CARACAS -- Two employees of the US embassy in Venezuela were shot and wounded early Tuesday in the capital Caracas, in a murky incident that local media and a police source said took place at a strip club.
So they were Secret Service?
"We can confirm that two members of the US embassy in Caracas were injured during an incident early this morning," State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell told reporters in Washington.
"Medical staff inform us that their injuries are not life-threatening," he added, noting that they were hurt at "some sort of a social spot" but without specifying the venue or nature of their injuries.
US diplomatic sources later confirmed to AFP that the two men were shot.
The Venezuelan media identified the two men as Roberto Ezequiel Rosas and Paul Marwin, and said they were military attaches at the embassy, but neither the State Department nor the embassy in Caracas would confirm those reports.
"My understanding is that they are other agency personnel, not from the State Department," Ventrell said.
Venezuelan television channel Globovision reported on its website that the incident took place at the Antonella bar located in a shopping center in the Chacao district of Caracas, after an altercation with other bar patrons. Bar staff told AFP on condition of anonymity that the venue is indeed a strip club that only admits men over the age of 30, but refused to say anything about the alleged incident involving the US embassy personnel.
Venezuela has the highest murder rate in South America with 54 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants. In the first quarter of 2013 alone, there were 3,400 murders, according to government statistics.
Several diplomats have been assaulted in recent months in the country.
#1
"My understanding is that they are other agency personnel, not from the State Department,"
That would be my understanding as well. No self respecting State Department male employee would be found in a strip club with wimyn dancers. Both recovering at Walter Reed... under different names no doubt.
#2
The two men are enlisted military officers who work at the U.S.
Enlisted officers...I guess they weren't drafted?
Embassy and the State Department says their injuries are not life-threatening.
Depends if they are married or not...
Investigators responded to a report that two Americans were shot outside a Caracas strip club at 4 a.m. Tuesday morning. According to Venezuelan officials, Roberto Rosas and Paul Marwin got into an argument at the nightspot, and then later, stepped outside where they were shot.
4 AM, strip club in one of the most dangerous cities on earth, argument. What could possibly go wrong?
Both men are Department of Defense employees who advise on military matters at the U.S. Embassy in Caracas. The local doctor who treated them, Carlos Pacheco, said the victims are recovering -- one from a leg wound, the other from a shot to the abdomen.
Their careers also shot.
Venezuela has one of the highest murder rates in the world. And the club is in an area of the capital that is supposed to be off-limits to embassy personnel.
And there is a reason why they put out those lists.
Posted by: Green Steve ||
05/29/2013 9:25 Comments ||
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#3
I understand completely what man can possibly resist her charms ?
The first Muslim elected to the parliament of New South Wales called the Israel lobby as "cancerous" and "malicious."
Of course he did. It's an F8.
Labor Party councilor Shaoquett Moselmane made his remarks in parliament on May 23. It was the second time in a month he made statements against Israel in the chamber.
He said, "I accept the right of people to express their views, even when they are wrong, naive, ill informed, indoctrinated and blinded by the power of a political lobby group that is cancerous, malicious and seeks to deny, misinform and scaremonger."
Moselmane also took aim at Israeli Ambassador Yuval Rotem, telling him to "butt out and stay out" of the debate. Moselmane, who was born in a southern Lebanese village, added, "Your perceived right to bully as you do in the Middle East does not extend to the Australian political arena."
Last month, Moselmane was rebuked by Labor Party leader John Robertson for a speech in the chamber in which he branded Israel a "corruption of justice". Robertson said, "The views expressed by Mr. Moselmane in his speech were not in accordance with Labor policy and I explicitly reject the statements made."
#1
Meanwhile, Michelle Rodriquez + Selma + Cote' de Pablo fans, not to be outdone by Muslim Aussies ...
* PRESS TV > "CANADIAN GOVERNMENT IS ILLEGITIMATE" | ROBOCALLS SCANDAL SHOW PM HARPER GOVT. LACKS LEGITIMACY: IRAN DEPUTY FM.
Where's a stained blue dress when you want one.
* DEFEENCE.PK/FORUMS > [SMH.com.au] WHO WANTS TO BE A PART OF CHINA?
On-going Senkakus, Okinawa disputes/row between Japan + China symbolic of new PRC-Party Leader Xi JinPeng's belief that China has only been "coasting" along widout any significant achievement under his predecessors, thus China must unilaterally assert itself, FORCIBLY IFF NEED BE, on the world stage - CHINA IS A MAJOR WORLD POWER + MUST EXERT ITSELF AS SUCH TO REMAIN SO.
* TOPIX > [Washington Times] FISHER: WEAKENING US PRESENCE ENCOURAGES CHINESE AGGRESSION.
* SAME > [The Age] AMERICA OR CHINA [Islam?]: ONE DAY WE [Aussies]WILL HAVE TO CHOOSE.
Thingys are coming to a head in Asia-Pacific between the US + China - ONE DAY, THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE WHOM WILL CONTROL OR DOMINATE. Aussies, etal. will no longer be able to ignore, whitewash, PDeny or avoid the issue or outcome.
AUSTRALIA + OTHERS WILL BE MADE TO CHOOSE, ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
#2
Disability rates will continue to climb as the boomer generation get older. Entitlements will as well.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
05/29/2013 14:32 Comments ||
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#3
The Baby Boomer story is a well worn liberal canard.
Disability rates will continue to climb as the unemployment payments run out. It's a win/win for the States and Feds. The states get them off the welfare rolls and the feds get the unemployment percentage down since people on disability are not unemployed.
The last time I went to the local Social Security office there was a whole lot of people, speaking many different languages, limping and definitely under 66.
