U.S., Cuba quietly hold joint exercise at Guantanamo

[Judi Lynn]

Source: National Post

U.S., Cuba quietly hold joint exercise at Guantanamo
Steven Edwards, Canwest News Service
Published: Monday, July 20, 2009

U.S. NAVAL BASE GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba -- The U.S. military quietly conducted a joint exercise last week with the Cuban army on either side of the perimeter of the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay in southeastern Cuba.

About 150 U.S. and Cuban uniformed and civilian personnel took part in the drill, which saw Cuban military helicopters cross to the American side of the fence, and American and Cuban medics establish a triage centre on Cuban territory.

U.S. military officials said nothing about the exercise ahead of -- or during -- the event last Thursday, despite the presence elsewhere on the 116-square-kilometre base of 28 journalists from global media outlets to cover the scheduled appearances of terror suspects in the military tribunals.

News the exercise took place is likely to enrage Cuban exiles and their supporters, some of whom include prominent Republican members of Congress.


Read more: http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=1808415

[MADem]

1. I'll bet Hugo ain't too happy about it, either.

Castro's playing with that OTHER kid! Waaah!

[Judi Lynn]

2. Interesting. That never occured to me. Do you REALLY imagine he has so little to do

he has nothing more to do but nurse infantile jealousies?

Sounds like projection, clearly. It wouldn't hurt you to raise your sights a bit.

[MADem]

6. This is the first time the event has gotten news coverage--that's a signal.

It wasn't just Pravda and Isvestia that pulled that shit. We do it too.

If I were Hugo, I'd be scared shitless of Obama. If Cuba suddenly has options, and isn't relying on VZ for a big chunk of their GDP in the form of oil, then Hugo might have to offer a little more for all that cheap-almost-free medical care he gets from indentured Cuban doctors.

It's not "infantile jealousies." Look at the big picture. It's money and power.

The one who should be raising their sights isn't me....but you have one of those snarky, superior, didactic nice days.

[Billy Burnett]

9. Silly. The bond between Cubans and Venezuelans is historic and permanent.

Anyone who's spent any amount of time in either country would be aware of this (maybe not agree w/the alliance, but aware of it).

The world should be scared shitless of the potential of ANY US president (and/or the admin). Cubans and Venezuelans know this, so no need to worry about their alliance.

[MADem]

10. Sure, sure.

:rofl:

You have a nice day, now!

[Billy Burnett]

16. OK.

Thanks for your concern.

[Vidar]

15. That says something about you & nothing about Chavez.

[MADem]

18. No, it doesn't. NT

[Judi Lynn]

4. If you had read the article you would have learned they've been doing this since 1999.

That means long before Fidel Castro was sick, and during the same year Hugo Chavez was inaugurated. Since he has been close to Cuba all that time there's no way he wouldn't already know about it.

[timeforpeace]

5. During Bush's terms as well?

[Judi Lynn]

7. That's the impression left by the article. It says they've done it for 10 years.

It would have had _Bush's Miami reactionary Cuban base chewing the curtains had they known about that!

He, his brother, his father have all been deeply connected to the most violent elements of this terrorist Cuban mafia, the very worst, including mass murderer/airline bomber Orlando Bosch, whom the elder _Bush pardoned, overriding a judgement by Joe D. Whitley, Acting Asst. Attorney General to keep Bosch OUT of this country when 33 other countries refused to admit him, also.

Various "exiles" have worked in the C.I.A., and as assassins with Operation Condor, conducted endless terroristic raids to Cuba, going ashore and killing people, shooting at them from the water, etc., etc., etc., as well as killing Cuban diplomats here and in other countries. _Bushses are thick as thieves with these murderers. You may recall Richard M. Nixon also relied upon their services in the Watergate burglary.

It won't go over well with them when they figure this out.

From the article:

One military spokesperson said they weren't planning on talking about the drill. Later, another provided information from a prepared account, saying the exercises had been underway annually for a decade at the base.

[wroberts189]

17. Chavez has stated many times he wants better relations with the US.

We just restored our diplomatic relations with him as well.

I would think this would be good news to him.

Peace is good business.

[MADem]

19. He's back to his usual exhortative language, though. Nothing has really changed.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jGejoiQhn_CE03ghdjPbhuMQFglQD99IF45G0

[ensho]

3. good news - could help out after hurricanes too

nt

[Judi Lynn]

8. They've really gotten their system worked out to near perfection.

They could definitely give other countries pointers on getting people safe and out of danger during hurricanes.

[Demeter]

11. Exercise in what? Prison Breakout?

Too cynical, even for a Monday morning....

[RaleighNCDUer]

12. I like the sound of that - a joint exercise.

If OUR military would just sit down and pass a doobie with THEIR military, everything would be a lot mellower.

[Judi Lynn]

13. Factoid I first saw several years ago: Cuba spends less in 1 yr. than we spend in 12 hours

on national defense.

There's quite a difference between the two defense systems.

[truthisfreedom]

14. We've likely been doing this for years.

*shrug* Everybody needs medical support.