Weekend Economists Chart the Bradbury Chronicles, June 8-10,2012

[Demeter]

76. The Pentagon Seeks to Regain the Initiative in South America (CHILE BASE FOLLOW UP)

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article31525.htm

The recent visit by US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta to three South American countries, and the installation of a Southern Command base in Concón, Chile, show the deepening of the military presence of the Pentagon in the region.

"We'll really try to develop a key part of our new defense strategy, which is to…reinforce some very innovative partnerships in a very important region of the world that represents a key security interest for the United States," said Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, aboard the military aircraft that took him on his first visit to the region as defense secretary.

Panetta made three stopovers: in Colombia he reaffirmed the mission of Plan Colombia, to export security to the countries of the region, in particular to Central America and Mexico; in Brazil he attempted to lure the country with promises, to bring the world's sixth-largest economy closer to Washington's orbit; and finally, in Chile his visit coincided with the opening of the first military base of the Southern Command in that country, specializing in urban warfare.

His words revealed the objectives of the Pentagon's policy in the region: innovate, modify and deepen security policies, in line with the new national defense strategy issued by President Obama in early January, 2012. The focus shifts from the Middle East to the Asia-Pacific region, and to attract allies, the US proposes building partnerships in the form of "a network of alliances across the globe," offering the partners "technology transfer, intelligence sharing and foreign military sales."

MORE MADNESS AT LINK