When National Security Adviser John Bolton recently demanded military plans to oust the government of Nicholas Maduro in Venezuela, Trump demurred, reportedly saying his national security adviser was trying to pull him “into a war.” When Bolton demanded “regime change” in Iran and the Pentagon produced a plan to put 120,000 troops into the region,...
Tag: Regime Change
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Regime Change Illusions: Why the Venezuela Uprising Sputtered
When Manuel Figuera, the chief of the Venezuelan intelligence service (SEBIN), turned on the government of President Nicolas Maduro last week, the Trump administration thought their goal of regime change was in sight. If Figuera joined opposition leader Juan Guaidó’s government in exile, SEBIN could both control the country and secure recognition of Washington. With...
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U.S. ‘Regime Change’ Policy Falters in Caracas and Washington
It’s May Day in Venezuala in every sense of the word. May Day, May 1, is the holiday created to celebrate the international working class, and “Mayday” is the international radio distress signal. Venezuela is in distress. Yesterday opposition leader Juan Guaidó called on the Venezuelan armed forces to abandon the government of Nicholas Maduro–which...
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The False Story of Venezuela’s ‘Burning Aid Convoy’
Not for the first time, a U.S. “regime change” policy is generating false claims to support the campaign to remove a government out of favor in Washington. The “burning aid convoy” story in Venezuela is an echo of the “babies torn from incubators” story in Kuwait of a generation ago. It’s the same familiar narrative:...
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Rules of ‘Regime Change’: The CIA in Iran
In Truthdig Joel Whitney has an excellent recap of the CIA’s coup in Iran in 1953 and its continuing impact on the world we live in today. How is that possible? Read on: As relations between the U.S. and Iran again take on a hostile tone, it’s worth untangling the intricate braid of CIA claims...