War and Conflict Journal

Venezuela and Colombia are Spanish-speaking nations on the northern coast of South America. The current leader of Venezuela is Hugo Chavez, a self-styled Socialist who is an ally of Cuba and a proclaimed foe of the United States and world capitalism. The current president of Colombia is Álvaro Uribe Vélez, a Conservative. Colombia is an ally of the United States.

These two nations are at odds, largely due to the political differences of their leaders.  Below are resources on this ongoing conflict.

Colombia-Venezuela Conflict (2009)—Historyguy.com

Colombia launches US drones over Venezuela – or was that ‘Santa’s sleigh’? –Christian Science Monitor, Dec. 22, 2009

Colombia denies Venezuela’s claims of spy drones–BBC News, Dec. 22, 2009

Chavez Adds Dutch to His Enemies List –Korea Times, Dec. 22, 2009

Drones Violate Venezuelan Air Space near Colombian Border–Venezuelanalysis.com, Dec. 22, 2009

Tensions with Venezuela Rise Over New Colombian Military Base –Latin America News Dispatch, Dec. 21, 2009

Colombia to build new military base on Venezuelan border –Colombia Reports, Dec. 20, 2009

Colombia raps Venezuela over FARC rebel “insult” –Reuters, Dec 9, 2009

On June 28, 2009, the Honduran military stormed the Presidential residence in the capital city of Tegucigalpa, and arrested President Manuel Zelaya. The deposed President was then taken to an air base, put on a plane, and flown into exile in Costa Rica. Upon landing in Costa Rica, President Zelaya claimed that he remained the legal president of Honduras.  Meanwhile, after his departure from Honduras…Read the rest of the article at http://www.historyguy.com/honduras_coup_2009.htm

On June 8, 2009, a fierce gunbattle between the Mexican army and drug cartel gunmen in Acapulco, resulted in 16 dead gunmen and two dead soldiers.  This is merely the latest and well-publicized battle in Mexico’s long and bloody war against Drug Cartels.  The battle took place near a famous strip of hotels frequented by foreign (read: American) tourists. 

For more information on the Mexican Drug War, go to:

http://www.historyguy.com/mexico_drug_war.htm

A Mexican soldier battles Drug Cartel gunmen in Acapulco, June, 2009

Weekly Update–Week of November 25, 2007

Iraq War Casualties (U.S.)–As of Nov. 25, 2007

U.S. Military Casualties:

    Total Fatalities–3,875

    Fatalities due to Hostile Action–3,157

    Total Wounded–28,350

    U.S. Civilian Fatalities–158  (Contractors killed in Iraq)

Total Allied Fatalities:  300

Malaysia’s ethnic Indian community staged its largest anti-government protest on Sunday, November 25, 2007, with more than 10,000 protesters taking to the streets to complain about racial discrimination. Police fired tear gas and used water cannons to break up the protests. At least 20 were arrested.

Israel-Palestinian Conflict:

The upcoming peace conference at Annapolis, Maryland will host not only leaders from the U.S., Israel and the Palestinian Authority, but it will also feature representatives from the governments of Syria and Saudi Arabia. Diplomats from the Arab League, the European Union, Russia, and China are also expected to attend.

Fighting broke out November 25 between Israeli forces and Palestinian fighters of Fatah’s al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade. Three Palestinian militants were killed, and seven others were injured in the West Bank and Gaza Strip during armed clashes with Israeli soldiers. Over 35 people were arrested in the West Bank. Dozens of Israeli soldiers with armored vehicles entered the Marba’ at Hanoun neighborhood of Ramallah on the West Bank and exchanged shots with Fatah’s military wing. Also on Nov. 25, Israeli forces killed two Palestinian militants from the Islamic Jihad and the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) in the area east of al-Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza Strip.

South America:

Venezuela and Colombia moved toward a diplomatic crisis on Sunday Nov. 25, following an an exchange of insults between Venezuela’s President Hugo Chávez and the Colombian President, Álvaro Uribe. The two South American nations are neighbors, but Chavez is a major critic of American policies in Latin America, while Uribe is supported by the Bush Administration. Columbia is fighting a leftist insurgency and in the past, Colombia has expressed concern over large Venezuelan arms purchases; fearing that some of the small-arms purchased with Chavez’ oil money may end up in the hands of Colombian rebels. Look for the Bush Administration to support Colombia in any dispute with Chavez.

Thailand:

The Thai Army captured the eight Muslim insurgents arrested in a raid November 24, 2007 on an insurgent hideout in the troubled southern province of Narathiwat, Thailand.

Since January 2004, more than 2,600 people have died in fighting and terrorism in the Muslim-majority southern provinces of Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala where Muslim insurgents are fighting for independence from Thailand.

Sri Lanka:

Sri Lankan air force jets attacked a satellite communications center operated by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), in an attempt to reduce the Tamil rebels’ intelligence gathering-capability. The military attacked a Tamil base at Dharmapuram, near the LTTE’s headquarters at Kilinochchi in northern Sri Lanka, on November 25. The LTTE claimed the attack was on a civilian settlement, killing four people.

In a separate clash, the Sri Lankan army repulsed an attack by the Tamil Tigers Nov. 25 near Mannar in the northwest, killing at least five rebels.

Nepal:

Nepal’s former rebel leader, Prachanda, threatened to renew the long-standing civil war if his demands for immediate abolition of the monarchy are not met. Prachanda and his Maoist followers, while giving up the armed struggle for now, have been arguing with mainstream political parties over their demands for Nepal to be immediately declared a republic. The Maoists ended their decade-long insurgency in November of 2006. The Nepal Civil War claimed over 13,000 lives.