Naked Diplomacy?
[BREAK]
So, we illegaly strip searched and subjected the Venezuelan Foreign Minister to a rough interrogation First, you must remember that the US does not submit to any International Law. Hell, we've reneged on a passel of signed treaties since Bush took over, never mind something as hampering as International Law. Acting like a "good neighbor" is something for lesser [wimp] countries.
Second, Bush is trying to constantly goad Chavez, so Bush will have red-meat, provocative" quotes to hide behind when we either assassinate Hugo or invade Venezuela, our #1 supplier of imported oil.
Of course, as with every policy decision made since the Bush regime coup in 2000, the first reaction was to spout lies:
So, we illegaly strip searched and subjected the Venezuelan Foreign Minister to a rough interrogation First, you must remember that the US does not submit to any International Law. Hell, we've reneged on a passel of signed treaties since Bush took over, never mind something as hampering as International Law. Acting like a "good neighbor" is something for lesser [wimp] countries.
Second, Bush is trying to constantly goad Chavez, so Bush will have red-meat, provocative" quotes to hide behind when we either assassinate Hugo or invade Venezuela, our #1 supplier of imported oil.
Of course, as with every policy decision made since the Bush regime coup in 2000, the first reaction was to spout lies:
Chavez: U.S. Detained Foreign Minister - washingtonpost.com By NATALIE OBIKO PEARSON The Associated Press Saturday, September 23, 2006; 10:09 PM CARACAS, Venezuela -- Venezuela's foreign minister was detained by U.S. authorities at a New York airport for more than hour Saturday as he tried to return to the South American country, President Hugo Chavez said. U.S. and U.N. officials called the incident regrettable but said Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro had been identified for "secondary screening," a security check that can kick in when a passenger arrives without a ticket.So, as of 10:09 PM last night, we said the Ambassodor was only subjected to a "secondary screening that can kick in when a passenger arrives without a ticket." Well, if a strip search, threats and rough interrogation awaits everyone who arrives at JFK without their ticket, I'd advise you to MAKE DAMN SURE YOUR TICKET IS STAPLED TO YOUR BODY! Of course, this morning the Bushies realized that about the only area where America has improved security is at the airports, which seems to mean there is at least one, if not many, security cameras covering every square inch of the terminals. And, I'm guessing that they then realized that unlike mythical WMD, the Foreign Ministers story would only take minutes to verify. Hence, this morning's about face, with the Bush regime suddenly issuing an apology for an incident it, and the UN, denied ever happened. Now, put on your thinking caps. Try to imagine Bush's reaction had Condi Rice been forced through a strip search and rough interrogation on an official UN business trip in Venezuela. (Never mind telling me that Laura Bush would be amuzed. I meant "Try to imagine GW Bush's reaction . . . ") [/BREAK] =====
BBC NEWS | Americas | Venezuela rejects US apologies Venezuela has made a formal complaint to the US authorities and the United Nations after its foreign minister was detained at a New York airport. The US state department has apologised to Nicolas Maduro who was detained for 90 minutes at New York's JFK airport as he travelled home. He had been attending this week's UN General Assembly meeting. He said he was verbally abused and strip-searched in what he said was a "flagrant breach of international law".- - - SNIP "We were detained during an hour and a half, threatened by police with being beaten," he told reporters at Venezuela's mission to the UN. "We hold the US government responsible." US authorities initially denied Mr Maduro had been detained and his documents seized, saying he had simply been asked to go through a second security screening. The US state department later confirmed the incident had taken place and apologised. "The state department can confirm there was an incident with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro at JFK airport in New York," a spokesman said. "The state department regrets this incident. The United States government apologised to Foreign Minister Maduro and the Venezuelan government."
