The contents of the following cable ^[1], ostensibly classified Top Secret (TS), from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the American Embassy at Tel Aviv, Israel, dovetails with much of the public rhetoric of late by hard-line neo-cons in Washington regarding the ‘pressing’ need for ‘regime change’ in Iran ^{[2] [3] [4]} in the interests of ‘national security’ and furtherance of ‘democracy’ and ‘stability’ in the Middle East.

What is particularly surprising in this cable is that, for the first time, there is what appears to be official mention from the highest levels of our government of an, as yet, undisclosed but parallel campaign for ‘regime change’ regarding the nation of Venezuela ^{[1] [5]}, a campaign that is apparently in a significant stage of development and advancement within Washington’s inner circles and whose origins are due to the increasingly perceived belligerence and bellicose posturing of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez against Venezuela’s neighbor, Columbia ^[9], as well as the United States ^[8]. Even more surprising is that the cable specifically requests that Israel assist the United States in achieving this objective ^[1].

President Chavez has made no secret of his ‘disdain’ for America ^[7] and his increasingly volatile comments and hard-line stance against the United States ^[7] and defiance of International Conventions and diplomatic protocols has drawn the attention and concern of many Heads of State in the Central and South American regions.

His much publicized purchase of top-line Russian military equipment ^{[6] [7]}, including its latest and most up-to-date front-line jet fighters, represents a significant departure from his stated objective of peaceful co-existence with his Central and South American neighbors and the beginning of a potentially dramatic shift in the balance of military power in the western hemisphere ^[7].

It is not my intent in submitting this cable with this article to stoke an already ‘edgy’ national climate with rumors of ‘new threats’ and/or ‘conspiracies’. The reader is reminded that, while seemingly genuine, the potential for fraud and/or disinformation exists.

However, if this cable IS genuine and Israel IS being asked to involve itself in South American affairs on behalf of, and in partnership with, the United States, it represents an entirely new dynamic in contemporary global geo-politics, a dynamic whose consequences are unknown but which we may profoundly regret and history will never forget.

And given the recent political developments in the Middle East ^[10] and South America ^[9], as well as President Chavez’s apparently warm relations with Iran ^[7], the substance of the information contained in this purported cable, therefore, cannot be so easily dismissed.

References:

^[1] http://cryptome.org/0002/twin-threats.htm - U.S. State Department Cable to Tel Aviv. “Twin Threats: Coordinating Regime Change in Iran and Venezuela “.

^[2] http://www.opednews.com/articles/Banging-the-Drums-of-War--by-Robert-Bonomo- 100830-875.html - Banging the Drums of War: Iran and the Neo-Cons.

^[3] http://www.rightweb.irc-online.org/profile/goldberg_jeffrey - Jeffrey Goldberg.

^[4] http://www.consortiumnews.com/2010/081210b.html - A Neocon Preps US for War with Iran.

^[5] http://www.opednews.com/articles/Venezuela-in-Washington-s-by-Stephen-Lendman-100323-826.html - Venezuela in Washington's Crosshairs.

^[6] http://rt.com/Top_News/2009-09-10/chavez-shopping-arms-energy.html - Chavez shopping for arms and energy deals in Moscow.

^[7] http://rt.com/Politics/2010-04-09/hugo-chavez-america-mind.html - Hugo Chavez gives America a piece of his mind.

^[8] http://www.alternet.org/rss/breaking_news/242986/venezuela - Venezuela's Chavez threatens to cut off US oil.

^[9]http://www.alternet.org/world/147690/with_opposition_to_u.s._militarism_in_latin_america_on_the_rise,_colombian_and_venezuelan_govs_clash?page=entire - With Opposition to U.S. Militarism in Latin America on the Rise, Colombian and Venezuelan Govs Clash.

^[10] http://rawstory.com/news/afp/Iran_starts_loading_fuel_into_first_08212010.html -Iran starts loading fuel into first nuclear plant.