While the lion's share of the attention over the last two weeks has been drawn by the Obama Administration's political campaign against Israel on behalf of Arab-Islamic terrorists, there are worrying developments arising out of the Falkland Islands, which threaten a repeat of the original Falklands War.
The latest wrangling over the Falkland Islands erupted as oil resources near the islands have once again made them a tempting target for Argentina. Yet last month, the Obama Administration could have easily averted the growing crisis by staking out a position on the side of England, America's formerly closest ally. A country whose help is needed in Afghanistan, and whose government could have used a boost after being repeatedly undermined by Obama. Instead the Obama Administration staked out a neutral position, which in the context of geopolitics was a statement that Britain was on its own.
While Obama could have easily put a stop to the escalating crisis by stating clearly that the United States was prepared to back England, just as England had backed the United States in Afghanistan and Iraq-- his declaration of neutrality emboldened left wing Latin American leaders like Hugo Chavez to jump into the fight on Argentina's side. In her meeting with left wing Argentinian President Christina Kirchner, Hillary Clinton could have quietly pressed her to back down. Instead Clinton endorsed a call for talks in order to resolve the status of the Falkland Islands. Which actually moved the United States away from supporting neutrality, and toward supporting the Argentinian position.
The entire matter may seem like a tempest in a teapot to many Americans, but it's actually quite important for a number of reasons.
Christina Kirchner or "Queen Christina" is another one of Chavez's puppets. Two years ago Franklin Duran was convicted of serving as an illegal agent for Chavez's government as part of an attempt to silence Guido Alejandro Antonini Wilson, who had tried to relay a suitcase with 800,000 dollars from Chavez to Kirchner's election campaign. The entire incident was heavily tied to the oil industries in Venezuela, Argentina and Chavez's own oil ambitions.
If Chavez and Kirchner can take the Falklands from England, there is a great deal of oil and power in it for them. Under the waters around the Falkland Islands there may be as much as 60 billion barrels of oil. That's almost as three times as much as the oil reserves of the United States. It's more than Libya and Qatar have put together. And it is over 80 percent as large as Venezuela's own hefty oil reserves.
And both Chavez and Kirchner need it. Argentina's debt has risen under Kirchner, and Chavez's hook into Argentina depended on his offer to refinance Argentina's debt on favorable terms. Chavez got access to Argentina and the corrupt Kirchners got an economic savior. But Argentina's economy continues to head downhill and Chavez's influence building is proving to be expensive. Forcing England out of the Falklands would bring him one step closer to a vision of a Latin American OPEC under his control. But losing Kirchner would be a fatal blow to his tenuous Latin American coalition.
And Kirchner has become wildly unpopular in Argentina. And it will take a good deal more than a suitcase with 800,000 dollars to save her. A second successful Falklands war however might do the trick. It might also backfire badly. And while Chavez hates America, he isn't a fool. Which means that if the Obama Administration had sent a clear signal that it would back the UK, the entire affair would have evaporated in a puff of angry rhetoric and fitful lawfare. But that is now less likely to happen than ever. And Obama and Hillary Clinton are to blame for it.
Chavez warned England, "Be sure that the Argentine homeland is not alone, because it is also our homeland." The British government in turn has warned that it will do whatever is necessary to protect the Falklands and dispatched the HMS Spectre, a nuclear powered submarine to the region, in order to protect its shipping and interests, and avert any thoughts of a second surprise Argentine invasion. But while the idea of an Argentinian-Venezuelan war with England might seem a non-starter the second time around, this time Argentina will not only enjoy Latin-American backing, but Russian backing as well.
The Russians have turned Chavez into the new Castro, and Venezuela into the new Cuba, pouring money into it, and helping Chavez buy influence and radicalize the region. Chavez's plans originate from Moscow, much as Nasser's once did. And Venezuelan agents like Franklin Duran, actually began their careers in bed with the Russians. If war does come, the invasion forces will not be flying old Mirages the way they were in the original Falklands War, but they will have top of the line Russian equipment.
In light of this, the Obama Administration's failure to checkmate Putin, Kirchner and Chavez veer on the downright treasonous. Because a Second Falklands War would not only cost the lives of British soldiers, but the lives of American soldiers as well. Whether a Second Falklands War takes place or does not take place, the UK will be forced to divert military resources to coping with the threat. Which means there will be a further strain on the British military, and its ability to offer any assistance in Afghanistan, at a time when a crucial campaign to break the Taliban is underway.
The loss of British support will further undermine our ability to win in Afghanistan. It may well cost American lives. Yet when Hillary Clinton met with Christina Kirchner, she didn't yell at her or berate her, as she did Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. Instead she backed her call for negotiations and agreed to have the United States serve as an intermediary. Which was as good as selling England down the river. England naturally rejected the call for meditation, but the damage had already been done.
The Obama Administration has made it clear that despite the presence of thousands of Britons on the islands, they consider the status of the islands open to negotiation. The fact that the Chavez axis is fundamentally hostile to America and American interests and represents a Russian wedge in the hemisphere, means that the Obama Administration once again has sold out an ally at the expense of an enemy.
The Kirchner government celebrated Hillary Clinton's agreement to its proposal for negotiations. As it should. And to understand how grave Obama's betrayal of Britain was, just read their statements.Héctor Timerman, the Argentine Ambassador to the US, said he had never seen “such substantial support” from Washington for his country’s claim. Mrs Clinton had not only offered to mediate but had also signalled that talks should be in line with existing UN resolutions, he insisted, referring to non-binding UN General Assembly resolutions from the 1970s that urge both sides to negotiate.
Ruperto Godoy, the official Argentine government spokesman on the islands, said the new pressure from Mrs Clinton was “very significant, very important” and would help Buenos Aires to force Britain to the negotiating table.
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