Dublin Opinion

Today, In the Articles of Note section of Arts and Letter Daily I found a link to a Der Spiegel article dated the 7th of April on the finding of that Miracle Laptop which ‘proves’ that Chavez is supporting the FARC with money and arms. The opening paragraph has the meat and two veg of the story.

“A spectacular find may prove what many have long suspected. E-mails and other files found on a FARC laptop in the jungles of Ecuador show that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez may have close relations with the terror group.”

Although it only may prove what ‘many’ have long suspected we’re still encouraged to ignore the may and concentrate on the prove. But such quibbles are left aside with the second sentence, which states things much more firmly: that the e-mails and other files SHOW that Chavez has close relations with FARC. Very little room for doubt there then.

I’d also like to revel in the evocative style of this fast paced paragraph:

“When police stormed a house near San José, the capital of Costa Rica, they knew exactly what they were looking for.

Immediately, the officers headed for a backroom where they found an old safe packed with bundles of dollars — wrapped like cocaine in plastic.”

Damn, its like an episode of Miami Vice.

However, before I get too hasty with my sarcasm some clarification of the ongoing investigation is provided further down the article:

“In roughly two weeks, Interpol Secretary General Ronald Noble plans to announce the results of the investigation. But one thing is already clear: the laptops contain a political bombshell.”

So the investigation is not complete, yet we know who did what to whom, and that it was done with the lead pipe, in the drawing room, and the assailant was wearing a smoking jacket, and, ripping the card from the little paper sleeve, it was…

“… Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez — the same man who threatened his Colombian counterpart Alvaro Uribe with war following the cross-border raid against Reyes.”

Yes, but why?

“Chavez apparently does more than just sympathize with the guerrillas in his neighboring country — he also supports them with money and arms.”

So there you go, case closed.

Now, the date on this article is the 7th of April, so how could Der Spiegel’s writers and publishers known that yesterday, during a hearing of the House of Representatives Subcommittee the head of the Organization of American States, assigned to investigate this, would say:

“You mean does Venezuela support terrorist groups? I don’t think so,” OAS chief Jose Miguel Insulza said during a heated exchange with Florida Representative Connie Mack, who asked if Caracas backed Colombia’s FARC rebels that the US and Europe have labeled a terrorist group.

“There is no evidence, and no member country, including this one (United States) has offered the OAS such proof,” Insulza added.”

But still Der Spiegel were happy to suggest that the case was very close to being proven and decided not to mention all the doubts, queries and challenges to the ‘evidence’ found in the miracle laptop that have been appearing over the last month and a half.

Credit goes to BoRev, who also find it curious that there is not much mention of this on the wires.