U.S. intelligence office on Cuba, Venezuela reported dwindling

[rodeodance]

no money??
http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/news/nation/17236074.htm

Posted on Wed, May. 16, 2007

CUBA-U.S. RELATIONS
U.S. intelligence office on Cuba, Venezuela reported dwindling
By Pablo Bachelet
McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON - A Pentagon request for more military-to-military contacts with Cuba has been denied, and a special intelligence office that monitors Cuba and Venezuela has "practically disappeared" because of staff and budget cuts, the former head of the office said Wednesday.

Norman Bailey, who until March was the mission manager for Cuba and Venezuela at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, said the State Department recently blocked Pentagon requests for its overseas military attaches to contact their Cuban counterparts, presumably to try to gather information about events in Havana.

John Negroponte, then the national intelligence director, established the Venezuela and Cuba mission manager post last year. He acted on President Bush's instructions amid concerns over Venezuela's socialist President Hugo Chavez's potential threat to U.S. interests and the consequences of Fidel Castro's undisclosed intestinal illness.

After three months on the job, Bailey, an economic consultant and Cold War expert, was fired by Mike McConnell, who replaced Negroponte in the job of coordinating the work of 16 government intelligence agencies and programs.

[wakeme2008]

1. LOL I think it is funny

the Cuban, Venezuela spies are not getting much $$ just jaw boning from *

[Norquist Nemesis]

2. But, it's so much more fun to just make stuff up

or pay informers like Curveball.

[havocmom]

3. Hmm, likely bush land purchase in South America, lots of 42 era black ops

the Twins doin' a lot of tourin' in Central America, including losing a cell phone with who knows what on it....

What is bushco up to in Latin America that they don't want any good-guy spooks findin' out about?

[peacetalksforall]

4. I don't get it. THis guy, Bailey, appointed in January and fired in March

blocked a Pentagon request to add people to watch Cuba. Assuming Bailey blocked the request before he was fired, it could be said he was fired for blocking the request. No? So why does this article say they are and are not reducing the division that deals with Cuba and Venezuela?

Then, later they say that U.S. Coast Guard people talk with their counterparts in foreign missions?

U.S. Coast Guard people are assigned to the State Dept to what? negotiate? collect? gossip? They have what authority to deal with the arch enemy of the United States of America - our grand enemy -the little island country of Cuba?

This article is so full of contradiction and I also think it's a fine example of dis-reality being perpetrated by someone on someone, but who knows who. Personally, I would expect an attack on Cuba, Venezuela, or both to be imminent.