Venezuela aims for biggest military reserve in Americas

[Jon8503]

Greg Morsbach in Caracas
Saturday March 4, 2006
The Guardian


Around 500,000 Venezuelans will start a four-month military training programme today to turn them into members of the country's territorial guard. They are the first group of a total of 2m Venezuelan civilians who have so far signed up to become armed reservists.
By the summer of 2007, Venezuela is likely to have the largest military reserve in the Americas, which is expected to be almost double the size of that in the United States.


Article continues:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/venezuela/story/0,,1723274,00.html

[TheBaldyMan]

1. it's for defence - not for invading the Middle East

If Pres. Chavez is paranoid consider that there has already been at least one US sponsored coup attempt against his legally elected government. It's a reaction against American aggression and attempted destabilisation.

Are you paranoid if 'they' really are out to get you ?

[MannyGoldstein]

2. Yikes

On the one hand, this doesn't exactly give me a warm fuzzy feeling.

On the other hand, given our country's history of "dealing with" inconvenient Latin American governments, might be prudent.

[NNN0LHI]

3. I bet a hundred the first class is gonna be IEDs 101. Who wants to bet?

What no takers?

Don