A Possible new military conflict

Arapahoe SG

A possible new military conflict is rising.

CARACAS, Venezuela - The leaders of Colombia and Ecuador ordered troops to their borders with Colombia after the killing a top rebel leader on Ecuadorean soil.

But Colombia said documents seized at the rebel camp hit by its commandos indicate Ecuador's president is deepening relations with Colombia's main guerrilla group.

Denouncing Colombia's slaying of Raul Reyes' slaying in Ecuador, President Hugo Chavez said Venezuela will respond militarily if Colombia violates its border. He ordered Venezuela's embassy in Bogota closed.

"Mr. Defense Minister, move 10 battalions to the border with Colombia for me, immediately — tank battalions. Deploy the air force," Chavez said during his weekly TV and radio program. "We don't want war, but we aren't going to permit the U.S. empire, which is the master (of Colombia) ... to come divide us."

Chavez called Colombian President Alvaro Uribe "a criminal" and branded his government a "terrorist state," likening it to Israel for its U.S.-backed attacks on militants.

the Bear SG

Chavez is a grandstanding asswipe who thinks with his dick...

he has a point sometimes with Bush but like they say, a blind chicken sometimes pecks a centipede if it pecks enough..

FARC has no political goals.. it has been kidnapping and murdering people with a paper-thin excuse of "political rebels".. universally loathed in Columbia for their destabilising influence through violence and mayhem, Chavez picked a donkey in a horse race this time..

hell, it isn't even in the same race, or the same species..

FARC is just banditry.. and Chavez is again grandstanding..

now if he decides to wade into Columbia over a bunch of terrorists whom he got chummy with, expect no one, not even the worse idiots in the UN to back him up.. because ultimately, the problem with FARC is Columbia's..

tankfanatic SG

FARC (or fart)..is chaves proxy army...hes smart...it really pissed america

Arapahoe SG

he might take this opportunity to extend his term

Short Ninja SG

He one Fidel Castro wannabee but its good to have people like that sometimes to balance things in the region.

Pitot SG

i dont think the rest of the countries will stand by and watch south america go up in flames....

Obersturmfuhrer SG

one big FARCe. Pun intended

joshua182 SG

nice how Chavez calls the USA an empire and bush a lap dog.

Arapahoe SG

Is more of a Super charge Super Ego coming out. i think at the end of the day it is about jacking up the oil Price.

Arapahoe SG

any idea if all these helicopters and fighters delievered?

Hugo Chávez has embarked on a multi-billion-dollar weapons purchasing program that includes 24 modern Sukhoi SU-30MK2 fighter jets. Contracts were signed for 24 Su-30MK2 planes on 17 July 2006. At that time Sergei Ivanov said 30 Su-30 Flanker air-superiority fighters and 30 helicopters would be supplied to Venezuela. The Russian Su-30 Flankers will replace the Venezuelan contingent of US F-16 multi-role fighters. Washington imposed an embargo on arms sales to the country 15 May 2006.

On 28 September 2006, Russia arms exporter Rosoboronexport announced that in accordance to a 3.5 billion dollar arms deal signed with Venezuela, it planned to establish helicopter maintennance and upgrade facilities, as well as deliver 58 Mi-17B5 Hip H, Mi-35M Hind and Mi-26T Havoc helicopters. As part of the deal, Venezuela purchased 24 Su-30MK fighters for 1.5 billion dollars. Two of the fighters are expected by the end of 2006, and the rest are to be delivered by 2008

the Bear SG

seems like the Columbians "found" laptops in their raid showing that Chavez gave FARC about US$300 million

and that the Ecuador gabrament were supporting the bandits too..

