WASHINGTON – The Pentagon has received no orders from the White House to attack Venezuela, spokesman Eric Pahon said Friday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Pentagon found itself in the unusual position to have to push back on any idea it would deploy troops to Venezuela after President Donald Trump offered at a press briefing Friday that \u201da military option is certainly something that we could pursue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Venezuela\u2019s president Nicol\u00e1s Maduro has been violently suppressing his dissenters as his Constituent Assembly works to rewrite the country\u2019s constitution. The U.S. Treasury Department issued sanctions against Venezuela this month against Maduro\u2019s government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A reporter at the briefing asked how his administration planned to address Venezuela\u2019s crisis, Trump suggested U.S. force may be the answer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m not ruling out military options. We have many options for Venezuela,\u201d Trump said. \u201dThis is our neighbor. We\u2019re all over the world, and we have troops all over the world in places that are very far away. Venezuela is not very far away and the people are suffering and they\u2019re dying.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Asked if it would be a U.S.-led military option, Trump said, \u201dWe don\u2019t talk about it, but a military operation, a military option is certainly something that we could pursue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Pentagon referred questions to the White House, noting that \u201das of right now, the Pentagon has received no orders\u201d to attack Venezuela. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Former U.S. defense secretary Leon Panetta, speaking on CNN, had a harsher perspective. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe last thing we need is another flashpoint,\u201d Panetta said. Given the current crisis with North Korea, Panetta warned that \u201cthis is not a time for loose talk.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tcopp@mco.com<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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