares about your little pair of balls.

[edd17 1]

Wow, lots of nationalism here. Seems people can get pretty worked up over a guy buying arms from someone other than the Americans. The guy does seem to associate with some dubious characters and seems to be spending a lot of money on the military which could be spent on better things, but if you had people trying to overthrow your government then you might get a little paranoid as well.

I think we should judge this man by his policies, not what he goes around saying to make himself feel big.

[Micah 16]

Chavez is the next Juan Peron.

Once Chavez becomes more of a dictator, he's going to destroy his opposition.

[Barbarossa 51]

So long as what he does benefits Venezuela, I have no issue with him. I do, though, take exception to a previous comment identifying him as Communist. He is a Social Democrat. Regardless of what the Right says (they are pro-fascists, after all), his actions are NOT Communistic (there is a BIG difference between the two). While I am sure that much of what he has done is open to criticism, he WAS elected and I can only hope that his policies can help the Venezuelan situation. BUT, his anti-American rhetoric will only harm him, not help him.

Barbarossa

[Micah 16]

I do, though, take exception to a previous comment identifying him as Communist.quote>

Mine?

I didn't think he's Communist, but I do think he's certainly becoming a dictator.

[Barbarossa 51]

Micah said:

Mine? quote>

Nope. I was referring to Toxicpiano... I agree he is a dictator, but he is not a Communist...

Barbarossa

[Duke87 1,070]

Well, he is a dictator, and as we've seen, that alone is enough to make the US have something against a country, it being basically a polar opposite of democracy, which we so proudly wield as if it were a weapon.

Venezuela also has oil (hmm....).

Citgo is the oil company that uses their oil. So don't buy gas from Citgo.

[fukuda 351]

Erm, indeed I do not see communism anywhere in Chavez actions... anyway, he's in the way to become a dictator

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Mere puffing.  I can't believe he would try to intimidate Bushie.  Maybe he is trying for a Hugo award, but he is more likely to get a Darwin Award for careless country driving.

[hamsterTK 93]

This seems like one of those problems, that if ignored, might actually go away

Chavez wants attention, and if the US is wise to blow him off eventually he'll shut up.

[crazyyaya 4]

This guy sounds a little crazy. Do you really think the US is willing to fight three wars at once? Not to mention unpopualr wars. Then again, does Hugo chavez really have any respect on the world stage. Chazes is one crazy paranoid socialist.

[MrFingers 0]

I didn't mind Chavez before he came to my country, stood up in my city (NYC), at an organisation I indirectly pay for (the UN), and said my president was the devil.

[offgreen 1]

Chavez is a propagandist who has no real power except to ba a dictator claiming to bring greater good to his country while doing the opposite.

Cheap russian arms will not save him from the U.S. if thats what he's thinking.

[Uumke 0]

......I smell to many nationalism here....

[SimRabbit 48]

Very interesting. I second Uumke

[+Guest]

I feel somewhat offended by DOX's overview of the story and the story itself... I am American, I am not calling up Hugo Chavez to try and make psycological and economical warfare with him or whatever.. blame our government.. not the whole united states, just to let some of you foreigners know, not ALL of us Americans are retarded like the news makes us out to be. Now our government, thats a completely different story, but assuming that the whole country is bad just cause our government has MAJOR issues, well thats just dumb and stereotypical and stereotyping is very rarely a good way to go. And Hugo Chavez can say all he wants we wont even bother with him untill he becomes an immenent threat to the United States people... our forces have a lot bigger fish to fry at the moment. And they have about 27 million people in there country... that is one tenth the size of the united states and probably even less will power to over through a very huge and complex government with plenty of branches of military to defend themselves. Approx. 1,000,000 in the army alone. Point is, they're gonna have to come up with a lot of willing people to organize a fairly good military to be taken seriously.

[gml_josea 2]

I'm from Venezuela, and I can say that this guy only says that for getting some sort of international recognition. If we actually went in war with the US, in less than a week we would be a big hole in the world's maps.