Guerrilla22
29th September 2008, 22:11
By CHRISTOPHER TOOTHAKER, Associated Press Writer Wed Sep 24, 9:23 PM ET
CARACAS, Venezuela - Venezuelan authorities have arrested two people suspected of plotting to kill Hugo Chavez by blowing up the president's plane with an anti-tank weapon, the country's top security official said Wednesday.
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Justice Minister Tarek El Aissami said the suspects were apprehended Tuesday during a raid on a house in western Zulia state, where authorities found a recoilless anti-tank weapon and four grenades. He said the names of the suspects would not be revealed for "strategic reasons."
El Aissami did not explain when and where the alleged conspirators planned to target Chavez's plane. Zulia is located along Venezuela's border with Colombia.
At least six people, including retired and active military officers, have been detained so far for alleged links to the plot. Military prosecutors are questioning others. None of the suspects has been formally charged.
"What was being planned here was the president's assassination ... a plan with the objective of sowing violence in our country" and stopping the government agenda, El Aissami told Venezuela's state-run news agency.
El Aissami said the suspects caught in Zulia could have been planning to kill the president by shooting down the presidential jet — a possibility that Chavez raised when the purported plot was first discovered.
"The cannon we found is for downing planes. It has highly destructive power," he said.
Chavez claims that radicals backed by the United States are plotting to assassinate him. The socialist leader recently ordered the U.S. Ambassador Patrick Duddy to leave Venezuela, accusing the envoy of aiding the purported plot.
U.S. officials deny it.
Chavez made the accusations on Sept. 11, after a recording surfaced of a purported conversation between conspirators discussing plans to assassinate him and topple his government. He claims plotters sought to blow up the presidential plane or bomb the presidential palace.
It was not clear when the conversation broadcast on state television was recorded. The military officers identified as suspects have not responded to the accusations publicly, and some government critics suspect the recording is bogus.
El Aissami suggested that officials in Zulia, which is governed by opposition leader Manuel Rosales, could be involved in the alleged conspiracy and chided government foes for dismissing the plot as a ploy to distract attention from domestic problems.
"I don't think anybody can be so naive to think they had this cannon, which has a range of 700 meters, to kill a deer," he said.
Chavez has accused Washington of conspiring with his opponents to assassinate him or spur his ouster dozens of times since he took office in 1999.
CARACAS, Venezuela - Venezuelan authorities have arrested two people suspected of plotting to kill Hugo Chavez by blowing up the president's plane with an anti-tank weapon, the country's top security official said Wednesday.
http://us.bc.yahoo.com/b?P=4iF55EwNc1jF0IOWR3iEgAgDjdoyp0jhRHMADEHW&T=1clspjb5l%2fX%3d1222722675%2fE%3d85074877%2fR%3d news%2fK%3d5%2fV%3d2.1%2fW%3dH%2fY%3dYAHOO%2fF%3d3 315726484%2fH%3dY2FjaGVoaW50PSJuZXdzIiBjb250ZW50PS JzZWN1cml0eTtob3VzZTtDb2xvbWJpYTttaWxpdGFyeTtNaWxp dGFyeTthc3Nhc3NpbmF0aW9uO2dvdmVybm1lbnQ7SXQ7aXQ7Y2 9uc3BpcmFjeTtXYXNoaW5ndG9uO3JlZnVybF9uZXdzX3lhaG9v X2NvbSIgcmVmdXJsPSJyZWZ1cmxfbmV3c195YWhvb19jb20iIH RvcGljcz0icmVmdXJsX25ld3NfeWFob29fY29tIg--%2fQ%3d-1%2fS%3d1%2fJ%3d06730D4C&U=12bu7584f%2fN%3d5PGzD0wNBls-%2fC%3d-1%2fD%3dRMP%2fB%3d-1%2fV%3d0http://us.bc.yahoo.com/b?P=4iF55EwNc1jF0IOWR3iEgAgDjdoyp0jhRHMADEHW&T=1cl19909p%2fX%3d1222722675%2fE%3d85074877%2fR%3d