Russia to Supply $1bn in Military Aircraft to Venezuela

[norml]

July 21, 2006

Russia to Supply $1bn in Military Aircraft to Venezuela




By Staff

(AXcess News) Caracas - Russia has agreed to supply $1 billion in military aircraft to the Venezuelan government of Hugo Chavez, Russia's Defense Minister, Sergei Ivanov, said Friday.

Ivanov said 30 Su-30 Flanker air-superiority fighters and 30 helicopters would be supplied to Venezuela.

The Russian Su-30 Flankers will replace a Venezuelan contingent of U.S. F-16 multi-role fighters after Washington imposed an embargo on arms sales to the country May 15, which it says poses a threat to regional stability.

Chavez, who has moved to curb American influence in the region and consolidate ties with other South American nations since he came to power in 1998, earlier accused the United States of breaching an agreement to supply parts for Venezuela's F-16s.

Oil-rich Venezuela is a major purchaser of Russian weapons and hardware. In late 2004, the two countries signed a $54 million contract for the supply of 100,000 automatic rifles. In June of this year, the outspoken Chavez said he planned to build a plant to make Kalashnikov rifles and cartridges in the country.


snip


http://www.axcessnews.com/modules/wfsection/article.php?articleid=10532

[w4rma]

1. Smart for them. Especially after recent events. (nt)

[saigon68]

2. They need more weapons

Commander Chimpanzee Will invade.

He already has ordered Negroponte to kill Chavez.

[WCGreen]

3. That's one way for the right to win an election

down there....

[Mojorabbit]

4. oil alliances

another move on the chess board

[TomInTib]

5. georgie must've missed that one.

so much for that bit about looking into Putin's soul.

[DELUSIONAL]

6. bush is going to be pissed

his "thing" with Chavez is personal.

If bush did dare try anything again (like another coup) -- that would be the very stupidest thing he could do (besides being born to Barbara Bush).

[Peace Patriot]

7. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, HA!

I guess I shouldn't laugh about war planes. But I just gottta laugh at this. And on top of everything else, Mercosur (the S. American trade group) and Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay just endorsed Venezuela for the S. America seat on the Security Council, which Bush, Rice and Bolton are trying to keep Chavez out of. So John "death squad" Bolton may get to sit eye to eye with a genuinely elected president--Venezuela's!

And what Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay said was that Venezuela taking its rightful seat on the Security Council "will promote respect for the rule of international law.''

In your face, Bolton!

Ha!

It's kind of sad, though, too. The world just goes on, with its own ideas of fairness, national sovereignty, diplomacy, trade, legitimacy and balance--and the rule of international law!--and we're stuck with these warmongers and outsized egos, who are destroying our credit in the world--both financial and political--and are sliming around getting Israel to do their dirty work. And they have the audacity to think that we will BELIEVE their "Gulf of Tonkin" incident that's going to give them their hearts' desire: the U.S. in an all out Mideast war. What an insult!

Well, smack 'em, Hugo! Smack 'em upside the head! Boy, do they deserve to be publicly humiliated by a real President!

[Moderator]

8. duplicate

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=2404515