Colombian bases could accept more US planes: official

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Agence France-Presse

Colombian bases could accept more US planes: official

10 hours ago

WASHINGTON (AFP) — Colombia may allow more US aircraft on its air bases as part of a new military cooperation agreement being negotiated, according to visiting Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos.

The move could allow the United States to make up for the potential loss of Ecuador's Manta air force base, key to counternarcotics operations in the region, should a bilateral agreement not be renewed, as Quito has threatened.

"We're expanding cooperation in every sense, including access to our bases and that is what we're negotiating," Santos told reporters alongside Colombian Foreign Minister Jaime Bermudez during a visit to Washington, where they met with US officials and lawmakers.

The deal being negotiated provides expanded access to Colombia's bases for US military planes, the defense chief said, adding that "instead of one type of airplanes, let's have this other type."

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5icO1kaO7ruxZynw8mWrHcEM5ei-Q

[acmavm]

1. I bet Uribe will. He might be feeling a little uneasy with all the links

between him and the drug cartels flying becoming common knowledge.

[Judi Lynn]

5. You are right. The links have always been there, but not too many people knew about him,

with so many journalists assassinated, fleeing to other countries to hide, or threatened into stone silence, joining the ranks of those journalists who admit "self-censoring" in order to save their lives and the lives of their loved ones.

The news STILL is getting out to the outer world. He must be beside himself. He can't kill us all. I hope.

[ConcernedCanuk]

2. Something stinks - USA should be going HOME - not expanding it's resources elsewhere

.
.
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I'll just have wait and see how President Obama responds to this

I ain't impressed with his proposed increase of troops to the ME

But I've mentioned before, President Obama is aware of history

JFK bucked the Military Industrial Complex . . .

something to ponder . .

walk soft Barack

BUT KEEP WALKING!!

. . . :thumbsup:

[damntexdem]

3. Isn't it a bit far from Afghanistan, though?

;-)

[Judi Lynn]

4. [Amnesty statement] Colombia: Authorities must guarantee safety of demonstrators

February, 27 2009

Colombia: Authorities must guarantee safety of demonstrators

President Álvaro Uribe must make a strong public statement in support of the important and legitimate work of human rights defenders. Failing to do so risks giving a green light to those who wish to attack them, said Amnesty International today.

Amnesty International’s call came in the run up to demonstrations scheduled to take place in Bogotá and other Colombian cities on 6 March in protest at human rights violations committed by the security forces. The demonstrations are being organized by the human rights coalition National Movement of Victims of State Crimes (Movimiento Nacional de Víctimas de Crímenes de Estado, MOVICE).

A number of Colombian trade unionists and human rights defenders were killed or threatened just before or soon after last year’s 6 of March mass demonstrations, also organized by MOVICE. Numerous Colombian human rights organizations also received email threats at the time, reportedly from paramilitary groups.

“The threats and killings that tragically marred last year’s marches must not be repeated. The legitimate right of everyone to peaceful protest must be guaranteed by the Colombian authorities,” said Marcelo Pollack, interim Deputy Director of Amnesty International’s Americas Programme.

More:
http://www.amnestyusa.org/document.php?id=ENGPRE200902279598〈=e

[Peace Patriot]

6. Oh, great, so we can pour more billions down the rat-hole of the corrupt, failed, murderous

U.S. "WAR ON DRUGS."!

But I guess you gotta have some pity for the Pentagon these days. The other day, they were trying to justify the war on Afghanis as a poppy field eradication program. The Taliban had entirely stopped the heroin trade. It took the U.S. military to get it going again. Now they want to eradicate it. Jeez, these people. And that's we why bombed another 30 civilians to smithereens last week, see? It's a virtuous, clean, upright, 'christian" thingy to rid the world of dirty hippy communist heroin addicts.

I guess you gotta burn the village to save it.


-------------------


Oh, dear. Santos. So that's how it's gonna be. I think we need to know the whereabouts of Donald Rumsfeld.

[rabs]

7. Peace Patriot,, would you please step into the "office"

Speaking of the War on Drugs: You remember the Medellin cartel under Pablo Escobar. After he was hunted down (with cell-phone-tapping help from you know who) and shot to death in 1993, the cartel practically ceased to exist.

Well, the cartel was reincarnated. Under new management. With a new name.

Disbanded paramilitary AUCs (pro Uribe) under the leadership of "Don Berma" took over.

The new name is "Oficina de Envigado." (Envigado is a ritzy section of Medellin.)

The Office of Envigado in recent years has controlled multi-million dollar shipments to the U.S. and Europe from the Colombian department of Antioquia, which has a coastline on the Carribbean.

"Don Berma" was captured and extradited to the U.S. where he has been singing like a canary in an attempt to strike a plea deal.

Here is some background:

http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS227135+17-Jun-2008+PRN20080617

So, the war on drugs been not gone too well despite the six-billion Plan Colombia !!

Oh, re Rummy, you can sometimes find him at coordinates 36°23′38″N 105°34′36″W where he is said to be a part-time resident and where this happened ...

http://www.taosplaza.com/content/view/86/72/ :toast: