Brazil plans an armed force of 500,000

[Judi Lynn]

Source: UPI

Brazil plans an armed force of 500,000
by Staff Writers
Sao Paulo (UPI) Apr 27, 2010

Brazil is on course to have a standing army of half a million men and women as part of its military regeneration program that includes commissioning a nuclear-powered submarine.

Plans for increasing the country's voluntary force from about 300,000 at present to 500,000 are being pursued as part of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's vision of Brazil asserting its presence as an influential regional power.

Lula has set sights on implementing the program before he hands over power to a new head of state, possibly his hand-picked candidate Dilma Rousseff, after the Oct. 3 general election.

Lula's plans are backed by the country's intelligentsia who are already behind the president's National Defense Strategy, unveiled in 2008.




Read more: http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Brazil_plans_an_armed_force_of_500000_999.html

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

1. they will need it

if they have as much oil offshore as is projected, to defend themselves from the USA

[rabs]

4. You are right on ...

Quick search led to this:

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

Brazil's determination to build a nuclear submarine has intensified given new found oil fields that Brazil seeks to protect. In November 2007, Petrobras, Brazil's state-run energy company announced the discovery of five to eight billion barrels of oil beneath the ocean floor; since then analysts estimate that 33 billion barrels of oil, enough to make Brazil one of the largest oil producers in the world, lie below a thick layer of salt in Brazil's territorial waters.<29> Brazilian military officials and politicians have argued repeatedly that a nuclear submarine is necessary to protect these oil reserves, particularly as the world's supply of oil is diminishing.<30> Recently, news that the United States had reactivated its Fourth Fleet by sending it into the region near the oil finds was greeted with apprehension by Defense Minister Nelson Jobim, who said that "the U.S. may act outside Brazilian territorial waters. Here they do not enter."<31> President Lula also expressed concern about the Fourth Fleet traveling so near the "pre-salt" oil finds, and his complaints to the Bush administration resulted in the U.S. military taking diplomatic steps to assure countries in the region of the fleet's humanitarian focus.<32>

Brazil views nuclear submarines both as a deterrent and as a way to project diplomatic power. In an interview with A Tarde, Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Julio Saboya claimed that a nuclear submarine could pave the way for Brazil to obtain a permanent seat at the Security Council: "Those who have nuclear submarines sit on the United Nations Security Council. All permanent members have the technology, which none of them give up. We have to develop our own."<33>


Much more here

http://www.nti.org/e_research/e3_brazil_new_nuclear_defense.html
-----------------

Noted the "UPI" story mentions 100 billion barrels, while Brazilian analysts say 33 billion. Either way, it's a lot of crude to whet the Pentagon's appetite.

[hack89]

6. It is not enough to defend them selves against the US

they will soon find out that nuclear submarines are nothing but a massive money sink that does nothing to increase their security.

Nukes are noisy and expensive compared to modern AIP diesel electric submarines - going nuke has more to do with prestige than military effectiveness.

[nealmhughes]

2. Lula may be going out soon, but Brazil is on target under him.

Actually, a strong Brazil and either Mexico, Argentina and/or Chile would be able to match any USA incentives towards a new era of satellites and puppet military dictatorships. Note to self: become fluent in Brazilian Portuguese in the near future.

[bossy22]

8. if you combine all their economies

it only comes to about 4 trillion....which is about 1/4 the size the the U.S.

People don't seem to realize how large we are compared to the most fo the world (our economy is 10 times the size of brazils)

[rabs]

3. Odd story

It is attributed to UPI Staff Writers but I read many years ago that the news agency went bellyup a long time ago in Latin America, the United States and worldwide.

If you look at the photo that accompanies the article, it is from Honduras, showing Honduran troops confronting followers of overthrown President Mel Zelaya last year. :shrug:

Went to Estadao.com (O Estado de Sao Paulo) and could not find the story.

:shrug:

[Judi Lynn]

5. After seeing your post, I searched for the first paragraph, and found it at UPI's website:

http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Security-Industry/2010/04/27/Brazil-plans-an-armed-force-of-500000/UPI-66081272406143/

I have heard almost every former foreign bureau got closed years ago, too. I have no idea who did this one. No byline on this link. Hmmmm.

[a la izquierda]

7. hmmm. this sounds weird.

i'm always a little wary when latin american governments ramp up their militaries. bad histories, and all.

