It is an old tradition for conspiracy theorists to blame the CIA for coups, especially those in Latin America that removed leaders anathema to the United States. A conspiracy theory maybe, except that history shows the coups and military interventions mentioned above to be the handiwork of the CIA. But this is the third millennium; such things are now passé, aren’t they? And they are certainly not politically correct; or are they?

The much-feared CIA has been supposed to be out of the covert regime change business since the end of the Cold War. It has seemingly been more concerned with sexual harassment of its female recruits by its Cold War warriors than with its intelligence role. But maybe, just maybe, that all changed with September the eleventh. George Bush certainly says the rules changed. From now on, no more Mister Nice Guy! Leadership assassination by the CIA is now, by official edict, back on the allowable agenda. The Administration obediently lines itself up with one group of terrorists, in the name of fighting terrorism, in the Middle East and threatens ‘regime change’ on another of the region’s leaders. So is it so far-fetched to question the role of the US in the briefly successfully overthrow of President Chavez?

Chavez has been a thorn in the side of the United States since his election three years ago. A populist former lieutenant colonel and himself the architect of a failed coup, he has had the effrontery to befriend the US’ oldest living foe, Fidel Castro. The ageing Cuban leader is now successfully facing down his tenth US president in a career that has already lasted 43 years (this despite the CIA’s farcical plot to assassinate him with an exploding cigar) Perhaps worse, Chavez is the leading proponent within OPEC for higher oil prices at a time that supplies are threatened by Middle East developments. The Secretary General of OPEC, until April 19th, was a Chavez supporter. He will now run the Venezuelan oil company PDVSA.

The US certainly wants to see the back of Chavez and seems to have given more than just winks and nods to the coup plotters when they sought Washington’s blessings. On his election, Bush vowed to put Latin America at the top of his foreign policy priorities. But the apparently simplistic mindset of his Latin American advisers, heavily influenced by the Florida Cuban lobby, appears to have pushed the administration back in time. In foreign policy terms the Bush Administration reminds us more and more of the Jimmy Breslin 1970s novel about the Mafia - ‘The Gang that couldn’t shoot straight.’

The foreign policy disasters seem to mount by the day: bogged down in Afghanistan with no obvious honourable exit strategy; acting as Israel’s puppet in the Middle East; issuing random threats to all and sundry, especially Saddam Hussein. The war against terrorism ( with opr without its unfortunate acronym )is increasingly being seen for what it is, a dangerous gamble to gain another term in the White House by frightening the American public that their safety depends on the US taking on the role of a modern day Rome. The United States risks being seen as a global bully and hypocrite as it struggles with the responsibility of being the sole super-power following the end of the Cold War.

In the Chavez case, his Latin neighbours stood up for the democratic values they supposedly adopted at the urging of the United States in the 1990s. This support, and the splits in the Venezuelan military have been enough to restore Chavez - for now. But the US is anything but shameless. It may have lost face in the Chavez restoration but oil politics mean that it is unlikely to give up on his eventual removal - unless he plays ball on oil prices.

The Bush Administration is threatened with imperial overreach in its wars on everyone it cannot stand. Besides its potential quagmire in Afghanistan, it has entered an endless and unwinnable fight in Colombia and now has more than just watching briefs on parts of South East Asia, including the Philippines and Indonesia. Let us not forget the ‘axis of evil’ members, North Korea, Iran and Iraq. With rumours increasing that Iran and Iraq may be willing to increase their co-operation against the Great Satan, and others circulating that suitcase nuclear weapons may already be in terrorist hands, the situation could begin to spiral out of control. The US is becoming isolated except for such ‘friends’ as Israel, Russia and, of course, the doggedly loyal Tony Blair.

These are dangerous times indeed and there is little cause for confidence about the lack of any clearly principled foreign policy leadership from the US. Things ain’t what they used to be, and are likely to get worse before they get better.

As they say in the US - have a nice day. While you can!