May 15/06 - US Govt. says "Hugo loves terrorists": fact or fiction?

What is so funny Ms. Bachelet?
Is the choice of color a hint?

PMBComment: one can only assume that the US will share with others - including the public - some of the facts that support the - previously leaked - decision of placing Bolivarian Venezuela in the list of the non-cooperative nations in the fight against "terror". The U.S. must stop being a compiler of lists of good and bad guys if it is not ready to prove - beyond reasonable doubt - that its judgment is not political ,or subjective.

While I am ready to believe that Hugo and his cronies provide comfort (and MUCH more) to some real ugly characters, why is it so hard for the super-spy nation of the world to shed some light to support its case? Doing so might be a good move for the U.S. as it seeks to replenish its political credibility to the level of its economic and military might. A juggernaut with a "cry wolf" habit is not a very compelling leader for the trouble times ahead.

Showing some of its factual cards might also help those fighting to disprove recent outrageous (i.e. pro-Chávez) assertions by Ms.Bachelet (the gal from Chile we all assumed knew what it meant to be a democrat) and her soul-mate, Ken Livingstone (the very red mayor of London - for those not paying sufficient attention to Hugo's European dog and pony show).

Message to Washington: We need the facts, not just your conclusions! PMB

PS: since Mr. Chávez today demanded that “genocidal” President Bush be incarcerated for a long list of alleged crimes against humanity, some out there would be more than happy to assume the badlisting as mere spite...and that would be a rather unfortunate interpretation. Read HCh's response to US decision

U.S. Imposes Arms Ban on Venezuela

By GEORGE GEDDA, Associated Press Writer 39 minutes ago

The United States is imposing a ban on arms sales to Venezuela because of what it claims is a lack of support by President Hugo Chavez's leftist government for counterterrorism efforts, the State Department said Monday.

For nearly a year, there has been a nearly total lack of cooperation with anti-terrorism, Darla Jordan, a State Department spokeswoman, said.

As a result, U.S. sales and licensing for the export of defense articles and services to Venezuela, including the transfer of defense items, will not be permitted, she said.

Venezuela is a major supplier of oil to the United States but relations between Chavez and the Bush administration have sharply deteriorated. Chavez has called Bush a "terrorist," and denounced the U.S.-led war in Iraq.

Just last month, the State Department used its annual report on international terrorism to accuse Chavez of having an "ideological affinity" with two leftist guerrilla groups operating in neighboring Colombia, the FARC and the National Liberation Army. The United States considers both to be terrorist organizations.

Earlier Monday, Chavez rejected U.S. claims that Iran's nuclear program is aimed at producing a nuclear bomb. "I don't believe that the United States or anyone else has the right ... to prohibit that a country has nuclear energy," he said at a news conference in London.

Chavez, an ally of Cuba's Fidel Castro, has repeatedly accused the United States of trying to overthrow him to seize his country's vast oil reserves. U.S. officials have denied that and accused him being a threat to democracies in the region.