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Viewing cable 07CARACAS424, NATIONAL ASSEMBLY CONDEMNS U.S. "WAR PREPARATIONS"

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
07CARACAS424 2007-03-01 14:07 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Caracas
VZCZCXRO1754
PP RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHROV
DE RUEHCV #0424/01 0601407
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 011407Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY CARACAS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7959
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHWH/WESTERN HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS DIPL POSTS PRIORITY
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN PRIORITY 0018
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD PRIORITY 0024
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO PRIORITY 0026
RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS PRIORITY 0043
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 0017
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV PRIORITY 0057
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0771
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA PRIORITY 0002
RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL PRIORITY
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CARACAS 000424 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR ISN/RA (RNEPHEW), S/CT, AND NEA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL KNNP PTER IR VE
SUBJECT: NATIONAL ASSEMBLY CONDEMNS U.S. "WAR PREPARATIONS" 
AGAINST IRAN/BRV OFFICIALS DENY AL QAEDA THREAT 
 
CARACAS 00000424  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
1. (SBU) Summary.  The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela's 
(BRV) anti-American foreign policy recently reached new 
rhetorical depths.  The National Assembly unanimously passed 
a February 22 resolution that condemns U.S. "war 
preparations" against Iran (sic) and exhorts all countries to 
"confront this new aggression."  The National Assembly 
resolution comes one week after BRV officials accused the 
United States government of planting a false al Qaeda threat 
against Venezuela to "prepare the ground" for US-sponsored 
terrorist acts.  A member of President Chavez' General Staff 
even suggested that it would be illogical for al Qaeda to 
threaten the BRV because Venezuela is "also fighting against 
U.S. imperialism."  End Summary. 
 
------------------------------------ 
National Assembly Resolution on Iran 
------------------------------------ 
 
2. (U) Two days before the International Atomic Energy Agency 
(IAEA) issued its report on Iranian non-compliance with UNSCR 
1737, the National Assembly unanimously passed a February 22 
resolution entitled "Agreement to Reject United States 
Government War Preparations Against the Islamic Republic of 
Iran."  The operative paragraphs of the resolution state 
common agreement to: 
 
-- reject these and other outrageous plans of aggression 
against the self-determination of people, specifically in the 
case of the Islamic Republic of Iran. 
 
-- urge all countries of the world to confront this new 
escalation of aggression that endangers world peace. 
 
-- call on the secretary-general of the United Nations, Ban 
Ki-Moon, in order to take the necessary steps to prevent 
another crime of state terrorism by the political class in 
the White House, which has definitely become the world's 
largest terrorist cartel. 
 
-- deliver this resolution to all diplomatic missions in the 
country and to publicize this resolution. 
 
3. (U) The introductory paragraphs of the resolution also 
make numerous additional unfounded accusations against the 
United States.  Specifically, the introductory "Whereas" 
clauses read: 
 
-- The American empire once again is preparing a plan of 
aggression for the world stage, in this case against the 
Islamic Republic of Iran (sic); 
 
-- The international community has reacted energetically 
before this extremely dangerous situation for world security 
(sic); 
 
-- The accusations of the United States of America contradict 
the reports presented by the IAEA, which assure the peaceful 
nature of the nuclear program of the Islamic Republic of Iran 
(sic); 
 
-- In all the IAEA reports there is no evidence whatsoever of 
a nuclear arms program in the Islamic Republic of Iran (sic); 
 
-- The true reason (for U.S. war preparations) is the 
intention of the United States of America to control the 
energy sources in the world in order to impose on the world 
its plans and new map for the Middle East, as announced by 
the United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in 2006 
(sic - the original resolution also misspelled the 
Secretary's first name as "Condolezza"); 
 
SIPDIS 
 
-- It is customary for imperialism, confronted by its own 
contradictions, to foment world crisis in order to reorder 
international relations to support its plans for hegemony 
(sic). 
 
--------------- 
 
CARACAS 00000424  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
Al Qaeda Threat 
--------------- 
 
4. (U) Numerous Venezuela media outlets reported February 14 
that al Qaeda members in Saudi Arabia had via their website 
called for attacks on energy installations of leading oil 
exporters to the United States, including Venezuela.  The 
initial reaction of BRV officials was to deny the validity of 
the reported threats.  Admiral Luis Cabrera, a member of 
President Chavez' General Staff, told the local media 
February 15 that it sounds "illogical" for al Qaeda to 
threaten the BRV because the BRV is also "fighting, although 
in a different manner, against (U.S.) hegemony, against 
(U.S.) imperialism."  Perhaps realizing he had come 
dangerously close to calling al Qaeda an ally of the BRV, 
Cabrera clarified that the BRV "fights with the Constitution, 
with legality, with morality and the truth in front, not with 
acts of terrorism." 
 
5. (U) National Assembly Foreign Policy Commission President 
Saul Ortega told the media February 15 that he believed the 
reported al Qaeda threats were part of a U.S. strategy to 
"prepare the ground" for terrorist attacks and intervention 
in Venezuela (sic).  He suggested the CIA had put out a false 
translation of a non-existent al Qaeda threat as part of an 
"American terrorist strategy" of intimidation (sic).  Other 
BRV officials, including Defense Minister Baduel, 
subsequently moderated the BRV's tone and told the local 
media that the BRV was well prepared to meet any potential 
threats of terrorism. 
 
BROWNFIELD