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November 13, 2007 Alexander
Cockburn
November 12, 2007 Vicente
Navarro Ben
Brown Omar
K. Sadia
Abbas Farzana
Versey Richard
W. Behan Paul
Krassner Cindy
Sheehan Peter
Stone Brown Dave
Lindorff Website
of the Day
November 10 / 11, 2007 Alain
Gresh Mike
Whitney Ron
Jacobs Jeffrey
St. Clair Alan
Farago Binoy
Kampmark Robert
Fantina Fred
Gardner Ayesha
Ijaz Khan Nicola
Nasser Philip
Rizk Michael
Dickinson Joel
S. Hirschhorn Paul
Krassner Wadner
Pierre /
November 9, 2007 Patrick
Cockburn Mohammed
Hanif John
Ross Mike
Whitney Tom
Barry Corporate
Crime Reporter Badruddin
Khan David
Macaray Martha
Rosenberg Website
of the Day
November 8, 2007 Kathleen
& Bill Christison William
Loren Katz Mike
Whitney Sheldon
Richman Liaquat
Ali Khan Marc
Gardner Jackie
Corr Brenda
Norrell Dave
Lindorff China
Hand Sen.
Russ Feingold Website
of the Day
November 7, 2007 Paul
Craig Roberts Russell
Mokhiber Vijay
Prashad Niranjan
Ramakrishnan Alan
Farago David
Macaray Nikolas
Kozloff Charlotte
Laws Daniel
White William
Cook Website
of the Day
November 6, 2007 Mike
Whitney Ralph
Nader Andy
Worthington Pam
Martens Liaquat
Ali Khan William
Schroder Stephen
Lendman William
Blum Former
US Intelligence Officers
November 5, 2007 Alexander
Cockburn Russell
Mokhiber David
Macaray Gary
Leupp Dave
Lindorff Ludwig
Watzal Patrick
Cockburn Peter
Stone Brown Michael
Simmons Website
of the Day
November 3 / 4, 2007 Tariq
Ali David
Price Jeffrey
St. Clair Alan
Farago Paul
Krassner Rannie
Amiri P.
Sainath Ayesha
Ijaza Khan Robert
Fantina Seth
Sandronsky Ron
Jacobs Ramzy
Baroud Heather
Gray
November 2, 2007 Dr.
Mary Pipher Saul
Landau Andy
Worthington Sharon
Smith Gary
Leupp Gregory
Harms Christopher
Brauchli Peter
Morici Dave
Lindorff David
Penner Website
of the Day
November 1, 2007 Paul
Craig Roberts Patrick
Cockburn Dave
Lindorff Jonathan
Feldman Mike
Ferner William
S. Lind Diana
Johnstone Jacob
Hornberger A..K.
Gupta Lyuba
Zarsky / Felice
Pace Website
of the Day
October 31, 2007 Bill
Quigley Rev.
William E. Alberts Ray
McGovern Eric
Walberg V.
G. Smith Luis
J. Rodriguez Sheldon
Richman Walter
Brasch Website
of the Day
David
Price M.
Shahid Alam Andy
Worthington Patrick
Cockburn Anthony
Papa Floyd
Rudmin Sherwood
Ross Website
of the Day
October 29, 2007 Lisa
Hajjar Joe
DeRaymond Patrick
Cockburn Isabella
Kenfield / Fred
Gardner Farzana
Versey Stephen
Fleischman Marcelle
Cendrars Eamonn
McCann Martha
Rosenberg Website
of the Day
October 27 / 28, 2007 Alexander
Cockburn Jeffrey
St. Clair James
Bovard Ralph
Nader M.
Reza Pirbhai Robert
Sandels Jacob
G. Hornberger Missy
Beattie John
Ross Robert
Fantina Ron
Jacobs Ali
Moayedian David
Michael Green Poets
Basement Website
of the Day
October 26, 2007 Brian
Cloughley Saul
Landau Ahmad
Al-Akras Franklin
Lamb Mike
Whitney Dave
Lindorff Alan
Farago Yifat
Susskind Website
of the Day
Jeffrey
St. Clair / Manuel
Garcia, Jr. Paul
Craig Roberts Col.