news%2fK%3d5%2fV%3d2.1%2fW%3dH%2fY%3dYAHOO%2fF%3d1 962931491%2fH%3dY2FjaGVoaW50PSJuZXdzIiBjb250ZW50PS JzZWN1cml0eTtob3VzZTtDb2xvbWJpYTttaWxpdGFyeTtNaWxp dGFyeTthc3Nhc3NpbmF0aW9uO2dvdmVybm1lbnQ7SXQ7aXQ7Y2 9uc3BpcmFjeTtXYXNoaW5ndG9uO3JlZnVybF9uZXdzX3lhaG9v X2NvbSIgcmVmdXJsPSJyZWZ1cmxfbmV3c195YWhvb19jb20iIH RvcGljcz0icmVmdXJsX25ld3NfeWFob29fY29tIg--%2fQ%3d-1%2fS%3d1%2fJ%3d06730D4C&U=12cu0jivc%2fN%3d5fGzD0wNBls-%2fC%3d-1%2fD%3dSIPR%2fB%3d-1%2fV%3d0http://us.bc.yahoo.com/b?P=4iF55EwNc1jF0IOWR3iEgAgDjdoyp0jhRHMADEHW&T=1clce7mvj%2fX%3d1222722675%2fE%3d85074877%2fR%3d news%2fK%3d5%2fV%3d2.1%2fW%3dH%2fY%3dYAHOO%2fF%3d2 001643855%2fH%3dY2FjaGVoaW50PSJuZXdzIiBjb250ZW50PS JzZWN1cml0eTtob3VzZTtDb2xvbWJpYTttaWxpdGFyeTtNaWxp dGFyeTthc3Nhc3NpbmF0aW9uO2dvdmVybm1lbnQ7SXQ7aXQ7Y2 9uc3BpcmFjeTtXYXNoaW5ndG9uO3JlZnVybF9uZXdzX3lhaG9v X2NvbSIgcmVmdXJsPSJyZWZ1cmxfbmV3c195YWhvb19jb20iIH RvcGljcz0icmVmdXJsX25ld3NfeWFob29fY29tIg--%2fQ%3d-1%2fS%3d1%2fJ%3d06730D4C&U=13fp2h75u%2fN%3d3vGzD0wNBls-%2fC%3d674272.13019342.13225154.8962956%2fD%3dLREC %2fB%3d5406486%2fV%3d1
Justice Minister Tarek El Aissami said the suspects were apprehended Tuesday during a raid on a house in western Zulia state, where authorities found a recoilless anti-tank weapon and four grenades. He said the names of the suspects would not be revealed for "strategic reasons."
El Aissami did not explain when and where the alleged conspirators planned to target Chavez's plane. Zulia is located along Venezuela's border with Colombia.
At least six people, including retired and active military officers, have been detained so far for alleged links to the plot. Military prosecutors are questioning others. None of the suspects has been formally charged.
"What was being planned here was the president's assassination ... a plan with the objective of sowing violence in our country" and stopping the government agenda, El Aissami told Venezuela's state-run news agency.
El Aissami said the suspects caught in Zulia could have been planning to kill the president by shooting down the presidential jet — a possibility that Chavez raised when the purported plot was first discovered.
"The cannon we found is for downing planes. It has highly destructive power," he said.
Chavez claims that radicals backed by the United States are plotting to assassinate him. The socialist leader recently ordered the U.S. Ambassador Patrick Duddy to leave Venezuela, accusing the envoy of aiding the purported plot.
U.S. officials deny it.
Chavez made the accusations on Sept. 11, after a recording surfaced of a purported conversation between conspirators discussing plans to assassinate him and topple his government. He claims plotters sought to blow up the presidential plane or bomb the presidential palace.
It was not clear when the conversation broadcast on state television was recorded. The military officers identified as suspects have not responded to the accusations publicly, and some government critics suspect the recording is bogus.
El Aissami suggested that officials in Zulia, which is governed by opposition leader Manuel Rosales, could be involved in the alleged conspiracy and chided government foes for dismissing the plot as a ploy to distract attention from domestic problems.
"I don't think anybody can be so naive to think they had this cannon, which has a range of 700 meters, to kill a deer," he said.
Chavez has accused Washington of conspiring with his opponents to assassinate him or spur his ouster dozens of times since he took office in 1999.