Letters to the Editor

Fred Hiatt's foreign policy "principles" The Washington Post editorial page editor, in defending the Colombian government, illustrates the core premises of American foreign policy discourse. Glenn Greenwald [2008-03-05]

• Argentina & Brazil & Chile don't like the FARC but that doesn't mean they support Uribe.

  Argentina & Brazil & Chile *DON'T* favor the FARC but are nevertheless condemning Uribe's military raid.

  Likewise, my neighorhood association would condemn the FBI, if the FBI dealt with a dangerous gang in our neighborhood by lobbing missiles.

  What Argentina, Brazil, Chile, etc. are asking for is, simply, law and order.

  Law and order.

  Due process.

  What dangerous, radical, silly, UNSERIOUS concepts those are.

  Surely, no SERIOUS person or nation believes in such outdated concepts? After all, this is the twenty-first century now.

  http://bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=abdbcXf26IoE

  [...] Colombia finds itself diplomatically isolated in Latin America for taking the fight a mile into Ecuadorean territory.

  Uribe lashed out at his neighbors, seeking to regain the moral upper hand in the face of their criticism, both in taking accusations against Chavez to an international forum and revealing the alleged contents of Reyes' computer to show aggression against Colombia.

  [...] Chavez and Correa denied the allegations and in turn accused Uribe's government of acting on the orders of the U.S.

  Ecuador and Venezuela both moved troops toward the border in response to the raid.

  Colombia, with bigger and better-trained forces, has little to fear, at least militarily.

  Colombia has spent about [about $4 billion a year] on its military in the past decade [...]

  Venezuela has spent [about $1 billion a year] building up its military since 2004 [...]

  [...] ``Respect for territorial sovereignty is inviolable international law and no one can justify its violation,'' said Argentine Foreign Minister Jorge Taiana. Brazil, Chile, Nicaragua and Peru also condemned the incursion.

  http://bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=abdbcXf26IoE

  -- sysprog
  [Read sysprog's other letters]
  Permalink Flag Wednesday, March 5, 2008 03:34 PM
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