Originally Posted by the_13th_redneck

It not only doesn't work well, it just doesn't work at all. Raids are probably conducted against some druggie that hasn't been paying his bills to the government. Or the one that pays the least.
There are a few ways to go about this. Make the price of drug trafficking death and cut the demand level at home.
Easier said than done... but I think the first part is arrangeable.

And how would throwing Chinese forces and money into this affect the situation in the region? A large area of Chinese influence may not even get of the ground at all. They may get the base and thats that, they have the base, and the only thing that has changed is flag above the fence.

It brings them closer to us. One base may only be the beginning. Who knows. Maybe they will even be able to deploy long ranged reconnaissance aircraft that will fly over the Gulf of Mexico picking up intelligence about our fleets etc.
They could also more closely monitor any military exercises in California and in the Nevada desert.

Next will be refueling rights in Venezuela and then after sometime intelligence assets will be based there. Chavez let Iran's President into his country and welcome him not to mention in Nicaragua as well, I think to piss off the US, Chavez would do it. Chinese assets aren't far off in the Gulf now and there are other poor Island countries besides Cuba who would take Chinese money. China and Iran have close ties too and both Iran's President and Chavez vowed to help and support Nicaragua. Colombia and Peru are looking better all the time and lets not forget Mexico, I can't believe there aren't Vipers or Hornets yet under the Mexican flag, what are we waiting for. Keep Mexico as a buffer at least and shore up relations in the region better. Let those Russian helicopters sold to Mexico be the last non-American equipment or weapons sold there.

Originally Posted by Sukio

And how would throwing Chinese forces and money into this affect the situation in the region? A large area of Chinese influence may not even get of the ground at all. They may get the base and thats that, they have the base, and the only thing that has changed is flag above the fence.

Exactly - they do not need to set up a location in that regoin to finance or distribute weapons out. There isn`t even a need to have a airfield to conduct air recon missions over our coast line, they can do it now like we do it and the Russians do it, from space. I really doubt that China is interested in establishing a out post when they do not even have the means to support it, they are still around 25 years out from being a major global military power, they have other priorities.

Letting the Chinese in this region open other markets besides just military arms sales. It's about power and gaining power too just like those countries I listed in Africa, don't you see? Reverse things let the US try opening a new base near mainland China and see if they react to it. Let the US get permission to build a base in the northern section of Vietnam and see if the Chinese don't freak out. The little Chavez piss ass is causing the US to lose a little power or control in an area where we have more or less controlled for 70 to 100 years and the Chinese are quietly slipping in, its how its done. Africa was the same way the US doesn't take much interests in Africa compared to others and the French and English faded out there's no big guy on the block anymore. Now look at how many countries then in and will be in for good. Five or ten years from the people in those counties will be say the United States who? There are very patient people in general and can easily let this first step take ten years before the next one, but it's still a step. I think it's a mistake not to counter there move because it was a move.
I'm not saying lets form watch guard groups to walk our shores at night or ban Chinese food but it was a move.

Originally Posted by rock45

Letting the Chinese in this region open other markets besides just military arms sales. It's about power and gaining power too just like those countries I listed in Africa, don't you see? Reverse things let the US try opening a new base near mainland China and see if they react to it. Let the US get permission to build a base in the northern section of Vietnam and see if the Chinese don't freak out. The little Chavez piss ass is causing the US to lose a little power or control in an area where we have more or less controlled for 70 to 100 years and the Chinese are quietly slipping in, its how its done. Africa was the same way the US doesn't take much interests in Africa compared to others and the French and English faded out there's no big guy on the block anymore. Now look at how many countries then in and will be in for good. Five or ten years from the people in those counties will be say the United States who? There are very patient people in general and can easily let this first step take ten years before the next one, but it's still a step. I think it's a mistake not to counter there move because it was a move.
I'm not saying lets form watch guard groups to walk our shores at night or ban Chinese food but it was a move.