Chavez was supported by the FARC when he was in prison a long time ago.. he owes them.. also, he's a grandstanding idiot who thinks he's some kind of "revolutionary" so he supports these "rebels"..

the recent nonsense with releasing of hostages kidnapped by the FARC for ransom (note: not political but for ransom) because of Chavez "persuading" FARC to let them go now smells fishy as week-old fishguts in the sun...

all the while, the Columbians suffer kidnappings, violence and mayhem from these "rebels"

so.. if you were the Columbians, you were in a firefight with the FARC and they run into Ecuador, what would you do?

Arapahoe SG

Will see how far is Hugo Chavez willing to take this. This bring the region to a new level of tension with Cuba and Educador on extreme leftist. and I don't think the US would allow Panama Canal to be threatened.

good news for arm dealer, i am sure there will be an new arm race. And hugo will be happy as oil price will go up.

Shotgun SG

If the Venezuelan govt, or Chavez has indeed supported FARC, it will be a major cause of concern. Hope he realizes the gravity of his action. Columbia has been a long been supported by the US Govt, and will no doubt draw American intervention should a war occur.

Arapahoe SG

I guess the tension will continue until full deployment.

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Hundreds of Venezuelan troops deployed for the Colombian border on Tuesday under orders from President Hugo Chavez, who is sending about 9,000 soldiers to the frontier.

Hundreds of troops were seen boarding four buses and eight trucks at the Paramaracay base in the central city of Valencia on Tuesday morning, headed for the border. Their convoy also included fuel trucks and cranes. A helicopter flew overhead.

A base official, speaking on condition of anonymity because she wasn't permitted to speak to reporters, said the troops were heading for the Colombian border, though she didn't specify the location.

Elsewhere, in the northern state of Lara, pro-Chavez Gov. Luis Reyes said Tuesday that battalions in his state were heading for the border.

"There are mobilizations in Lara state toward the border zone," Reyes, a former lieutenant colonel, told the Venezuelan television station Globovision.

The Venezuelan military has been tightlipped about the movement of troops since Sunday, when Chavez ordered 10 battalions to the border, including tanks.

Retired Gen. Alberto Muller Rojas, a former aide and close ally of Chavez, told The Associated Press that the 10 battalions being sent to the border region include approximately 9,000 men. He called the troop deployment entirely "preventive."

Chavez deployed troops in response to Colombia's killing of a top rebel leader on Ecuadorean soil over the weekend. Ecuador has also sent troops to its border with Colombia, denouncing the military strike as a violation of its sovereignty.

Arapahoe SG

it will be interesting to see what is Hugo exist strategy,,,how is he going to back down without starting a fight.

Shotgun SG

Hugo has been trying to stir up hostile feelings towards Columbia all this while. However, his intentions for such an invasion would be unknown unless he simply miscalculated his own capabilities.

While the Columbians have nothing that can stop Hugo's 24 Sukhois, the USAF and USN are more than happy to establish a No-Fly zone over Venezuela & Ecuador. I'd look forward to examining the first Superbug vs Sukhoi engagement. Its gonna either make or break Boeing sales.

On a side note, its a about bloody time Columbia develops and upgrades their conventional warfighting capabilities.

Arapahoe SG

Oh i believe US and the big oil companies are waiting for Hugo to cross that thin line and would allow enough justification to take this opportunity to take out Hugo. Restore oil ownershipped and stabilized supplies.

If the escalation keep going Hugo might be too far off to the shore to pull back politically.

But yes it would be interesting to see how the Teens match up against the Migs.

Arapahoe SG

I am sure that is what the world needs right now.

Colombia also accused the rebels of trying to make a radioactive dirty bomb, although the documents it shared with reporters do not support that allegation, indicating instead that the rebels discussed the possibility of buying uranium to resell at a profit.

Short Ninja SG

A lot of Wayang going on over there but there will be no war.Nobody is stupid to fight a war along a border of Jungle,desert and mountains.

Arapahoe SG

yes rationale. Genenerally creature in that regions are bigger than Aisa. e.g an adult toad is full Palm size. but hispanic ego are sometime bigger than their head. especailly Hugo.