And now for a short...Political Interlude

By now I’m sure you are all sufficiently outraged over the remarks Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez made during his speech at the United Nations. Regretful, but typical of the US media, they reported only the sensationalistic minuscule part of his speech that poked fun at our elected supreme Decider and omitted the heart of the speech, which was deeply critical of the Bush Administration; not the American people but their elected government, there is a difference you know.

I tried to think of a way to make this bitter pill easier to swallow but I just can’t think of any way to sugar-coat any type of terrorism, even if it is American. Yes, we have been in the terror business for many years now. Two current incidents are at the root of my comments today.

First, as Chavez reminded the world in his speech, this is the 30 year anniversary of the bombing assassination in New York City of the pro-democracy Chilean diplomat Orlando Letelier by the CIA and the Pinochet government (the terrorist bomber now lives free in Miami).

Second, Luis Posada Carrilles is poised to be released from detention in El Paso. Sure you remember him; convicted in Venezuela for one of the worst cases of terrorism in the western hemisphere (until 9/11). He blew up a Cuban commercial airliner in midair over Barbados. He killed 73 people, among others the Cuban fencing team and five Latin American students on their way to study medicine in Cuba. He was convicted and jailed in Venezuela (where the plan was hatched), freed by the CIA only to show up working for Oliver North running guns to the Contra in Nicaragua. I think he is scheduled to live in Miami also.

And we thought we were only the victims of terror? You should know by now the US can give as good as it takes and often just gives.