The recent “incursion” of 200 U.S. military helicopters and 46 war ships to Costa Rica, along with 7000 U.S. Marines, begs the question: Why? The tiny country, about the size of Rhode Island, abolished its military in 1948. What’s more, Costa Rica has freely given the U.S. permission to be there. This military action, already in motion, will take place between July 1 and December 1.
So why?!
The most ready answer is so that the U.S. can fight “drug trafficking” in the area, but this is highly unlikely. As some other writers have pointed out, the military is not equipped to handle the subtleties of drug wars. You need surgical instruments, not a broadsword. This is a lot of military force for the purpose of combating drugs.
A more likely answer lies in the geography of the area. Costa Rica lies next door to Panama. Costa Rica, like Panama, is an Isthmus, a narrow strip of land with the Atlantic to the east and Pacific to the west. The country of Panama is the owner of the world-iconic Panama Canal built in the early 20th century (started by the French in 1881 and finished by the U.S. in 1914), leased by the United States from Panama until Dec 31, 1999, when it reverted back to Panama.
The Panama Canal is the only shortcut from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific, as everyone learned in History class. Militarily, control of the canal is a sound idea, like a bouncer at the barroom door if you're not sure of all the shady characters (ships) coming and going. But surely all this military might is not there to guard the Panama Canal...
Relations between Panama and the U.S. are generally good. (Except for the Manuel Noriega history.) Panama’s eastern border is the boundary between the Isthmus of Panama and South America, specifically the country of Columbia. Relations between Columbia and the U.S. are generally good. Columbia’s neighbor to the east is Venezuela. Relations between Columbia and Venezuela are antagonistic at best.
Relations between Venezuela and the U.S. are also antagonistic. Venezuela has vast oil reserves. Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez has made great pretexts in the past of presenting discounted oil to various countries, some to the U.S. itself. Venezuela has also expressed its solidarity with Iran and its President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Outspoken Chavez has, like Ahmadinejad, expressed his contempt of Israel.
The U.S. is currently Israel’s strongest ally, and has been since Israel’s creation in 1948, largely (in the U.S. eyes) because of Israel’s important position in the oil rich middle-east area.
Perhaps the real reason the U.S. is off the coast of Costa Rica, so close strategically to Venezuela, is best offered by the socialist leader Chavez himself. Chavez severed diplomatic ties with Columbia on July 22, 2010, amidst Columbia’s claims that Venezuela was harboring leftist rebels. Chavez denied the accusations and decided to end the diplomatic relationship.
Chavez has argued in the past that U.S. officials are using Colombia as part of a broader plan to portray him as a supporter of terrorist groups to provide justification for U.S. military intervention in Venezuela.
"(Chavez) said the United States is using Colombia to undermine Venezuela's efforts toward regional integration. He said he has doubts that Colombia's president-elect, Juan Manuel Santos, will stray from Uribe's (Columbia's outgoing Prez) U.S.-backed military policies." -
From http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hCIKDzMk3thB2iiP8uhH7lXThSCQD9H4BCH00
Ending diplomatic ties with a neighbor is one polite way of thumbing one’s nose, but closing embassies and sending people packing – Chavez closed the embassy in Bogotá and gave Columbia’s ambassador 72 hours to leave Venezuela - is stronger language. If this diplomatic cold war should evolve into more physical aggression, Columbia could call on U.S. aid, (which may be part of the plan) and the U.S. could establish bases (and various weaponry) in Columbia. The result would be an effective U.S. stronghold in northern South America, and in a strategic vantage point to seize Venezuela’s oil fields. Recently, in June 2010, Venezuela's government seized control of 11 oil rigs owned by U.S. driller Helmerich & Payne, which shut them down because the state oil company was behind on payments. The rigs are now "nationalized." The U.S. will not look favorably on this, and adds incentive for this unusual military build-up in Costa Rica. Though the U.S. claims it will leave after 6 months, it is highly unlikely. When the U.S. military comes knocking, especially a force of this size, it is not just a diplomatic visit. They are there to stay.
In addition, BP, (and Deepwater Horizon) of the now world-famous Gulf Oil Debacle, has had ambitious plans for some time to establish its foothold into Brazilian deep water drilling. The U.S. is also very interested. There may be a connection here as well.
In order to see things more clearly, one thing should be clear:
Nothing in today’s world is as clear as it seems.
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