Halting ‘Humanitarian Aid’ Venezuela’s Right, Duty: US Author
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – An American professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law described the so-called “humanitarian aid” sent by the US and other countries opposed to the Venezuelan government as truly a Trojan Horse, adding that Caracas has every right to halt it.
“The ‘aid’ is truly a Trojan Horse, and Venezuela has every right, and in fact duty, to halt it,” Kovalik told Tasnim, adding, “When we evaluate what is happening right now between the US and Venezuela, we must remember the Gulf of Tonkin, the imaginary weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, the false claims of Gaddafi giving Viagra to his troops to carry out mass rapes, etc. Time and again, we have seen the US use fake pretexts to justify war, and we must see through such attempts to prevent the next war.”
Daniel Kovalik is a professor of University of Pittsburgh School of Law, and is the author of “The Plot to Attack Iran”.
Following is the full text of the interview.
Tasnim: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the United States "will take action" in support of anti-government protesters amid clashes between them and Venezuelan police. How do see the latest developments in Venezuela?
Kovalik: So far, the Venezuelan armed forces, with the backing of a significant portion of the Venezuelan population, have stayed unified and quite able to repel the forces attempting to destabilize Venezuela. While there has been violence at the borders of Venezuela -- violence which has taken place according to the plan of the US which wants to provoke a pretext for invasion -- the Venezuelan armed forces have stayed disciplined and have prevented any breach of the borders. In short, the US-backed coup has failed for now. And now, both Colombian and Brazil are balking at the use of violence to achieve the US's goals. These are all positive developments, but it is certain that the US has not given up on regime change.
Tasnim: Russia has warned that the United States is using humanitarian aid to instigate a “dangerous provocation” in Venezuela by arming the country's opposition while moving its own forces closer to Venezuelan borders in preparation for a military invasion. What do you think?
Kovalik: The Red Cross is in agreement that the US actions at the border cannot be considered "humanitarian". These actions are an obvious attempt to provoke a violent situation which the US can use to justify an invasion. The "aid" is truly a Trojan Horse, and Venezuela has every right, and in fact duty, to halt it. When we evaluate what is happening right now between the US and Venezuela, we must remember the Gulf of Tonkin, the imaginary weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, the false claims of Gaddafi giving Viagra to his troops to carry out mass rapes, etc. Time and again, we have seen the US use fake pretexts to justify war, and we must see through such attempts to prevent the next war.
Tasnim: China has also said that the "so-called aid" should not be forced into Venezuela, lest it cause violence. What’s your take on this? Will the US finally intervene militarily in the country?
Kovalik: I, of course, agree with China that this "aid" should not be forced upon Venezuela. If the US truly cared about the Venezuelan people, it would end the deadly sanctions against their country instead of offering a token amount of aid. It certainly looks like the US is preparing to militarily intervene in Venezuela, even in the face of the growing concern about such a course of action amongst key US allies such as Colombia and Brazil. An invasion of Venezuela would be illegal, immoral and quite dangerous, even for US interests, but sadly, the US is being led right now by sociopaths such as Donald Trump, John Bolton, and Elliott Abrams. And so, even the unthinkable is quite possible.