When Great Britain asked the people on disability to come in for a checkup nearly a million didn't show up. We can see where we're going when Great Britain has a population of 62 million and has as many people on disability as the US.
I'd put together SS Disability Review panels here composed of DAVs, preferably those missing various appendages, to go over the volume we have. Should have enough in most areas to cover it by now. Give everyone a grace period to voluntarily get off the rolls. Those then found pulling disability to be fraudulent in the review should have their SS yanked for life.
KARACHI: The second round of anti-measles campaign has been postponed across Sindh, including Karachi, owing to the inability of finance department to disburse funds on time. Informed sources said Sindh Health Department had approved a grant of Rs 690 million to launch anti-measles drive in the province. However, Finance department could not issue the necessary funds on time, due to which the anti-measles drive was postponed, leaving millions of children helpless.
Posted by: Steve White ||
05/29/2013 00:00 ||
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Link ||
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#1
Just another day in the Paradise called Pakistan.
A prominent Vietnamese blogger has been arrested for posting articles critical of the communist government, reports said Monday, in the latest crackdown on dissent in the authoritarian country. Truong Duy Nhat, 49, was detained Sunday at his home in the coastal city of Danang and escorted to Vietnam's capital Hanoi for questioning, the state-run Tuoi Tre newspaper said.
He stands accused of "abusing democratic freedoms to infringe on the interests of the state", a charge that could bring a maximum seven years in jail, the report said.Nhat, who had worked for Vietnam's official press but quit in 2011, writes the popular blog "A Different Viewpoint".
His blog, "offering an alternative perspective" on news events from the staid official press, propelled him to nationwide recognition and "often attracted heated debate", the state-run Thanh Nien newspaper reported. It has not been possible to access his blog -- which frequently dealt with highly sensitive political issues -- since his arrest.
h/t Instapundit
Prince Georges County, Maryland stands out from the rest of the country in that it is among the most affluent majority-black counties in the US. But despite its uniqueness, it is quickly falling prey to a common trendmiddle class parents are pulling their children out of public schools and putting them in private competitors that offer a better education. Am I correct in thinking that we're talking about government employees here?
#2
Am I correct in thinking that we're talking about government employees here?
Posted by g(r)omgoru
Yes, that would be the 12% who comprise nearly 40% of all gov't employees, but that's alright, you are still free to blame white flight with total impunity.
#3
In the Socialist Big Tent Program of the tribal alliances, unions are 'more equal' than blacks. Unions have been, are, and will continue to be a sure source of party funding.
#4
As long as we're on the subject of "big tent" don't forget the agriculture and farm-chemical lobby and the tens of thousands of "poor farmers".... [who cannot get into the fields due to the wet planting season]. Do you know how much it costs to pull a $325,000 John Deere and a 14 row planter out of a mud hole ?
#7
Do you know how much it costs to pull a $325,000 John Deere and a 14 row planter out of a mud hole?
That could be the best lesson these school kids could learn in their lives - get 'em out in that mudhole pulling and digging that equipment out. And then working the field by hand for a few days. Even better if their teachers and administrators were yoked up and pulling too.
#10
A related issue:
Though the Highland Park School District [Michigan] spent $19,634 per pupil in 2010-11, which was the highest in the state, district schools were so mismanaged that they had rodents in the classrooms, holes in the ceilings and walls, and horrendous filth in the bathrooms.
In 2012, a financial review team appointed by Gov. Rick Snyder declared that the Highland Park school district was in a financial emergency. The district had spent millions more than it had received in revenue.
There were accusations of mismanagement. Highland Park board member Robert Davis was charged with improperly spending more than $170,000 of school district money, on clothing, hotels and restaurant tabs, among other things.
Ultimately, the state gave Highland Park more than $8 million in extra funding so that it could pay its bills.
This fall, the district reopened as a charter district.
Prior to being charterized, some district officials were blaming state legislators for a lack of funding. The Michigan PTA President also called for more money. At the same time, the district was spending nearly $20,000 per student well over a quarter of a million per classroom while the district shed nearly half of its students
The previous teachers' contract shows that the district paid 100 percent of health care premiums while granting special favors for the union, like handing over district financial information, setting up an automatic payroll deduction for dues, and allowed the local president to spend half of his or her time working exclusively on union business.
No Highland Park District school board member responded to a request for comment as to how the district could have spent so much while leaving the facilities in such disrepair.
#11
Even better if their teachers and administrators were yoked up and pulling too.
It's one of the very few things Mao may have done right. Force the 'intellectuals' from the universities et al out to the fields for a season to work among the peasants. Given how the same class in this country is all for mandatory 'volunteer' community service among high school children, it could have applications here.
#19
Dunno about socialistic-ness; whilst stationed at beautiful NAS Pax River in 91-94, Daughter unit was in the Lexington Park school system; grades plummeted, fell in w/ wrong crowd, etc, etc. put her in a catholic School St. Mary's Rykken, grades got well, self esteem took off, happy ending. wasn't socialisticness, it was a pisspoor public skool system. (when we registered the kids, I was looking at the school district map behind the sup's desk; she came back and demanded to know what I was doing. told her, and she began to dress me down, cause it wasn't my right to know whenre the better skools in her district were. borderline racist I was!
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
The first Muslim elected to the parliament of New South Wales called the Israel lobby as "cancerous" and "malicious." 
KARACHI: The second round of anti-measles campaign has been postponed across Sindh, including Karachi, owing to the inability of finance department to disburse funds on time. Informed sources said Sindh Health Department had approved a grant of Rs 690 million to launch anti-measles drive in the province. However, Finance department could not issue the necessary funds on time, due to which the anti-measles drive was postponed, leaving millions of children helpless.
