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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2009
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Venezuela Arming FARC Rebels: Stolen Emails

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(Newser) – Despite frequent denials by President Hugo Chavez, it seems Venezuela is still arming Colombian rebels on the sly, the New York Times reports. Computer files captured from FARC rebels reveal Venezuela's efforts to get them missiles, sniper rifles, radios, and Venezuelan identity cards. This after Chavez froze relations with Colombia last year, fuming over accusations that Venezuela was arming rebels with rocket launchers.

Venezuela's US ambassador shrugged off the evidence, saying, “Colombia’s government is trying to build a case in the media against our country that serves its own political agenda." The emails, obtained by a Colombian raid and handed to Western intelligence agencies, implicate high-ranking Venezuelan officials and may hurt Barack Obama’s efforts to mend ties with Chavez. The US and EU, after all, consider FARC a terrorist group.

Soldiers stand at a camp of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC, after troops faced off with rebels in Puerto Rico, Colombia, Saturday, July 25, 2009.
Soldiers stand at a camp of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC, after troops faced off with rebels in Puerto Rico, Colombia, Saturday, July 25, 2009.   (AP Photo/William Fernando Martinez)
Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez speaks after a signing ceremony with Spain's Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos at the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas, Wednesday, July 29, 2009.
Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez speaks after a signing ceremony with Spain's Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos at the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas, Wednesday, July 29, 2009.   (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
In this frame grab from a video found on a computer seized during the arrest of a FARC operative shows the rebel group's number two commander Jorge Briceno aka Mono Jojoy.
In this frame grab from a video found on a computer seized during the arrest of a FARC operative shows the rebel group's number two commander Jorge Briceno aka Mono Jojoy.   (AP Photo/APTN)
A demonstrator holds an image of former leader of the Colombian guerrilla group Revolutionary Armed Forces Manuel Marulanda, during a march marking the first anniversary of his death in Caracas.
A demonstrator holds an image of former leader of the Colombian guerrilla group Revolutionary Armed Forces Manuel Marulanda, during a march marking the first anniversary of his death in Caracas.   (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
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8 comments
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Citrixguy
Aug 2, 09 4:50 PM CDT
Quel surprise - And BHO want to be their best friends...and Quel surprise Reply
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-5
IN RESPONSE:
UrUndertaker
Aug 2, 09 4:55 PM CDT
I'm sorry, did I miss that part in the article or just another of your sad Right Wing tangents. Because Ronald Reagan built stronger ties with China he wanted the US to carry the "Little Red Book"??By your logic that is exactly what your spouting and even as often as you display your total ignorance to facts and spout off only to see your words in type you amuse me with the absurdity of your lack of reasoning
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+4
IN RESPONSE:
Sabrina
Aug 2, 09 5:01 PM CDT
HEre is something else you may attempt to consider, Cuba was locked down with Embargo after Embargo. We cut ties and would not allow any trade. The CIA attempted to kill Castro for over 30 years and failed.In the end Cuba still stands with it's original outlook and the only ones to have suffered are the very people we suposedly were attempting to help. Your way of handleing things failed long ago, much like your party continues to do with old outdated ideas. Think of something new, I doubt you are able much less capable.
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+4
IN RESPONSE:
Robert_Dada
Aug 2, 09 5:06 PM CDT
Opening dialogue is not the same as wishing for a best friend. It never ceases to amaze me how unenlightened conservatives are.
Vote up! Vote down!
+1
IN RESPONSE:
freethemall
Aug 2, 09 6:22 PM CDT
Your ignorant comment is a good object lesson for illustrating the straw man fallacy. To "attack a straw man" is to create the illusion of having refuted a proposition by substituting a superficially similar proposition (the "straw man"), and refuting it, without ever having actually refuted the original position. Obama wants to open a dialog (original proposition), not be best friends (straw man).
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