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State Department: Venezuelan government planned the attack on U.S. ambassador
State Department spokesman Sean McCormackBy Elio Ohep
Petroleumworld
CARACAS
Petroleumworld.com 04 11 06
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack, reaffirmed the U.S. view that the harassment of Brownfield was not a spontaneous act but was planned by government officials, at the State Department's daily briefing, Monday."This was organized," he told reporters.
"The government was aware of it. So, certainly, there was some government involvement in this." he added.McCormack made his remarks a day after Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, on its Sunday national broadcast television show threatened to expel Brownfield for "provocations" after an incident at a sports center outside Caracas where Brownfield was to present a donation to a youth baseball team.
Brownfield's car was attacked with eggs and tomatoes and was the third such attack in recent weeks and was not a spontaneously gathering crowd, but planned by the Venezuelan goverment, McCormack said.
The United States is thinking in serious reprisals if the incident is repeated, McCormack said and threatened to restrict the ability of Venezuelan Ambassador in the U.S. to be "severely restricted" if there was another assault on US envoy William Brownfield.
McCormack withheld comment on the personal attacks Chavez delivered Sunday, against President Bush. Among other ofensive remarks, Chavez said Bush was a drunk, a coward and a genocidal maniac.
"I'm just not going to take the bait on this," he said, adding that the United States is still seeking good relations with Venezuela.
- Elio Ohep, editor@petroleumworld.com; 58 412 996 3730, Caracas.
Petroleumworld News 04 10 06
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