Ecuador says CIA infiltrated its military

Ecuador says CIA infiltrated its military
Fri 31 Oct 2008
http://africa.reuters.com/world/news/usnTRE49U0CH.html


QUITO (Reuters) - Ecuador charged on Thursday the CIA infiltrated its
military and knew of a Colombian military raid against rebels in
Ecuadorean territory -- accusations that could fray ties with
Washington.

A U.S. embassy spokeswoman in Quito declined to comment on the
charges.

Defence Minister Javier Ponce said the CIA knew of the Colombian
attack before the Ecuadorean government from agents inside its
military.

"The CIA had full knowledge of what was happening in Angostura,"
Ponce told reporters, referring to the border hamlet where Colombia
troops killed a top leftist rebel leader in March.

The raid, which also killed other 24 people, briefly raised the
threat of war after Ecuador and Venezuela sent soldiers and tanks to
their borders with Colombia. Nerves calmed quickly in a regional
meeting a week later but Ecuador and Colombia still have not mended
diplomatic ties since the attack.

Ecuador's latest accusation makes it more difficult for Quito to
restore diplomatic ties with U.S.-ally Colombia.

President Rafael Correa, a popular leftist and ally of U.S. foe
Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, has said the CIA controls some of his
country's spy units and launched a military probe that raised
tensions with the country's powerful army.

The U.S.-trained economist has mainly kept good ties with the United
States, but is often critical of President George W. Bush, once
saying he was dumber than the devil.

Correa has vowed not to renew a lease on an air base used by U.S.
troops for anti-drug operations which expires in 2009.

In a recent visit to Quito, a Russian security official said the
Kremlin was open to helping Ecuador's intelligence as part of a
broader plan to improve ties with Latin America.

(Reporting by Jose Llangari and Alexandra Valencia; editing by Alan
Elsner)

*********************************************************************

WORLD VIEW NEWS SERVICE