Dan Smith Alan
Farago Chris
Kutalik Brian
McKinlay Cindy
Sheehan Website
of the Day
October 24, 2007 Natalie
Washington-Weik Andy
Worthington Michael
Birmingham Corporate
Crime Reporter Tariq
Ali Farzana
Versey Dave
Zirin James
Murren Todd
Chretien Martha
Rosenberg Website
of the Day
October 23, 2007 Ralph
Nader Lawrence
R. Velvel Vijay
Prashad Bonnie
Bricker / Dave
Lindorff Mike
Whitney Farzana
Versey Stanley
Heller / Marcelle
Cendrars Regan
Boychuk Website
of the Day
October 22, 2007 Ishmael
Reed Marjorie
Cohn Rannie
Amiri Diane
Farsetta Todd
Alan Price Robert
Jensen Stephen
Lendman Jemima
Khan Sunsara
Taylor Binoy
Kampmark Website
of the Day
October 20 / 21, 2007 Alexander
Cockburn Tariq
Ali Jeffrey
St. Clair Andy
Worthington Mike
Whitney Daniel
Wolff David
Rosen Saul
Landau Ron
Jacobs Robert
Fantina David
Heleniak Joe
Allen Prairie
Miller Poets'
Basement Website
of the Weekend
October 19, 2007 John
Ross Sheldon
Rampton Rahul
Mahajan Devra
Davis Christopher
Brauchli Wadner
Pierre Bill
Quigley Website
of the Day
October 18, 2007 Saree
Makdisi Meg
Dwyer Alevtina
Rea Norman
Solomon Kristoffer
Larsson Harvey
Wasserman Website
of the Day
October 17, 2007 Steve
Niva Andy
Worthington Alan
Farago Russell
Mokhiber Sharon
Smith Mike
Whitney Robert
Fantina Chris
Irwin Website
of the Day October 16, 2007 Peter
Linebaugh Paul
Findley Robert
Bryce Uri
Avnery Paul
Craig Roberts Ray
McGovern Norman
Solomon Martha
Rosenberg William
S. Lind Joel
S. Hirschborn Website
of the Day
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November 13, 2007 Playing the Nationalist CardChavez Blasts the Spanish KingBy NIKOLAS KOZLOFF It's been almost two hundred years since
Venezuela first declared its independence from Spain, but over
the past few days Hugo Chávez stoked Venezuelan nationalism
again by attacking King Juan Carlos of Spain. The spat, which
could damage diplomatic relations between the two nations, began
over the weekend during a hemispheric summit held in Santiago,
Chile, during which Chávez called ex-Spanish Prime Minister
José María Aznar a "fascist." In one
of his typical rhetorical flourishes, Chávez added, "fascists
are not human. A snake is more human." Finally, Juan Carlos leaned
forward and said, "Why don't you shut up?" According
to reports, in addressing Chávez Juan Carlos did not use
the formal mode of address in Spanish known as usted but
rather the familiar form or tú, which is generally
reserved for close acquaintances or children, not a head of state. "Mr King, did you know about the coup d'etat against Venezuela, against the democratic, legitimate government of Venezuela in 2002?" he asked. "It's very hard to imagine the Spanish ambassador would have been at the presidential palace supporting the coup plotters without authorisation from his majesty," he insinuated. The Spanish paper El Mundo quoted Chávez as saying that the king had "got very mad, like a bull. But I'm a great bullfighter - olé!" The Venezuelan firebrand added, "I think it's imprudent for a king to shout at a president to shut up. Mr King, we are not going to shut up." Though Chávez enjoys warm ties to the socialist Zapatero, the Venezuelan leader has long lambasted the previous Spanish regime. During Bush's first term the United States enjoyed a willing foreign partner in Spain. José María Aznar, who had reorganized Spanish conservatives into the People's Party (Partido Popular or PP) had been Prime Minister of Spain since 1996. Though Chávez exaggerated in calling Aznar a fascist, the Spanish politician's family certainly had clear fascist ties. Aznar's grandfather, in fact, served as Franco's ambassador to Morocco and the United Nations and his father was a pro-Franco journalist. In 2002, Aznar was Washington's
willing ally in opposing Chávez. Prior to the April 12
coup, Venezuelan businessman Carmona visited high level government
officials in Madrid as well as prominent Spanish businessmen.
