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I heard that there is going to be a US military base in liberia. Does anyone know if there is any truth in this?
That is a real nasty thought. 1999 was the year that the US was trying to establish an FOL for drug enforcement.
“U.S. defense officials have shown a strong interest in establishing a Forward Operating Location (FOL), an arrangement that would allow U.S. military personnel to conduct counter-drug surveillance flights, at the international airport in Liberia, Guanacaste. Negotiations have been delayed by the ratification of the maritime counternarcotics agreement and by the likelihood that an FOL agreement would violate Costa Rica’s constitution.”
The full “old” story can be read at:
http://www.ciponline.org/facts/cr99.htm
We don’t need the US full military in Costa Rica.
Bill Maes
Geez, I just finished reading the website provided by Bill Maes. There are already seven U.S. military personnel in Costa Rica. (I presume they are embassy guards.) That is seven more U.S. military than Costa Rica has. How could the Ticos allow a foreign army on their soil when they don’t have any of their own?
editer
Ohhh boy here we go again,
Since I am in the Military and I have a lot of experiance in Panama and Costa Rica as well as friends that work in the embasy in CR this is totaly untrue about the military moving in.
Yes they might be looking for a place to have a operation to curb the drug running and other stuff coming up from Panama, how ever CR will not be one of them. Since we have given up Panama the drug running and arms smuggeling from Panama has been running rampid and people such as the king pin that was caught in Punta ranus is running free.
This rummer is as old as 1999 when the canal was given back to Panama!This is old information and the organization that is putting this out is heavly to the left of center. I would use them as a grain of salt!
Yes the U.S. a long time ago was trying to put a narco school in CR to educate other countries on how to combat them. This is very specail training and all of these countries need this to curb the problems that they have.
Scott, what leftist organization are you talking about?
If US military personnel are posted at the Embassy, that is US territory. If they’re training Costa Rican police or rural guard forces, then that is a result of a public bilateral treaty between the US & Costa Rica. All perfectly normal. The US Military is highly trained and very professional, and Costa Rican forces could benefit from such training. Personally, I think Costa Ricans could provide some valuable training in non-violence and negotiation skills to US police forces as well.
President José Figueres said it best. During an interview he was asked why he abolished the military. He said “Why not?” The reporter then asked about the US military, and wasn’t he glad they were around during WWI. He said “Of course. But the military is like the doctor. You get sick, you call the doctor. You don’t want him living with you!”
I’m sure our President and the Pentagon would love to have a base in Costa Rica, but this is a political impossibility. Costa Ricans would never publicly approve it. That’s why President Monge kept it a secret when Reagan’s CIA was using northern Costa Rican airstrips in support of the Contras.
I think the interest in a Southern Command to replace Panama is all about drug interdiction – The War on Drugs. Remember, that was the one after the Cold War, and before the War on Terror. We needed something to fill that gap.
Maybe we should pick our battles with a bit more care. Doesn’t our War on Drugs give aid and comfort to the terrorists? After all, if it weren’t illegal, there’d by no money in it (where did Reagan find the money to fund the contras again?)
Personally, I’d rather confront a glassy-eyed, grinning stoner than an Al Queda-trained islamic extremist with dynamite strapped to his chest and a death wish.
Sorry about the rant. I’m afraid it’s just the tip of the iceberg. I think this is going to be a lengthy thread…
yaaya, I can see you never been to Columbia! U.S. militrary personnel are posted in every Embassy around the world! So what? The embassy is U.S. property that we protect!
The countries in Central and South America need and want the education that the U.S. can give on combating Drug Traficing. Belive it or not the U.S. is the primary educator on many issues that include this topic. If it was not for the education that these countries learn from the U.S. they would be suffering from a lot more issues that are related to the drug loards.
Yes, the U.S. would love to have a base around CR but that is just a mith that one would develop. Since we have other bases around Central America that are picking up the work load from Panama. Yes you are right about the politics too.
I don’t think we want to mix the terroist with the drug problem. That will take all day to thread about.
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