Col. Douglas Macgregor on Venezuela Intervention, US Military Ethics, and Illegal Orders

Potential US Intervention in Venezuela

• 🎯 Unconfirmed reports suggest the CIA and US special forces attempted to capture or kill Venezuelan leader Nicholas Maduro.
• ⚠️ The US military has reportedly deployed 15,000 troops and 11 battleships to the region, a number potentially underestimated.
• 💡 Colonel Macgregor views the operation as a "clown show" and a repeated failure in US attempts to replace the Venezuelan government.
• 💰 US motives are seen as seeking access to Venezuela's vast resources (oil, gas, gold, rare earths) and to pressure Cuba.

Challenges of Intervention

• 🧠 Maduro is described as elusive, not sleeping in the same place and using multiple secure communication methods.
• 🛡️ He is protected by well-trained bodyguards, including Russian and Cuban mercenaries.
• 🤝 Neighbors like Colombia and Brazil, despite not necessarily liking Venezuela, are increasingly willing to support it, complicating US plans.
• 📉 A US military incursion could lead to significant casualties, potentially turning into a disaster with limited tolerance for losses in Washington.

The Drug War Narrative

• 🔍 The claim that Venezuela is a primary source of drugs like fentanyl is disputed, with less than 4% of cocaine originating there and much of it going to Africa or Europe.
• 💊 Fentanyl, which causes significant US deaths, overwhelmingly comes from Mexico, not Venezuela.
• 🚩 The focus on Venezuela is seen as a pretext for resource acquisition and geopolitical competition, aiming to exclude Russia, China, and Iran from the Western Hemisphere.

Military Ethics and Illegal Orders

• ⚖️ The discussion shifts to military ethics, particularly regarding illegal orders and civilian casualties.
• 📜 Soldiers are trained extensively on the law of war, including prohibitions against harming prisoners or deliberately killing civilians.
• ⚠️ The incident in question involved an alleged order from the Secretary of War to "kill them all," with the admiral potentially complying under duress.
• 😥 Lower-ranking personnel face immense pressure to obey orders, fearing severe repercussions if they refuse, even if the order is illegal.
• ⬆️ Colonel Macgregor emphasizes that accountability should focus on those issuing illegal orders, not solely on the individuals forced to carry them out.
• 🏛️ He suggests the admiral should be removed pending court-martial and the Secretary of War suspended pending investigation, based on media reports.