Biting The Hand That Bites The Hand That Feeds It

"I Go Crazy/Hugo Crazy" Chavez has a little problem to deal with between his sulfur-smelling rants, kissy-face sessions with Cindy Sheehan, and his siezures of private business: Al Qaeda.

CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) -- Venezuela's defense minister said Thursday that the nation would reinforce security measures after a branch of al Qaeda called for attacks on suppliers of oil to the United States.

Venezuela provides around 11 percent of U.S. oil imports despite diplomatic tensions between Caracas and Washington over leftist President Hugo Chavez's self-styled socialist revolution.

Gen. Raul Baduel told reporters that security and intelligence agencies would "take actions and implement previously established security plans, but reinforce them with the goal of guaranteeing security."

He called for calm and said Chavez would provide further instructions about how to deal with the threat.

A Saudi wing of al Qaeda, in a statement posted Wednesday on a Web site, called for attacks on suppliers of oil to the United States to cut off vital oil supplies.

Al Qaeda specifically called for attacks outside the Middle East -- on Venezuela, Mexico and Canada. Eh.

I'll vote for Venezuela, if al Qaeda's interested. Strategically, it makes the most sense for them because the attack would establish that al Qaeda is about forced conversion to Islam or death, and that even fellow Bush-haters need to fall before the sword of Islam. Venezuela would give them that opportunity.

And if you're listening, al Qaeda, could you please spare the Venezuelan people and plant your bomb so it just gets Hugo and his inner circle?

Much appreciated.

hat-tip: Jim