U.S. launches military strikes on Venezuela, Trump says Maduro captured and flow

[mowens]

those pesky Nazis in Ukraine are bleeding mother Russia white....and that is a hard job that desperately needs doing.

I'm not sure my sarcasm came through. We're doing the same thing Russia is doing.

[CNCAppsJames]

I'm not sure my sarcasm came through. We're doing the same thing Russia is doing.

The only differences are that we aren't emptying our jails for conscripts to take over Venzuela, and we aren't gonna go scorched earth on Venezuela either.

I DO kinda in a guilty pleasure kind of way like how leaders in Cuba and Mexico are re-thinking their life choices right now though.


I mean since the world thinks we're bullies... we may as well REALLY act the part... no?



On a serious note... can we PLEASE learn from history and not install puppets, not meddle in their elections, and just do some good for a change FFS? I know it's a big ask, and I KNOW the CIA can't help themselves. Given half a chance they will screw up something that potentially be a good thing for Venezuela, the region, AND the US EVERY. TIME.

If I'm gonna dream, it may as well be a BIG dream.

[Newbeeee™]

Mmmmmm.... not exactly.  Iraq was never about oil. The sheeple thought it was, but it was never about the oil. We get 🤏 oil from them at the most. There were other geopolitical things in play that were a bigger influence.

1% daily usage is imported. Apparently.
This is interesting though - on who today controls the Iraq oil fields:-

🔹 Rumaila Oil Field

Operated under a consortium led by BP (British) and PetroChina (Chinese), along with Iraq's state company Basra Oil Company.

Rumaila is Iraq's largest oilfield, producing a significant portion of the country's total oil.
Wikipedia
+1

🔹 West Qurna Fields

Historically developed with ExxonMobil and Shell, but Exxon exited West Qurna 1 in 2024 and control shifted to PetroChina and Basra Oil Company.
JPT
+1

West Qurna 2 is operated by Russia's Lukoil, a major non-Western company with about 75 % stake, and the rest with Iraq's state company — though there are reports of Exxon seeking to take over that stake under new negotiations.
Reuters

🔹 Zubair Oil Field

Operated by ENI (Italy) with partners.
Wikipedia

🔹 Majnoon Oil Field

Denizfield operators vary, but foreign investment and partnerships have included ExxonMobil returning under newer agreements.
JPT

🔹 Other Firms

Other international companies involved in various capacities include (but aren't limited to):

TotalEnergies (France) — involved in oil/gas projects and expansions

Shell — present on some projects or legacy contracts

Pertamina (Indonesia) and Itochu (Japan) — partners in some fields

QatarEnergy — partner with TotalEnergies on some Gulf projects
EITI

[CNCAppsJames]

1st and foremost our government failed on numerous fronts with regard to Afghanistan.  It IS the graveyard of empires and has been for probably millenia. Our hubris in thinking our western ways of doing government were even going to work in a tribal society were absurd.  Stacks of MBA's brought that good idea fairy to the battlespace where it died the greusome tragic death it deserved... unfortunately the good idea fairies and their MBA bearing daddies and mommies didn't die along with it... instead the very best of our warrior class did.

2nd, the good idea fairies failed to listen to historians and people that had a good handle on how NOT to rebuild a nation. Hubris again.

3rd, China is about to put on a clinic in how to get what they want out of Afghanistan without giving up an assload of blood and treasure for it... possibly. 

Now... if we can keep our grimy mitts out of the inner workings of Venezuela's government business, bring in technical expertise, train whatever talent they have AND keep them all safe, we may be able to pull something off. The main problem for us is the grimy mitts thing. The CIA just can't help itself and it's a rogue agency.

We shall see. This situation is hours old and barely in it's infancy. Too early to really know anything of substance other than we have Maduro in custody and their VP is running the country for now.

[Newbeeee™]

1st and foremost our government failed on numerous fronts with regard to Afghanistan. 