I am confident that our government has a few moves up their sleeves to counter Chavez`s plans for a Socialistic South America, do you really think that he is going to last, world opinion of him is pretty much that he is a idiot with a big mouth. Russia tolerates him for weapons purchases, Iran loves him because he is against America and they know we are just one short hair away of resolving our issue with them. China is not going to take that gamble due to some of your above statement, Vietnam is one hell of a trump card that was formed by our government with the recent all is forgotten lets be friends and have a good mutual trade relationship agreement, do you really think that Vietnam gives a crap what China thinks inregards to formalizing a good relationship with the U.S, the answer is no they want a big piece of that economic pie also and they very well could pull U.S companies out of China if the incentive is right. As a example, just look at some of the U.S companies now in Mexico, they went down there due to labor costs, Honduras is offering even cheaper labor so all the buzz is lets move out of Mexico and go further south. China has one big head ache in their own backyard and it is called Tiawan, that has to be resolved and hopefully without the U.S. New alliances have been formed with the ending of the first cold war setting the path for the next one and if you think that it looks scary now just waite and see what the next decade brings.

Maybe there is a little hope for Bolivia I'm surprise this C-130 didn't have a prearranged landing site, Bolivia's a big country. Maybe some of those 100,000 AK 47s bought a few years ago were on board?

Bolivian Mob Attacks Venezuelan Military Plane With Rocks
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, LA PAZ, BOLIVIA

An angry mob of Bolivian civilians threw rocks at a Venezuelan military plane refueling at an airport in northeastern Bolivia, forcing the unwelcome aircraft to fly out of town, according to a Dec. 6 report.
The leader of a local civic group opposed to President Evo Morales, who is a top ally of leftist Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, said no Venezuelan military planes would be allowed to land in Riberalta, especially if they are carrying weapons.
“We have to defend our people,” Riberalta Civic Committee President Marcos Jauregui was quoted as saying by the Catholic news agency Erbol.
“Why wasn’t there a press conference to disclose what they are bringing to the country? We must be vigilant because we will not allow Venezuelan planes to come,” he said.
A Bolivian aviation source, who requested anonymity, confirmed that the plane was a Hercules airplane belonging to the Venezuelan air force.
The source said the plane landed in Riberalta after it was not allowed to refuel at its original destination, the Brazilian city of Rio Branco, for unknown reasons.
Up to 200 people with signs saying “Enough interference!” threw stones at the plane, which left to an unknown destination amid rumors it was carrying weapons.

Link
http://www.defensenews.com/story.php...3372&C=america

Originally Posted by rock45

Maybe there is a little hope for Bolivia I'm surprise this C-130 didn't have a prearranged landing site, Bolivia's a big country. Maybe some of those 100,000 AK 47s bought a few years ago were on board?

Bolivian Mob Attacks Venezuelan Military Plane With Rocks
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, LA PAZ, BOLIVIA

An angry mob of Bolivian civilians threw rocks at a Venezuelan military plane refueling at an airport in northeastern Bolivia, forcing the unwelcome aircraft to fly out of town, according to a Dec. 6 report.
The leader of a local civic group opposed to President Evo Morales, who is a top ally of leftist Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, said no Venezuelan military planes would be allowed to land in Riberalta, especially if they are carrying weapons.
“We have to defend our people,” Riberalta Civic Committee President Marcos Jauregui was quoted as saying by the Catholic news agency Erbol.
“Why wasn’t there a press conference to disclose what they are bringing to the country? We must be vigilant because we will not allow Venezuelan planes to come,” he said.
A Bolivian aviation source, who requested anonymity, confirmed that the plane was a Hercules airplane belonging to the Venezuelan air force.
The source said the plane landed in Riberalta after it was not allowed to refuel at its original destination, the Brazilian city of Rio Branco, for unknown reasons.
Up to 200 people with signs saying “Enough interference!” threw stones at the plane, which left to an unknown destination amid rumors it was carrying weapons.

Link
http://www.defensenews.com/story.php...3372&C=america

We will most likely see more incidents like this, I think Chavez`s goon squads did him more harm than good when they decided to attempt a suppression of some of the opposition during his recent attempt to gain more power, this only made alot of people suspect of his true intentions and at what lengths he will go thru to get what he wants in his country and that part of the world. Seems like some of his OPEC counsel members recently were not to happy with him either ranting and raving over the decline of the U.S dollar. Each day that goes by he loses more and more respect from a vast majority of the world leaders, heck recently even Spains prime minister told him to shut his mouth over a ranting and raving session concerning the King of Spain. Let him talk it`s becoming more and more comical.

Pale Rider maybe there's a hope down there this kind of news brings a smile to my face. My next question is where did the plane go?

Originally Posted by rock45

Pale Rider maybe there's a hope down there this kind of news brings a smile to my face. My next question is where did the plane go?

As it brings a smile to my face also, as to where that plane went hopefully we can rest assured that our government knows.