[Judi Lynn]

9. When it happened in South America in the past, the US was involved.

Brazil's military coup was fully supported by the United States, completely conforming to the pattern throughout the Americas, based clearly upon the intention to suppress at ALL costs any chance of leftists gaining the slightest advantage.

Here is a very helpful link for anyone who would like a good look at Brazil's military coup's history:

BRAZIL MARKS 40th ANNIVERSARY OF MILITARY COUP

DECLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS SHED LIGHT ON U.S. ROLE

Audio tape: President Johnson urged taking "every step that we can" to support overthrow of Joao Goulart

U.S. Ambassador Requested Pre-positioned Armaments to aid Golpistas; Acknowledged covert operations backing street
demonstrations, civic forces and resistance groups

Washington D.C., 31 March 2004 - "I think we ought to take every step that we can, be prepared to do everything that we need to do," President Johnson instructed his aides regarding preparations for a coup in Brazil on March 31, 1964. On the 40th anniversary of the military putsch, the National Security Archive today posted recently declassified documents on U.S. policy deliberations and operations leading up to the overthrow of the Goulart government on April 1, 1964. The documents reveal new details on U.S. readiness to back the coup forces.

The Archive's posting includes a declassified audio tape of Lyndon Johnson being briefed by phone at his Texas ranch, as the Brazilian military mobilized against Goulart. "I'd put everybody that had any imagination or ingenuity… McCone… McNamara" on making sure the coup went forward, Johnson is heard to instruct undersecretary of State George Ball. "We just can't take this one," the tape records LBJ's opinion. "I'd get right on top of it and stick my neck out a little."

Among the documents are Top Secret cables sent by U.S. Ambassador Lincoln Gordon who forcefully pressed Washington for direct involvement in supporting coup plotters led by Army Chief of Staff General Humberto Castello Branco. "If our influence is to be brought to bear to help avert a major disaster here-which might make Brazil the China of the 1960s-this is where both I and all my senior advisors believe our support should be placed," Gordon wrote to high State Department, White House and CIA officials on March 27, 1964.

To assure the success of the coup, Gordon recommended "that measures be taken soonest to prepare for a clandestine delivery of arms of non-US origin, to be made available to Castello Branco supporters in Sao Paulo." In a subsequent cable, declassified just last month, Gordon suggested that these weapons be "pre-positioned prior any outbreak of violence," to be used by paramilitary units and "friendly military against hostile military if necessary." To conceal the U.S. role, Gordon recommended the arms be delivered via "unmarked submarine to be off-loaded at night in isolated shore spots in state of Sao Paulo south of Santos."

Gordon's cables also confirm CIA covert measures "to help strengthen resistance forces" in Brazil. These included "covert support for pro-democracy street rallies…and encouragement democratic and anti-communist sentiment in Congress, armed forces, friendly labor and student groups, church, and business." Four days before the coup, Gordon informed Washington that "we may be requesting modest supplementary funds for other covert action programs in the near future." He also requested that the U.S. send tankers carrying "POL"-petroleum, oil and lubricants-to facilitate the logistical operations of the military coup plotters, and deploy a naval task force to intimidate Goulart's backers and be in position to intervene militarily if fighting became protracted.

Although the CIA is widely known to have been involved in covert action against Goulart leading up to the coup, its operational files on intervention in Brazil remain classified-to the consternation of historians. Archive analyst Peter Kornbluh called on the Agency to "lift the veil of secrecy off one of the most important episodes of U.S. intervention in the history of Latin America" by completely declassifying the record of CIA operations in Brazil. Both the Clinton and Bush administrations conducted significant declassifications on the military regimes in Chile and Argentina, he noted. "Declassification of the historical record on the 1964 coup and the military regimes that followed would advance U.S. interests in strengthening the cause of democracy and human rights in Brazil, and in the rest of Latin America," Kornbluh said.More:
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB118/

This is one of the links from this website:

Military regimes of South America:
http://www.casahistoria.net/militarydictatorship.htm#Brazil

[Rapier09]

10. Brazil is not joke

Not to mention they literally have a border with France(French Guyana)if they wanted to rebuild their army............it wouldn't be much of a problem.

[Pavulon]

11. Excellent news for french and american defense contractors.

considering the multibillion dollar programs will be paid to them.