OBAMA'S FARC FAUX PAS

In Two Days, Barack Obama Offers Three Contradictory Policy Statements On the FARC And Venezuela
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THURSDAY FARC FAUX PAS: Sen. Obama Says He Will Unconditionally Meet With Venezuela's Hugo Chavez To Discuss His Country's "Support Of FARC In Colombia":

In Thursday Orlando Sentinel Interview, Sen. Obama Says Hugo Chavez's "Support Of FARC In Colombia" Would Be One Of His Highest Priorities In Unconditional Meeting With The Venezuelan Dictator. "One of the obvious high priorities in my talks with President Hugo Chavez would be the fermentation of anti-American sentiment in Latin America, his support of FARC in Colombia and other issues he would want to talk about. It is important to understand that ignoring these countries has not led to improved behavior on their part and it has not served our national security interests." ("Obama: I'll Talk To Castro, Chavez," The Orlando Sentinel, http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com, 5/22/08)

FRIDAY FARC FAUX PAS: Sen. Obama Pledges To Isolate Any Government That Supports The FARC:

In Friday's Miami Speech, Sen. Obama Called For "Regional Isolation" Of Countries Supporting The FARC: "It Must Not Stand." SEN. OBAMA: "We will shine a light on any support for the FARC that comes from neighboring governments. This behavior must be exposed to international condemnation, regional isolation, and - if need be - strong sanctions. It must not stand." (Senator Barack Obama, Remarks, Miami, FL, 5/23/08)

FRIDAY FARC FAUX PAS #2: Sen. Obama Says The International Community Should Hold Venezuela Accountable Only "If, In Fact" It Is Supporting The FARC:

In Miami Herald Interview Published Today, Sen. Obama Says "We Have To Hold Venezuela Accountable If, In Fact, It Is Trying To Ferment Terrorist Activists In Other Borders." "When I asked him what he would do about the estimated 37,000 Interpol-certified Colombian FARC guerrilla compu ter files that indicate an active support from Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez and Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa to the Colombian rebels, Obama went farther than the Bush administration. 'I think the Organization of American States and the international community should launch an immediate investigation into this situation. We have to hold Venezuela accountable if, in fact, it is trying to ferment terrorist activities in other borders,' he told me. 'If Venezuela has violated those rules, we should mobilize all the countries to sanction Venezuela and let them know that that's not acceptable behavior.' So far, the 34-country OAS has not acted on the FARC computer files, which refer among other things to a $300 million pledge from Chávez to the FARC, which Washington and the European Union categorize as a terrorist group." (Andres Oppenheimer, Op-Ed, "Obama Has Done His Homework On Latin America," The Miami Herald, 5/24/08)


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