Though it's unclear whether Juan Carlos gave his blessing as
Chávez suggested, once the coup had been carried out Carmona
called Aznar and met with the Spanish ambassador in Caracas,
Manuel Viturro de la Torre. The Spanish ambassador was accompanied
at the meeting by the U.S. Ambassador, Charles Shapiro. As Chávez
languished in a military barracks during the coup, PP parliamentary
spokesman Gustavo de Arístegui wrote an article in the
Spanish newspaper El Mundo supporting the coup. According
to anonymous diplomatic sources who spoke with Inter Press Service,
the Spanish foreign ministry holds documents which reveal the
Spanish role. The documents reportedly prove that de la Torre
had written instructions from the Aznar government to recognize
Carmona as the new president of Venezuela. The diplomatic tit-for-tat
continued after the coup. After defeating the coup attempt, Chávez
detained the president of Fedecámaras, Carlos Fernández,
who was accused of helping to foment a lock out which reduced
oil output in 2002-03. Fernández was charged with inciting
unrest and sedition. In February 2003 Ana Palacio, the Spanish
Minister of External Affairs, criticized the detention. During
his Sunday radio and TV show, Chávez angrily shot back
that Spain should not interfere in Venezuela's internal affairs.
"We must respect each other," said Chávez. "Don't
get involved in our things and we won't involve ourselves in
your things. Is it necessary to remember that the Spanish ambassador
was here applauding the April coup?" Chávez added,
"Aznar, please, each one in his own place." Miguel Angel Moratinos, the
Spanish Foreign Minister, has accused the previous PP administration
of supporting the failed coup d'etat against Chávez in
April 2002. Speaking on the Spanish TV program 59 Segundos,
Moratinos remarked that Aznar's policy in Venezuela "was
something unheard of in Spanish diplomacy, the Spanish ambassador
received instructions to support the coup." Before the cameras
Moratinos declared, "That won't happen in the future, because
we respect the popular will." Adding fuel to the fire Chávez
remarked "I have no doubt that it [the Spanish involvement]
happened. It was a very serious error on the part of the former
government." Chávez declared that Venezuela had no
problem with the PP nor with Spain, and that for a brief moment
the two countries enjoyed good relations. But later Aznar's political
as well as personal views changed. "With Aznar," Chávez
stated memorably, "there was neither chemistry, nor physics,
nor math." For the past eight years, Chávez has sought to build up the cult of Simón Bolívar, a Venezuelan who liberated the country from Spanish rule. Books on Bolívar are selling like hotcakes in Caracas, hardly surprising in light of the political importance which Chávez has attached to Bolívar in his public speeches. By attacking Juan Carlos, Chávez may cast himself as a true Venezuelan patriot fighting against the domineering attitude of the old Spanish Empire. It's a move that plays well to the Chavista base and Venezuelans' sense of national pride. Nikolas Kozloff is the author of Hugo
Chavez: Oil, Politics, and the Challenge to the U.S. His
new book, Revolution! South America and the Rise of the New
Left will be released in April, 2008 with Palgrave-Macmillan. Contains the Explosive Investigation That Rocked the Pentagon! General Petraeus's Counterinsurgency Manual Anthropologist DAVID PRICE exposes how the fabled Counterinsurgency Manual contains a chapter filled with "borrowed" quotations. Price reveals the crucial role in the debacle played by anthropologist Montgomery McFate. The University of Chicago Press is badly compromised. And much more. Get your copy today by subscribing online or calling 1-800-840-3683 Remember contributions to CounterPunch are tax-deductible. Click here to make a donation. If you find our site useful please: Subscribe Now ![]()
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