Dude - that's your perspective from you running your country.
This is and looks to have been,way bigger now for a long time.
It was obviously a total success from the decision makers side, because that's why they did it.

Back to Venezuela - I lolled as there's now a crap-ton of reports surfacing regarding smartmatic etc being ran from there....

[CNCAppsJames]

Dude - that's your perspective from you running your country.
This is and looks to have been,way bigger now for a long time.
It was obviously a total success from the decision makers side, because that's why they did it.

Back to Venezuela - I lolled as there's now a crap-ton of reports surfacing regarding smartmatic etc being ran from there....

NOBODY ANYWHERE inside the US or out thinks Afghanistan was any sort of success letvalone "total". Short of killing OBL... . I dunno where you get that info from. I think maybe Twatter has finally rot your brain to the core my friend. AlGoresRythm has you pegged.  

"Now a crap ton of reports..." and like all first reports... they are crap. A TON of crap.

 

[Newbeeee™]

NOBODY ANYWHERE inside the US or out thinks Afghanistan was any sort of success letvalone "total". Short of killing OBL... . I dunno where you get that info from. I think maybe Twatter has finally rot your brain to the core my friend. AlGoresRythm has you pegged.

"Now a crap ton of reports..." and like all first reports... they are crap. A TON of crap.

Nope. This isn't about Nasty Russia or Nasty Murrica anymore.
That's all smoke and mirrors - it's a side show to keep the masses talking.
While BigCorp (aka Vanguard) controls and runs everything

Post 22 says the success Afghanistan was - China is already there.
Exactly as was said at the time - USA secures it, then leaves it to China

Patriotism will have lost.
BUT the important thing is BigCorp wins
 

[CNCAppsJames]

The idiot MBA's at alphabet soup and where ever else policy is crafted believed with every fiber of their being that if they gave Afghanistan "Democracy" they would love us forever. If we built enough schools for girls, they would love us forever.  If we gave them electricity, and all the other modern conveniences we enjoy, they would love us forever. That may have been true in Kabul and other population centers... for like 5 minutes, but in the 99.9% of it's land mass, they DGAF what Kabul says. Their tribal chief is who they listen to. The idiots also believed with every fiber of their being that they could tame the graveyard of empires and do all the things they wanted. The reality is we imposed or attempted to impose OUR will on them, and that NEVER ends well ANYWHERE... unless of course you're a brutal dictator/King and you let your demon seed children and "warriors" go to the citizenry's weddings and rape the brides. Scotland and Iraq wouldn't know anything about that though now would they? 

Those who fail to study history are doomed to repeat it. Hence why the Bernie Sanders crowd clamor for Socialism. "OH, it will be better this time, we promise. Give us your guns and you'll see."  

 

[TylerBeer]

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Impressed you know how to look up a flight, figured you were sworn off flying because it's not in the constitution.
But you're good at fleeing LOL

[YoDoug]

#NoKings!

[Rstewart]

[CNCAppsJames]

We're going to be treated to some EPIC memes in the coming weeks and months. Can't wait. 

 

[CNCAppsJames]

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This one is still one my favorites.



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[gcode]

Trump, Maduro, and What's Next

The usual suspect have, in fact, gone from "No Kings" to complaining that Trump has somehow violated international law. This is true only to the extent that "international law" means "a wish-fulfillment tool for the Left." Which is its chief use now.

But what Trump did is basically indistinguishable — except for being much swifter and cheaper — than what George H.W. Bush did with Manuel Noriega, the "President" of Panama (not recognized as such by the United States due to election fraud) just as Maduro was the "President" of Venezuela, but not recognized as such by the United States (and other countries) due to election fraud.

