It is hard to believe, but it is true.
Its not surprising that you haven't heard from this. Mainline news sources seem to have been muzzled or maybe see it as not newsworthy (!). You get more coverage on items like Castro smiling (BBC News) or the psychic octopus having a price on its head, but this troop deployment of 7000 Marines & 46 warships is almost totally unreported. But it is true. here are some more sites:
http://www.insidecostarica.com/dailynews/2010/july/05/costarica10070501.htm
http://www.insidecostarica.com/dailynews/2010/july/07/costarica10070701.htm
http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_6089.shtml
There are a few others too, but not a whole lot.
And, no, I don't like the idea either - on several counts.
There is something disingenuous about the whole premise. Why would Obama okay a military use for drug war elsewhere but not here in the US?
This is ironically called "Operation Freedom".
The US has had a bad habit historically with underhanded and heavy-handed importing of democracy in the Central American countries.TR, Eisenhower, Reagan and now, I guess, Obama. My wife and I travel through these countries and often are embarrassed by some of the questions they ask of us Americans.
The US has historically had much reason and opportunity to be involved in Central America and especially northern South America (Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador - for each of these countries the reasons are slightly different). The Monroe Doctrine has morphed into the Roosevelt Corollary (self-assumed permission just where to swing that big stick. Speaking softly optional). TR demonstrated the strategic importance of the Canal. In fact, it's possible that this recent event has to do with that Canal. Our policy has since devolved from the Roosevelt Corollary to - what shall we call it? - the Reagan Expedient: Exporting democracy sometimes requires undemocratic methods (as in Guatemala in the 80s).
Its not surprising that you haven't heard from this. Mainline news sources seem to have been muzzled or maybe see it as not newsworthy (!). You get more coverage on items like Castro smiling (BBC News) or the psychic octopus having a price on its head, but this troop deployment of 7000 Marines & 46 warships is almost totally unreported. But it is true. here are some more sites:
http://www.insidecostarica.com/dailynews/2010/july/05/costarica10070501.htm
http://www.insidecostarica.com/dailynews/2010/july/07/costarica10070701.htm
http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_6089.shtml
There are a few others too, but not a whole lot.
And, no, I don't like the idea either - on several counts.
There is something disingenuous about the whole premise. Why would Obama okay a military use for drug war elsewhere but not here in the US?
This is ironically called "Operation Freedom".
The US has had a bad habit historically with underhanded and heavy-handed importing of democracy in the Central American countries.TR, Eisenhower, Reagan and now, I guess, Obama. My wife and I travel through these countries and often are embarrassed by some of the questions they ask of us Americans.
The US has historically had much reason and opportunity to be involved in Central America and especially northern South America (Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador - for each of these countries the reasons are slightly different). The Monroe Doctrine has morphed into the Roosevelt Corollary (self-assumed permission just where to swing that big stick. Speaking softly optional). TR demonstrated the strategic importance of the Canal. In fact, it's possible that this recent event has to do with that Canal. Our policy has since devolved from the Roosevelt Corollary to - what shall we call it? - the Reagan Expedient: Exporting democracy sometimes requires undemocratic methods (as in Guatemala in the 80s).
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