News

Published May 4, 2008 8:19 PM

New U.S. military threat

U.S. imperialism is ramping up its military threats in Latin America and the Caribbean. On April 24 the U.S. Navy announced the re-establishment of the U.S. Fourth Fleet to increase and coordinate the U.S. military presence there. As a sign of its aggressive intent, the new commander is Rear Adm. Joseph D. Kernan, who has been head of the Naval Special Warfare Command, better known as the SEALs.

The SEALs' Web site says, "The most important trait that distinguishes Navy SEALs from all other military forces is that SEALs are maritime Special Forces, as they strike from and return to the sea. ... Their stealth and clandestine methods of operation allow them to conduct multiple missions against targets that larger forces cannot approach undetected."

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, reacting on state television to the Navy announcement, said: "They don't scare us in the least. Along with Brazil we're studying the creation of a South American Defense Council."

The Navy's announcement came at the same time that more U.S. politicians, like House Majority leader Nancy Pelosi, are admitting the failure of the U.S. blockade on Cuba, which was intended to starve the island into abandoning its socialist revolution. As the failure of the blockade is recognized, the military threat to Cuba and other countries in the region from the rebuilt Fourth Fleet cannot be ignored.

http://www.workers.org/2008/world/latin_america_0508/

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------