More Evidence of Chavez Terror Ties
It's received relatively little attention, but even more information is emerging from FARC leader Paul Reyes's computers, which were recovered by the Colombian government after his death. And the evidence suggests that Chavez was working hard to upgrade FARC's weaponry and reach:
The documents--more than a dozen internal rebel messages--detail several years of close cooperation between top officials in Venezuela's government and military and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, including the construction of rebel training facilities on Venezuelan soil.
They also suggest Venezuela was preparing to loan the rebels at least US$250 million (euro190 million), provide them with Russian weapons and possibly even help them obtain surface-to-air missiles for use against Colombian military aircraft.
Most importantly, they outline a joint strategic project between Venezuela and the Colombian rebels, with Venezuela even seeking rebel training in "asymmetrical warfare" in preparation for a feared U.S. invasion.
The authenticity of the documents is challenged by Venezuela and FARC (but you could have guessed that without reading the article). Interpol will soon render its opinion on whether they are legitimate, but one government has already conducted a raid on a FARC facility identified in the documents--further bolstering their veracity (more on that at the Wall Street Journal). If the U.S. concludes they're legitimate, there will be serious pressure to name Venezuela a state sponsor of terror and cut off all trade with one of this nation's largest oil suppliers.
Beyond that, Democrats will have to answer for coddling this dictator. Joe Kennedy runs around extolling Chavez's virtues, Jimmy Carter disregards evidence that Chavez stole his 2004 victory, liberal actors kowtow to him for money, and Speaker Pelosi delivers on his top priority: defeat of the Colombia Free Trade Agreement. And all this occurs while FARC--with Chavez's help--is expanding its terrorist operations into Switzerland, Germany, and 15 other nations.
The Chavez cloud is starting to look like a gathering storm--one that could arrive before the November elections. When will Democrats confront the danger that Chavez poses?