The bombing starts in ten minutes'

Bush did it. Took Venezuela off the list of war-on-drugs states, otherwise known as the drug war "certification." Burma/Myanmar didn't make the cut either.

From yesterday's presidential determination:

Pursuant to section 706(2)(A) of the FRAA, I hereby designate Burma and Venezuela as countries that have failed demonstrably during the previous 12 months to adhere to their obligations under international counternarcotics agreements and take the measures set forth in section 489(a)(1) of the FAA. Attached to this report (Tab A) are justifications for the determinations on Burma and Venezuela, as required by section 706(2)(B).

I have also determined, in accordance with provisions of section 706(3)(A) of the FRAA, that support for programs to aid Venezuela's democratic institutions, establish selected community development projects, and strengthen Venezuela's political party system is vital to the national interests of the United States.

(The "justifications" mentioned are not attached to the online version and, as far as I can tell, are not available anywhere online.)

In the last two months, the State Department has mentioned a few areas of "concern" at its daily press briefings: Venezuela's slowness on passing an organized crime bill that the U.S. supports, and its unwillingness to sign on to an international agreement on monitoring aircraft. Pretty minor stuff compared to Venezuela's neighbor, staunch U.S. ally Colombia, where sections of the Army are major players in the cocaine and heroin trade and impunity, despite a few high-level arrests now and then, essentially rules.