Tuesday, August 17, 2010

UPDATE on "U.S. Incursion of Costa Rica..."

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The U.S. Incursion of Costa Rica (and, in time, other places...

August 17, 2010

An excerpt from Op Ed News - GOVERNMENT ASSISTED BP IN COVERING UP EFFECTS OF SPILL - Aug, 10, 2010
"According to the "European Union Times" NATO ordered the U.S. to ship 7,000 Marines to Costa Rica over fear the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico fractures the zone lying between North America and the Caribbean Plates..."
(original Op Ed story here)

(The awkward grammar in that sentence is not mine. I believe the author meant: "...over fear the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico might fracture the zone..." )

No matter. The point is clear, that 7000 U.S. troops were sent to Costa Rica on the chance that they might be needed to stem the further flow of oil, in case of an ocean floor fracture presumably. They are there now, or some of them. According to one report, it would take several months to deploy all 7000 troops and equipment.

It is as good a guess as any as to why they were sent, but I have my doubts that it is to safeguard the isthmus against oil contamination. It's a nice excuse, but if the Army did not step in to help in the Gulf over these last few months, I don't think they are in Costa Rica to help the oil spill there. Besides, according to BP, there is no more oil spill. The well is capped and everything is fine. The oil is gone, like magic! So what do we need 7000 troops in Costa Rica for? There is no oil to clean up or prevent from spilling into the Pacific.

Therefore they must be there for another reason.

I guess as long as they're down there they might as well see if they can help out the deplorable drug situation in Columbia. Or was it Venezuela? No, wait. Venezuela is oil. Columbia is drugs. No, wait. Columbia used to be drugs. Or is it still? Is it oil or is it drugs? Darn, now I'm getting them confused.

Well, maybe they could at least pick up some litter while they are there.

(See my original post here.)
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UpDate on Update - August 18, 2010

Here's an interesting coincidence, taking place in Costa Rica:

One death, more cases (5,000) of dengue in Costa Rica
fluetrackers.com ^ | August 15, 2010 | Ara

Posted on Tuesday, August 17, 2010 10:32:27 AM by MamaDearest
08.15.2010 16:55:53 / Xinhua Costa Rica reported an alarming increase of 5,000 cases of dengue during the last week, confirms today the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS).

According to official data, this Central American nation went from accounting for 16 200 people affected until last week to register at this time a total of 21,200 infected.

The authorities acknowledged their concern, as the number of people affected this time than the statistics from previous years and could continue to increase with the arrival of the rainy season.

In Costa Rica circulating types 1, 2 and 3 of the dengue virus, transmitted by the aedes aegypti mosquito, whose bite produces a high fever, bone pain and loss of body fluids without treatment can result in death....

(Read whole story here.)

(Read more about Dengue Fever on Wikipedia here.)

So what else could those 7000 Marines be doing in Costa Rica besides cleaning up the beaches and looking for drug traffickers and oil leaks?

I must confess, for the moment I am stumped.
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