U.S. Native Americans Lead Opposition to Designation of Venezuela as Terrorist Nation

[Joanne98]

April 10th 2008, by Gale Courey Toensing - Indian Country Today
INDIAN ISLAND, Maine - Members of the Penobscot Indian Nation are spearheading opposition to a congressional resolution that would designate Venezuela as a state sponsor of terrorism.

James Sappier, former Penobscot Indian Nation chief, and Erlene Paul, the head of Penobscot's Human Services Department, said House Resolution 1049 threatens not only a program in which the South American country has provided free heating oil to hundreds of American Indian and low-income communities for the past three winters, but would also jeopardize the good relationships tribal members have developed with Venezuelans and could impact oil imports for the entire U.S.

Sappier said he has alerted the tribes involved to contact their congressional representatives to vote against the resolution.

''It's the least we can do. Why would Congress do this? The program has provided a donation to the U.S. low-income and poor people of almost a billion dollars over the years when domestic oil companies did nothing.

''We're worried sick that we're going to lose the program because of this kind of frivolous attitude of some congressmen. But it wouldn't be just the tribes that would be affected; it would be everyone. If you think your oil prices are high now, imagine what they'd be if we stopped getting oil from Venezuela - that's 14 to 16 percent of our imports,'' Sappier said.

Venezuela provides the U.S. with about 1.4 million barrels of crude oil per day.

The resolution was introduced March 13 by Florida Republican Reps. Connie Mack and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. It asks the State Department to place Venezuela on a list of countries that provide support to terrorist organizations, a designation that would impose a number of sanctions on Venezuela and U.S. companies and individuals that do business there. Other countries on the list are North Korea, Iran, Syria, Cuba and Sudan.

Seven other Republicans representing Southern states co-sponsored the resolution.
http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/3341

[MethuenProgressive]

1. kick & rec

[Judi Lynn]

2. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen has spent her entire career fighting everything which would lead to improving

relations with Cuba, since her family came here right after the Cuban revolution, as she admits, thinking they would stay in Florida until the U.S. government overthrew the new revolutionary government and they would go right back there to the nation which removed them from power in the first place.

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen's first campaign manager was _{Jeb Bush,} and she ran on her promise to get freedom and a pardon for Cuban "exile" terrorist/bomber/mass murderer, Orlando Bosch, who co-authored the bombing of the Cubana airliner in history's first in-flight airliner bombing, slaughtering 73 people, including children.

Ileana's efforts were successful, as _{George H. W. Bush} gave an administrative pardon, overturning the judgement to keep Bosch out of the country by Acting Assistant Attorney General, Joe D. Whitley. In Miami, the City Commissioners even named a day of the year, and a street after this monster. He lives in Miami freely today, along with fellow bomber/mass murderer, Luis Posada Carriles.

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and her fellow Cuban "exile" Congressmen have dominated U.S. foreign policy on Cuba for years. Since February, 1999, when Hugo Chavez was inaugurated, they've also fought to get some form of aggression launched against Hugo Chavez since he successfully represents the Latin American left.

It's great to see this group of American citizens, the Penobscot Indian Nation, will be formally making a stand against this right-wing maliciousness. They are keenly aware that their leaders, and some Democratic Congressmen approached Venezuela directly for discounted rates for winter fuel ONLY AFTER U.S. OIL COMPANIES REFUSED TO HELP when they were asked to help American citizens who could not make it through the winter with the horrendous prices the companies were asking. These leaders were strictly blown off, rejected, denied by companies right here in the States FIRST.

Venezuela blazed a trail through the wilderness of indifference. Venezuela helped people who were struggling during the winters. This is the third or fourth year they've been responsive, and accomodating, and gracious in the process. There's every reason in the world to approve this arrangement, and no reason whatsoever to try to jeopardize it.

Screw the right wing infantile tyrants who have high jacked American policy. I pray their time at the controls in U.S. policy in Latin America is drawing to a close. They could never have been more out of line. (Their driving forces, like Jesse Helms, and Tom DeLay are falling by the wayside. Looking forward to the day they are ALL gone.)

[seafan]

4. Well said, Judi Lynn. Their time in power is coming to an end.

By the way, I am hearing that it's shaping up into quite a race between Joe Garcia and Mario Diaz-Balart in November.

If we can unseat The Terrible Trio, it will be a grand day, indeed.



But Miss Debbie won't lift a finger to help. We don't need her, either.

[Judi Lynn]

7. It's a sad day when a Florida Democratic Congresswoman won't support fellow Democrats

attempting to run against Republican Cuban-American radical, destructive, right-wing candidates. I saw her lame excuse somewhere that she feels too much loyalty to Mario Diaz-Balart due to the fact they both worked together in the Florida House, so we're supposed to give her a pass on supporting Florida Democrats who should run against these clowns.

That's probably one of the ugliest things I've ever seen in politics. The terrible three seems to have thrown a scare into everyone, wouldn't you say? I think Bill Nelson, as well as the former senator Bob Graham have been intimidated (probably afraid they'd find bombs in their cars) and I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever the guy from the Palm Beach area (can't remember his name) is also afraid of them, as well as Congressman Meeks.

It's keenly depressing to hear that from Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

Sure hope the former mayor of Hialeah can get out the votes against Lincoln Diaz-Balart, also.

Don't like Joe Garcia, but at least he's running as a Democrat! He's been around a lot longer than Mario.



Here's something to brighten your day! Not!
(Yep, that's Lindsay Graham standing next to Ileana.)

[flashl]

3. K&R

[bvar22]

5. Designating Venezuela a "Sponsor of Terrorism" would be incredibly stupid.

1) The Colombian Right Wing government IS a state sponsor of terror, NOT Venezuela.

2)We(the US) SHOULD be aggressively supporting the REAL Democracies in South America.

[Demeter]

6. But Consistent With Everything Else BushCo Has Done

They are so detail-oriented! No lie goes unpromoted.