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US military not given orders to prepare for war in Venezuela

, May 01, 2019, Stabroek News, https://www.stabroeknews.com/2...or-war-in-venezuela/

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – The Pentagon today  appeared to downplay any active planning to directly intervene in Venezuela to topple President Nicolas Maduro, telling Congress it had not been given orders to prepare for war and stressing support for diplomacy.

Asked whether the U.S. military had been given instructions to ready itself for a military conflict, perhaps by prepositioning troops, Kathryn Wheelbarger, the acting assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs, said: “We, of course, always review available options and plan for contingencies.

“But in this case we have not been given (the) sort of orders that you’re discussing, no,” Wheelbarger told the House Armed Services Committee.

https://www.stabroeknews.com/images/2019/05/pompeo5.jpgMike Pompeo

U.S. Navy Admiral Craig Faller, commander of U.S. Southern Command, which oversees U.S. forces in Latin America, said past planning included preparing for potential non-combatant evacuations and helping deliver U.S. humanitarian aid but stressed that his top focus in the region was building partnerships

When asked if he saw a role for the U.S. military in actually overthrowing Maduro’s government, Faller said: “Our leadership’s been clear: It has to be, should be, primarily a democratic transition.

“We are in total support of the diplomacy and we stand ready to support that effort.”

The remarks came hours after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States was prepared to take military action to stem the turmoil in Venezuela.

“Military action is possible. If that’s what’s required, that’s what the United States will do,” Pompeo said on Fox Business Network, even as he reiterated that the United States would prefer a peaceful transition of power.

The Trump administration has consistently stressed that U.S. military options could be considered and none of the U.S. defense officials ruled out such a possibility.

Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan canceled a planned trip to today, in part to help coordinate with the White House National Security Council and State Department on Venezuela, the Pentagon said.

The announcement came as the National Security Council scheduled a meeting for this afternoon to discuss next steps on the political turmoil in Venezuela.

The top uniformed U.S. military officer, Marine General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the U.S. military was focused on gathering intelligence on the situation in Venezuela and be prepared to respond if Trump requested greater action.

“The situation is a little bit unclear today from our perspective between Maduro and Guaido,” Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford said during a Congressional hearing, referring to Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido.

“We are doing what we can now to collect intelligence and make sure we have good visibility on what is happening down in Venezuela and also be prepared to support the President should he require more from the U.S. military,” Dunford said.

He did not provide details on what more the U.S. military could do.

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Trump and senior foreign policy figures in his administration all weighed in during the day, casting the effort headed by opposition leaders Juan Guaido and Leopoldo Lopez as a move to restore democracy, not an attempted coup like the short-lived effort to oust then-President Hugo Chavez in 2002 that seemed to have U.S. support.

“We are with you!” Vice President Mike Pence tweeted to the opposition. Pence, who has had a lead role in the administration’s effort to persuade Maduro to give up power, told the opposition group, “America will stand with you until freedom & democracy are restored.”

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido took to the streets with a small contingent of heavily armed troops on Tuesday in a bold and risky attempt to lead a military uprising and oust socialist leader Nicolas Maduro. [April 30)
 
 
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Likewise Trump himself tweeted that he was monitoring the situation and “the United States stands with the people of Venezuela and their Freedom!”

FM

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