Chief of Southern Command says US will not seek to replace air base in Ecuador

[Judi Lynn]

Chief of Southern Command says US will not seek to replace air base in Ecuador
ANDREW WHALEN, Associated Press Writer

April 21, 2008 7:20 PM

LIMA, Peru (AP) - Washington has no plans to replace its only military post in South America if Ecuador's government refuses to renew a 10-year lease on its drug-interdiction air base in the Pacific port of Manta, the chief of the U.S. Southern Command said Monday.

Instead, the military will run drug-surveillance flights out of existing bases in El Salvador, Curacao, and Key West, Adm. James Stavridis said during a visit to Peru for meetings with military officials.

''Our intention would be to simply rearrange our operations throughout the region,'' Stavridis said.

The base's current lease expires in late 2009, and leftist Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa has repeatedly said he will not renew it.
(snip)

Stavridis said military activities in the region should include disaster relief and humanitarian aid, as well as school and clinic construction.

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(Isn't this astonishing? Wingers have staggered all the way to D.U.'s forums to howl with derision about Venezuela's military's being asked to pitch in and do the VERY SAME THINGS. How does this work; if when a leftist does it, it's all bad, but when a rightwinger suggests it, it's REALLY the way to go, couldn't be more appropriate. They're a bunch of flippin' humanitarians, aren't they?)