Chavez: Oil Will Be Destroyed if Attacked

[cal04]

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Wednesday again raised the specter of U.S. designs to oust him and promised that his government will blow up his country's oil fields if the United States should ever attack. U.S. officials have repeatedly denied any military plans against Chavez, but also call him a threat to stability in the region. Speaking to other South American leaders, Chavez said his conflict with Washington is rooted in the U.S. thirst to control oil.

He said the Americans will be denied that in Venezuela, which is the world's fifth-largest oil exporter and one of the biggest suppliers to the U.S. market. If the United States attacks, Chavez said, ``We won't have any other alternative - blow up our own oil fields - but they aren't going to take that oil.'' Some of Chavez's political opponents at home call his warnings about a U.S. invasion far-fetched and contend he pursues the verbal conflict with Washington to encourage a sense of struggle against a foreign enemy as he heads toward the presidential election in December.

Chavez cited what he called a regular flow of threatening statements and actions from the U.S. government, from U.S. naval exercises being held this month in the Caribbean to U.S. questions about Venezuela's deepening ties with Iran. ``The latest they've invented is that we're sending uranium to Iran, and what's more yesterday it came out in the Venezuelan press that we're making a secret plan to bring Iranian nuclear missiles and install them in Venezuela,'' he said.

(snip)
Chavez accused the United States of ``searching for an excuse for anything'' against Venezuela, noting U.S. warship are holding exercises this month in the Caribbean - ``there under our very noses.''


more
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-5767446,00.html

[Poll_Blind]

1. Well, if the US thought it would lose to an invasion it'd probably do...

...the same types of things.

Better dead than red and all that.

Thank goodness it's just political posturing- why on Earth would the U.S. invade a soverign nation for no good reason?!?!

PB

[htuttle]

5. I doubt the US would ever think it would *lose* an invasion

Hubris prevents that.

However, there is a certain amount of ...well...



...in Hugo Chavez's statement. On the other hand, maybe that tactic would work. :shrug:

I hope he continues to walk that fine line. While I don't pray, I do 'hope'.

[undergroundpanther]

2. Good for Chavez

Hold the Busco fuckers by thier slimy skanky balls and Squeeze as hard as you can Chavez,.Crush their ambitions and domination with thier own greed.

Besides Brazil is energy independant,South America can cope fine without the evil pierces of shit and thier oil.
Too bad Amnericans can't say the same,Maybe that is why Haliburton has such a stranglehold.

[zann725]

19. As long as he PUBLICLY keeps broadcasting threats received...

the safer (or safest possible) his position remains.

[Orsino]

24. Well, like *, I'm sure he knows the value of an external threat...

...but Chavez has the sense to pick one that actually is a threat.

[PublicWrath]

3. If bush gets the Mexican legislature to open Pemex to foreign investment

the next thing you will hear on Pox News is that Hugo Chavez has suitcase nukes and Osama bin spotted in Venezuela.

[murray hill farm]

9. That will NEVER happen!

The USA has been after Mexico's oil for decades....and Mexico is about to elect a new president...who is going to be more leftist than Fox ever dreamed of being..not that Fox would have ever privatized Mexico's oil....but now it will never happen.

[PublicWrath]

20. I'm speaking of opening Pemex to foreign investment, not privatization

Fox has supported such a change. It worries me. If you'll read to the bottom, I think you'll be worried, too.

Wednesday, June 6th, 2001
- Mexican President Vicente Fox, on Asian tour, offers to open up national oil company Pemex to foreign investment.
.....................
Wednesday, July 17th, 2002
In Mexico, an Elections Commissioner says there is some evidence that President Fox's campaign did receive foreign funds.
..................
Alexander's Gas & Oil News19-05-04
President Vicente Fox has failed to alter the petroleum status quo, and has even vowed not to privatise Pemex. Fox does want to open it to foreign investment, and that's controversial enough. Any form of privatisation provokes strong opposition in the Mexican Congress among the opposition PRD and PRI (the former ruling party). But a faction of the PRI is open to petroleum privatisation.
In 2002, PRI leader Roberto Madrazo actually proposed selling part of Pemex through stock offerings. Fox could negotiate with this faction of the PRI to achieve a viable privatisation proposal, in the manner that Ronald Reagan built a coalition with a faction of the Democratic Party.
........................
(In August of 2004 Luis Ramirez Corzo, then heading Pemex Exploration and Devopment operations leaked that Mexico had untapped resources of 120 billion barrels of oil.)
..............

