Reply #81: U.S. bans weapons sales to Venezuela [View All]

[struggle4progress]

BY STEVEN DUDLEY AND PABLO BACHELET
Knight Ridder Newspapers

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration has banned arms sales to Venezuela - which has been on a buying spree to prepare for an alleged U.S. invasion - accusing President Hugo Chavez of failing to cooperate in the war on terrorism and maintaining close ties to Cuba and Iran.

The decision announced Monday may be largely symbolic because Chavez has been buying the bulk of his weapons, including attack and transport helicopters, patrol boats and military transport airplanes, from Russia and Spain.

The first batch of 33 Russian helicopters arrived in Venezuela last month, and 33,000 of the 100,000 Russian Kalashnikov assault rifles that Chavez bought are expected this month. Caracas is also finalizing a deal with Spain to purchase eight military patrol boats and 10 military transport planes, and ramping up the training of a 2.5-million-member militia to fight a ``war of resistance'' against any U.S. invaders ...

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/14587083.htm