There are mounting signs of military planning for Venezuela
[MILITARYTIMES] President Donald Trump
...New York real estate developer, described by Dems as illiterate, racist, misogynistic, and what ever other unpleasant descriptions they can think of, elected by the rest of us as 45th President of the United States...
has been talking about ordering a military operation targeting Venezuela since 2017.
At first, that was widely dismissed as a rash threat, but the idea of a U.S. effort to force "regime change" in the oil-rich South American country may be gaining momentum in Washington.
"It’s a regime that, frankly, could be toppled very quickly by the military if the military decides to do that," Trump said in September.
In January, National Security Adviser John Bolton flashed a notebook that read "5,000 troops to Colombia."
And on Monday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo ordered all U.S. diplomats to leave Venezuela, saying their presence there "has become a constraint on U.S. policy," hinting at opening potential military options.
Speculation about a military assault on Venezuela was also fueled by Trump’s recent appointment of a former George W. Bush administration official who was an architect of the Iraq War, Elliot Abrams, to be the new "Special Representative for Venezuela."
Heightened concerns prompted the Democratic-led House Foreign Affairs Committee to meet Wednesday to debate a bill that would prohibit Trump from taking military action in Venezuela without congressional approval.
White House officials say "all options on the table," including a military intervention or military support of allies in the region.
Posted by: Fred 2019-03-18 |