Tanks are Rolling. Troops are Marching.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by DanS
We've got plenty of air and sea assets. Those aren't stretched thin.

Fair enough. Though, as we saw in the Kosovo War, they can't change facts on the ground. It was only Russia's threat to withdraw support from Serbia that led to Serbia finally agee to accept NATO occupation of Kosovo. The U.S. can certainly bomb Venezuela, but I doubt that would save Colombia. It would probably also cause unrest in the U.S.

[Riesstiu IV]

Most of Venezuela's F-16 fleet is out of service and in need of spare parts because of the US embargo. I think they bought some Sukhoi Su-30s from Russia but I'm not sure if they've received any yet.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Riesstiu IV
Most of Venezuela's F-16 fleet is out of service and in need of spare parts because of the US embargo. I think they bought some Sukhoi Su-30s from Russia but I'm not sure if they've received any yet.

From my post

# 21 Lockheed F-16 Fighting Falcon, (10 of them operational)
# 24 Sukhoi Su-30MKV Flanker-C (similar with MK2 variant) - 14 commissioned

[chequita guevara]

IIRC, Venezuela has a military alliance with Cuba. Cuba might be able to recover G'itmo if we attack Venezuela.

[Patroklos]

Fair enough. Though, as we saw in the Kosovo War, they can't change facts on the ground. It was only Russia's threat to withdraw support from Serbia that led to Serbia finally agee to accept NATO occupation of Kosovo. The U.S. can certainly bomb Venezuela, but I doubt that would save Colombia. It would probably also cause unrest in the U.S.

Venezuela is not in Colombia, and it would be a trivial task for the USAF/USN to keep them from getting there with Colombia standing on the border.

Cuba might be able to recover G'itmo if we attack Venezuela.

I am quite confident the Marines there alone could defend the base from the entire Cuba military. And considering there are 1000+ US airframes within non-tanker suported strike range even you have to accept that.

[LordShiva]

Why would teh Colombian military attack G'itmo?

[Patroklos]

I have no idea what you are talking about

I also find it hilarious that Che thinks that any of the drama on the Colombia/Venezuela border was started by Colombia

[Zkribbler]

Well...it was started with an incursion by Colombia into the territory of one of its neighbors. It's understandable why another neighbor might get a little jumpy.

[Patroklos]

Well...it was started with an incursion by Colombia into the territory of one of its neighbors. It's understandable why another neighbor might get a little jumpy.

No, since there are a thousand other things about the situation known other than "Colombia attacked one of its neighbors," which of course is not correct. They attacked a third party not sponsored by Equador (according to them) within the borders of one of its neighbors. Honestly, the more you look at it the more ridiculous Chavez appears.

[Zkribbler]

"Colombia attacked one of its neighbors,"

Gadzooks! I've been misquoted!

[Patroklos]

Indeed, but I will leave it unedited to address the Che's of the world.

[Ecthy]

Originally posted by Kidicious


If Columbia can't control it's own population why should they have the right to invade their neighbors?

If their neighbours support rebels why shouldn't they wipe them all out in one go?

[chequita guevara]

In Colombia nearly four million people have been displaced, mostly by paramilitary groups. These groups, either alone or in conjunction with members of the military, have disappeared at least 15,000 Colombians and have buried more than 3.000 in mass graves or had their bodies thrown into rivers; killing more than 1,700 indigenous people, 2,550 unionists , and nearly 5,000 members of the Unión Patriótica (Patriotic Union, Colombian politician party).

Commonly, they tortured their victims before killing them. Between 1982 and 2005, more than 3,500 paramilitaries perpetrated massacres, and stole more than six million hectares of land. Since 2002, after its "demobilization", they have killed 600 people every year. They came to control 35% of Parliament (in it’s own words). From 2002 until today, members of the Colombian army have committed more than 950 executions, most presented as "positive".

Only in January 2008, the paramilitaries did two massacres. 9 enforced disappearing people, 8 homicides, and the Army has committed 16 extrajudicial executions. In Colombia, paramilitary and state agents violated human rights and humanitarian law. Many paramilitary groups have not been demobilized. Now call themselves “Black Eagles”.

Many “parapoliticians” (politicians that have some kind of relation: economical, ideological, political or logistical with these groups) are in public office and are even diplomats.

[David Floyd]

My understanding is that Colombia has about 250,000 regulars and around 70,000 reservists, whereas Venezuela has about 175,000 regulars and about the same number of reservists.

Venezuela would have an edge in the air, as well as in armor, but Colombia's military has greater combat experience. It would primarily be an infantry war, so Venezuela's advantage in armor would probably be largely negated.

As for Cuba jumping in against the US, if the US backed Colombia, come on. Yes, they could PROBABLY overrun Gitmo, but they would have no hope of having an ultimately successful war. No, Cuba would stay out.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Patroklos
No, since there are a thousand other things about the situation known other than "Colombia attacked one of its neighbors," which of course is not correct. They attacked a third party not sponsored by Equador (according to them) within the borders of one of its neighbors. Honestly, the more you look at it the more ridiculous Chavez appears.

Yes, they attacked a party of FARC that was negotiating with Ecuador to release some Colombian hostages. They were not engaged in using the Ecuadoran border as a base from which to attack Colombia.