Like the Iraq War, but Worse

"There is a certain eerie familiarity to the Trump administration's slow roll to war with Venezuela. There is the ominous military buildup, the shifting rationales, and even a shaky claim of "weapons of mass destruction," thanks to the administration's recent reclassification of fentanyl, to help justify its attacks. The conflict with Venezuela will probably play out differently than the Iraq War did-perhaps better, perhaps worse. But the moral basis upon which it is being waged is most certainly worse."

"Given Venezuela's slight role in the supply chain of illicit drugs to the United States, and President Donald Trump's otherwise fairly lax approach to the narcotics trade-he has pardoned or granted clemency to more than 90 drug criminals across both terms-whispers began circulating recently that the true motive was pecuniary, that Trump was really interested in Venezuela's oil. "This is a shakedown-a financial shakedown, being done primarily for profit," one official told my colleagues Vivian Salama and Sarah Fitzpatrick last week."

The Trump administration is mounting a gradual military campaign against Venezuela, marked by a growing military buildup and shifting rationales. Officials have framed attacks — including 28 known U.S. strikes on boats allegedly carrying illegal drugs — as a defensive effort to stop drug flows and protect the homeland. The administration reclassified fentanyl and invoked "weapons of mass destruction" language to bolster that justification. Venezuela plays a limited role in the U.S. drug supply chain, prompting allegations that economic motives, particularly control of Venezuelan oil, are driving policy. Officials and statements from the president point to oil seizures and demands for payment.

Read at The Atlantic