Chile Forum

I find it fascinating that just a couple of weeks ago the 4th fleet was officially reactivated after over 50 years (disbanded after wwII) and poof we have an aircraft carrier group of the coast off Chile doing joint military operations. This was not like years, but like weeks after the announcement.

With how stretched the U.S. military is right now, to retask that much fire power and resources to Latin America out of the blue is not a good sign. Someone is about to get their *&( handed to them on a silver platter. They did not bring all those marines down for a pisco sour!!!!

This may well coincide with Bush's remarks while in Israel. I wonders whether the Israelis use the slogan (with regard to our troops) "doing the jobs we won't do".
Funny old world innit?

And if I were a betting man, and I'm not, I'd say that Hugo Chavez is the one who might be getting ready to have his < NO EMAIL >** handed to him in a platter!

Venezuela, Ecuador, new find off Brasil - OIL; Bolivia - natural gas; beneath Paraguay - giant aquifer; SA in general - all kinds of agro (FOOD), mineral resources and biodiversity.

Mexico - more OIL and mineral resources.

The PANAMA CANAL. Panama - financial assets and corporate records of gringos who think it is a semi-secret banking haven.

Colombia, CA, Caribe, Peru, Bolivia and others - maintain who's the boss control over the drug trade for financing of black ops.

More brainstorming, I'm sure this force will be used to monitor and handle any Antarctica "problem."

Other thoughts border on the "Believe It or Not" realm .

There is also a school of strategic thought running around the Pentagon about low grade / long distance postures. The best example of this was the withdrawal of troops from the Korean peninsula. The idea is we no longer need to have basing rights, or even have troops anywhere near potential hot spots. They just become a political and logistical liability.

The navy did rapid reaction exercise a few years ago off the cost of China. The Chinese freaked. They did an emergency test to see how fast they could get all carrier groups (think it is currently 12) to one location in the World. You can imagine the Chinese freaking out with 12 carrier groups popping up on their doorstep one morning. It also forced the Chinese to mobilize their military in a panic, thus revealing hidden assets and response times.

There is no reason that a carrier group off the coast of Chile could not strike Iran, or give the appearance that United States was not in a position to strike because their resources are in another part of the World. Meanwhile, it is fun to make Chavez squirm. I think there is also a concern that the Chinese are asserting too much influence in Latin America. This is to discourage strategic squatting in our back yard. Perhaps it is time for Castro to go too.

Boliva is a mess. It might solve Chile's energy crisis. Could Chile's military be positioning to grab some turf, if the U.S. is intent on taking out Chavez and company with or without Chile's help?

Charles,

<Sigh>.....you are a tease. Would the US do anything so bold, in the face of certain pacifism/opposition/isolationism at home? Not likely. The thought of the Chinese peeing their collective britches over 12 Fleets saying "hello" or of using one teensey little fleet against Chavez/Little Castro/Morales is simply too nice to contemplate in any serious way. I repeat: tease.

John Hyre

Could it simply be an early UNITAS operation? It seems to me it's normally in July but ...

UNITASThe annual UNITAS deployment is a primary means of supporting regional stability in the Western Hemisphere. Five months each year, regular and reserve ...
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/unitas.htm

Pres. Correa of Ecuador is not renewing the lease which expires in 2009 on the base that the US Navy uses at Manta, Ecuador. So, I would imagine that the brass hats at the Pantagon realize they need a new base in SA, since that was the only one they had. Who is going to give the US war machine a base in SA? One guess.....?

Look what you have to look forward too in Valpo/Vina - lots more student protests - with a US angle involved will get ratcheted up a couple notches on the violence and rhetoric.

As far as Chavez is concerned I think he isnt afraid of BushCo. He knows it would be a PR as well as a possible military disaster for Bush, (not that that would stop Bush) Hugo is more worried about his own people in the military and government taking him out.

For what it is worth the US military walked away from its huge Puerto Rican Navy base at Roosevelt Roades after the protests to end the bombing practice in Vieques (BTW Chile was here a few times during my time here participating in war games)The only base left in the Carribean is at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. The navys position was that modern warfare did not require scattered foreign bases as it did in the past. They did not even consider it particularly important for the "war on drugs"

unitas has taken place as early as late March to july....the fleet comes down many times they do maniobras with only the CHilean navy before and after the maniobras with everyone else. The fourth fleet is up because of the general overuse/business of tasks groups everywhere else...they reactivate because its less hassle to reactivate with funding than to start a new fleet group. They have been planning this awhile and I think its standard. The only thing I could see out of it, is that OAS pres. Insulza(chileno) is said to be stepping down soon and so the US usually postures a little to remind the group where the power is. The biggest deal in VAlpo will be that the nenas from BA will be coming over to vist the boys from the fleet...


p out.


PS: The US has bases all over...still rented from the 40s and 50s...they just don't use them...I mean like 300 or 400 all over the world...(just the Navy)...they won't have a problem getting something reved up. I bet a quick search in Latin American Newspapers will pull something up...BTW, R/roads was planned from a long time ago and Vieques was closed because they had to keep cutting and decided after the protests that they would just close that...I also heard that the Puerto Rican Gov or Mayor there????...asked that it be re-opened and the Navy said No.



.

The protesters wanted the bombing stopped on Vieques, but were shocked when the Navy closed the base in Puerto Rico, taking 5000 civilian jobs with it. East end of PR still hasn't recovered and these islands no longer enjoy the preffered status they once did with the US. I,m not sure it (the closure)was planned, the Navy did not want to lose the Vieques range,they fought tooth and nail to keep it. But with the loss of the range ,R/R was just one more expendable base. Bill Clinton made the decision (to stop the bombing), and so clinched Hilarys Senate seat in NY where she walked away with the PR vote, (remember he owed her big time )

Clinton pardoning FALN terrorists was also meant to help get PR vote in NY. As far as base closures go, you see the same thing overseas repeatedly. Locals get all worked up over those Nasty Evil Americans.....but please keep your dollars here & pay for our defense as well. I've especially enjoyed drawdown in Germany, Vieques will have to take 2nd place to the home of Schadenfreude in that regard. I hope 4th does base in Valpo, or at least visit frequently, it would bring in lots of money locally, why not do that with a country that tends to actually be friendly with US? Plus, expat community (both ways) will grow when sailors & marines meet Huasitas, the poor buggers haven't a chance.....

John Hyre