US sanctions Venezuela over terrorism: official
US sanctions Venezuela over terrorism: official
Mon May 15, 1:05 PM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States imposed sanctions on Venezuela on Monday, banning all arms sales to one of its major oil suppliers for what it says is its lack of help in the war on terrorism, a State Department official said.
http://tinyurl.com/puub6
US bans arms sales to Venezuela
By Saul Hudson, Mon May 15
Washington banned all U.S. arms sales to Venezuela on Monday, punishing President Hugo Chavez for his ties with Cuba and Iran and for what it believes is his inaction against guerrillas from neighboring Colombia.
The sanctions escalate a crisis with the major U.S. oil supplier and come after years of antagonism between the two nations on issues ranging from trade to energy prices that have dragged ties to their worst state in decades.
Despite Venezuela's repeated assertions that it works against terrorism, and particularly militants in the Andean region, the United States designated it on Monday as a country considered uncooperative in the U.S. war on terrorism.
While the move is not as severe as adding a country to the U.S. blacklist of state sponsors of terrorism, which includes Iran and Cuba, it does trigger sanctions and is likely to provoke an angry response from Chavez.
The sanctions extend the Bush administration's practice in recent years of stopping country-to-country sales involving American arms and technology to Venezuela.
Now Washington also prohibits all U.S. commercial weapons sales to Venezuela and prevents any re-sales of American arms and technology from other nations.
Maripili Hernandez, Venezuelan Vice Minister of Foreign Relations for North America and Multilateral Affairs, dismissed the U.S. move.
"From a diplomatic point of view those classifications that the United States makes are absolutely irrelevant. We don't take them into account," she said.
OIL THREAT
The top U.S. diplomat for Latin America said the Bush administration took the step with "enormous reluctance," but noted the countries' traditionally strong ties had eroded under Chavez.
That deterioration has weighed on world oil markets in recent years, adding to supply worries that have helped cause record high crude prices.
Governing policy over the largest oil reserves outside of the Middle East, Chavez has periodically threatened to stop oil exports to Venezuela's biggest market, the United States, but the OPEC member has remained a reliable supplier.
Larry Birns of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs think tank in Washington said the move was a powerful symbol of U.S. disdain for Chavez but would have little practical impact on a country that has turned increasingly to suppliers such as Russia.
"This is a political act. The State Department has been looking to up the ante without provoking a full-blown meltdown," he said. "It is an escalation of U.S. hostility toward Venezuela."
State Department spokesman Eric Watnik explained Monday's decision citing Chavez's relations with the two U.S. foes, Iran and Cuba, and accusing him of allowing leftist guerrillas from neighboring Colombia to operate from Venezuela.
Rep. Pete Hoekstra, a Michigan Republican, who chairs the House Permanent Select Committee on Republican Intelligence, said in a statement: "The hostility shown by the Venezuelan leadership toward the United States along with its efforts to sow totalitarianism in the hemisphere, at the expense of the Venezuelan people, should be alarming to everyone."
http://tinyurl.com/m5xxb
Mon May 15, 1:05 PM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States imposed sanctions on Venezuela on Monday, banning all arms sales to one of its major oil suppliers for what it says is its lack of help in the war on terrorism, a State Department official said.
http://tinyurl.com/puub6
US bans arms sales to Venezuela
By Saul Hudson, Mon May 15
Washington banned all U.S. arms sales to Venezuela on Monday, punishing President Hugo Chavez for his ties with Cuba and Iran and for what it believes is his inaction against guerrillas from neighboring Colombia.
The sanctions escalate a crisis with the major U.S. oil supplier and come after years of antagonism between the two nations on issues ranging from trade to energy prices that have dragged ties to their worst state in decades.
Despite Venezuela's repeated assertions that it works against terrorism, and particularly militants in the Andean region, the United States designated it on Monday as a country considered uncooperative in the U.S. war on terrorism.
While the move is not as severe as adding a country to the U.S. blacklist of state sponsors of terrorism, which includes Iran and Cuba, it does trigger sanctions and is likely to provoke an angry response from Chavez.
The sanctions extend the Bush administration's practice in recent years of stopping country-to-country sales involving American arms and technology to Venezuela.
Now Washington also prohibits all U.S. commercial weapons sales to Venezuela and prevents any re-sales of American arms and technology from other nations.
Maripili Hernandez, Venezuelan Vice Minister of Foreign Relations for North America and Multilateral Affairs, dismissed the U.S. move.
"From a diplomatic point of view those classifications that the United States makes are absolutely irrelevant. We don't take them into account," she said.
OIL THREAT
The top U.S. diplomat for Latin America said the Bush administration took the step with "enormous reluctance," but noted the countries' traditionally strong ties had eroded under Chavez.
That deterioration has weighed on world oil markets in recent years, adding to supply worries that have helped cause record high crude prices.
Governing policy over the largest oil reserves outside of the Middle East, Chavez has periodically threatened to stop oil exports to Venezuela's biggest market, the United States, but the OPEC member has remained a reliable supplier.
Larry Birns of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs think tank in Washington said the move was a powerful symbol of U.S. disdain for Chavez but would have little practical impact on a country that has turned increasingly to suppliers such as Russia.
"This is a political act. The State Department has been looking to up the ante without provoking a full-blown meltdown," he said. "It is an escalation of U.S. hostility toward Venezuela."
State Department spokesman Eric Watnik explained Monday's decision citing Chavez's relations with the two U.S. foes, Iran and Cuba, and accusing him of allowing leftist guerrillas from neighboring Colombia to operate from Venezuela.
Rep. Pete Hoekstra, a Michigan Republican, who chairs the House Permanent Select Committee on Republican Intelligence, said in a statement: "The hostility shown by the Venezuelan leadership toward the United States along with its efforts to sow totalitarianism in the hemisphere, at the expense of the Venezuelan people, should be alarming to everyone."
http://tinyurl.com/m5xxb
bin66 - 16. Mai, 00:05
