More Signs Of U.S. Military Planning For Venezuela

The U.S. will withdraw all remaining personnel from @usembassyve this week. This decision reflects the deteriorating situation in #Venezuela as well as the conclusion that the presence of U.S. diplomatic staff at the embassy has become a constraint on U.S. policy.

— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) March 12, 2019

Military Times: There are mounting signs of military planning for Venezuela

President Donald Trump has been talking about ordering a military operation targeting Venezuela since 2017.

At first, that was widely dismissed as a rash threat, but the idea of a U.S. effort to force “regime change” in the oil-rich South American country may be gaining momentum in Washington.

“It’s a regime that, frankly, could be toppled very quickly by the military if the military decides to do that,” Trump said in September.

In January, National Security Adviser John Bolton flashed a notebook that read “5,000 troops to Colombia."

And on Monday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo ordered all U.S. diplomats to leave Venezuela, saying their presence there “has become a constraint on U.S. policy,” hinting at opening potential military options.

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WNU Editor: Some CIA-linked assets are also in the air .... CIA Linked Plane Makes Brief Trip To Venezuela As American Diplomats Evacuate (Warzone/The Drive). But as to a U.S. military intervention .... I doubt it. Over 100,000 soldiers would be required, and the costs to stabilize the country would be enormous. There is also no political or public will in the U.S. for such a military operation. So why the discussion on U.S. military moves? I see these moves more as a green-light to Venezuelan opposition groups and the Venezuelan military that the U.S. would support them should they decide to move against the Maduro government.