Anonymous Comrade writes "When the U.S. Navy announced it would again practice bombing on the Puerto Rican island of Vieques in April 2002, most Puerto Ricans were stunned. The Navy had practiced in Norfolk, VA the last time and few thought they would return. It was particularly strange given that the Navy would bomb Vieques during the 3rd anniversary of the death of David Sanes (April 19, 1999), the security guard that died as a result of an errant Navy bomb that set off the most recent massive movement against the Navy in Vieques.

When the Navy practices in Vieques, fighter jets routinely drop chaff, an aluminum dust, that creates huge clouds. Weather men in Puerto Rico can usually identify these clouds as they sweep over Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Chaff is typically used as a defensive mechanism in that it can be used to confuse missiles targetted at a fighter jet. However, chaff (I think) can also be used to disrupt the communications system of a country. Apparently, the chaff cloud during the most recent Navy bombing did not travel over Puerto Rico. It travelled over Venezuela.

Puerto Rico is geographically very close to Venezuela. I would say about 200 miles. Note that the Vieques bombing took place the same month as the Hugo Chavez coup. Also, recall that Chavez was being held on the island of Orchila, a Venezuelan island used by the military. Some reports indicate a U.S. military plane was on the island of Orchila awaiting to give Chavez a one way trip out of Venezuela.

Coincidence or conspiracy? Was the Navy bombing in Vieques in order to support the Chavez coup? Were Venezuelan communications systems disrupted by Navy chaff? Did the Navy use the bombing in Vieques as an excuse to provide help to the coup conspirators? I am not a professional journalist. But, I hope a serious journalist can take this story and investigate it."