Brought to the United States and put on trial, Noriega and his lawyers made the same arguments that Maduro's supporters on the left are making now: Violations of the UN Charter, illegal rendition, head-of-state immunity, etc. None of these convinced the courts and for reasons that are likely to obtain here. Of course one wild card may be the "Trump rule," which is that anything Trump does is judicially suspect, basically because all the best people know Trump is no good. That's stupid, but it would be wrong to entirely discount its power. Jack Goldsmith has more on the legal argument. You can read President Bush's official statement on the Noriega seizure and the reasons therefor here, and the 1989 Office of Legal Counsel opinion on authority for extraterritorial arrests/seizures here.

But that's a stale argument, and unlikely to prove important, particularly as the courts, including the Supreme Court, have kind of embarrassed themselves to date with regard to the conflict with Venezuela. Perhaps Trump Derangement will lead them to double down, but that would be a dangerous move.

Instead, let's look at what Trump was after. As is typical of Trump moves, he's promoting multiple strategies in one action.

First, the obvious. Maduro has been a thorn in our side, and a horrible curse on the Venezuelan people, like his predecessor Hugo Chavez, who himself was briefly ousted in a 47-hour coup that sadly failed.. He has threatened the United States, and even taunted Trump that he should come after him, which was a mistake. He has deliberately promoted the flow of dangerous drugs into the United States, along with exporting criminals and promoting the status of Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, which is better understood as a covert military force of sorts. Getting rid of him is itself valuable, and this is the primary public justification for seizing him.

But that's just the beginning. What are some of the other dimensions here?

Iran: Venezuela has been a source of financial, diplomatic, and other support for the Mullahs' regime — which is itself under considerable pressure — as well as a potential place of refuge for the mullahs should their regime fall. (And a place where they have stashed cash.) It has also helped them sell their embargoed oil. Taking down Maduro's government will put an end to that, and increased Venezuelan production seems likely to lower global oil prices and probably makes a fall of the Mullarchy more likely. Hey, the mullahs can always flee to Russia.

China: China has been working hard to achieve footholds in the Western Hemisphere and Venezuela was the key to this effort. A Chinese delegation met with Maduro to pledge support just hours before a U.S. military team quietly snatched him from his bed. China loses the resource, and considerable prestige as a result. In addition, China's ability to access Venezuelan oil will now be subject to U.S. control. Given the United States' increased role in global production thanks to fracking, and Trump's close relationship with the Saudis, this makes China's ability to engage in military actions against, say, Taiwan much more fraught. China has a big strategic oil reserve, but it is not infinite.

Cuba: Cuba has been propped up financially, and with oil, from Venezuela due to the sympathy of Venezuelan communists for their role models in Castroland. It's not clear how long Cuba can last without that support. Probably even to the Cubans.

Russia: Once again, sophisticated Russian air defenses were useless in the face of Western attacks. (See also, Iran's nuclear weapons plants, or what's left of them). Honestly, I don't know why anyone buys their stuff. To be fair, it worked okay for Ukraine, but that was only against other Russian tech.

Above all of this, of course, is the moral impact. People like a winner and America under Trump is no longer the pitiful helpless giant it was under Biden. With this unprecedentedly daring and successful mission following hard on the unprecedentedly daring and successful mission to destroy Iran's nuclear facilities, the U.S. is performing at a very high level, and people will notice. Likewise, the above adversaries have been openly humiliated. That matters

Napoleon said the moral is to the material as three is to one. The ratio may not be that high under modern warfare, but it's still there. American military recruiting is already way up; this will help.

So Trump has succeeded along five — or possibly six — dimensions here with one overnight mission. Of course, I'm mildly famous for advising people "don't get cocky," and that applies here. Maduro's gone but much of his machine, if chastened, remains in varying degrees of power in Venezuela. They will have to be killed, driven into exile, or co-opted (bribed) to join the winning side. The follow-through will be just as important as the flashy initial action. But still, not bad for a night's work, and indicative of Trump's ability to find a strategic point to strike multiple adversaries at once. (He did this, in a different way, by eliminating USAID.). Stay tuned for what's next.

[CNCAppsJames]

I find the Venezuela-Iran/Mullahs connection at minimum, modestly intriguing.