Nov 2004 Fox appoints Luis Ramirez Corzo as Director of Pemex (replacing
Raul Munoz Leos). Luis Ramirez Corzo is very pro-foreign investment and oversaw the new MSC's (multiple service contracts) which allow foreign firms to profit from oil exploration on Mexican territory without actual foreign ownership of oil reserves.
..................
Bloomberg.com March 30 2006
Pemex Oil Output to Drop Without Private Investment (Update1)
(snip)
Pemex Chief Executive Officer Luis Ramirez Corzo said Mexico will leave billions of barrels untapped in deep Gulf of Mexico waters and in a costly onshore field without partners to provide technology and share risks
(snip)
Congress has rejected calls by President Vicente Fox to amend the constitution to permit foreign companies to join with Pemex on concern the law change would be a step toward selling the state company to private investors.
(snip)

``To tackle Chicontepec and deep water, we need to have a legal framework in which we can work with other companies in strategic alliances,'' Ramirez said. ``To insist that Pemex alone can develop a project of this nature isn't realistic.'' Ramirez Corzo
....................

*****In a recent videotaped interview Luis Ramirez Corzo Director General of Pemex spoke of the window of opportunity to gain approval of a Pemex strategy for foreign investment after the July elections, before the new legislature is seated.
..................

[Old and In the Way]

4. The Saudi Defense.

Seems to be the only thing this Roil administration understands. Iran might want to consider the same insurance policy.

[lovuian]

6. Chavez is no dummy!!!

:nuke:

[TX-RAT]

17. Your right, he's a complete fool.

[Just Me]

23. Really. A fool for resisting? A fool for anticipating? A fool for,...

,...taking a stand in what he believes is a healthier form of democracy than the neocon-led "divided states of america"?

If I were in his shoes, I'd have a plan in place where oil production would be shut down in the event of US ROGUE ACTIVITIES. Hell, yes. I'd squeeze those global bullies with the only true weapon I had; their gluttony for oil. Especially now, when the neocons assume themselves and their 3% of the world's population and "superior force of destruction" to be all that's necessary to TAKE WHATEVER THE FUCK THEY WANT.

Never in recent human history has there been a gathering of opposition to the forces presented by the neocons. We are a world that DESIRES a cooperative rather than an oppressed existence. Chavez is no fool in recognizing the wave of opposition to oppression.

The fools are the neocons who's arrogance are bleeding this nation to death.

[pinniped]

7. Just the threat alone should kick the gas prices up a notch or two.

AP

Venezuelan firebrand leftist President Hugo Chavez, on Wednesday again raised the specter of U.S. designs to oust him and promised that his government will blow up his country's oil fields if the United States should ever attack.

Due to panic, fear, and outright greed by the oil companies and the monkey boy, the price of a barrel of oil hit record levels.

[murray hill farm]

10. It is just that oil is the bottom line...and,

Chavez knows this...he is just saying...so the usa will know it...that if it comes right down to it and the usa invades his country, they will not get the oil...just letting us know!!!

[aquart]

8. NCIS had a Venezuelan enemy stealing our secrets.

And so it begins.

[Coventina]

11. I frown on this from an environmental standpoint

"Blowing up the oil fields" would wreak huge environmental damage.
I don't want to see that.

OTOH, all those cars burning the oil is wreaking huge environmental damage.

It's always lose/lose for the earth.....

[Bacchus39]

12. I agree

however, since a US invasion will not happen, I wouldn't worry too much.

[Barrett808]

13. The Spice must flow. n/t

[DS1]

14. Great, sound just like Saddam while you're at it

:eyes:

[TX-RAT]

15. Same deranged leaders, just different countries.

[400Years]

18. I guess you also think that attempted coup never happened

[Bacchus39]

16. yeah, a broken record

[SlavesandBulldozers]

22. oh noez!

[K-W]

21. People attempting to defend themselves against us are bound to sound alike

hardly thier fault.