America Chides Venezuela for Russian Weapons Deal

[cthrumatrix]

America Chides Venezuela for Russian Weapons Deal


Thursday, February 10, 2005. Issue 3103. Page 7.

CARACAS, Venezuela -- Venezuela defended its purchase of new Russian weapons after a top U.S. official said Washington was concerned the arms could fall into the hands of illegal groups operating in the region.

Venezuela's Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel rejected U.S. criticism of the deal to buy Russian military helicopters and 100,000 rifles, which he said were part of a policy to strengthen the nation's frontier defense.

Venezuela, the world's No. 5 oil exporter, is a top fuel supplier to the United States. But relations between Caracas and Washington have soured since left-wing President Hugo Chavez came to power six years ago.

snip

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2005/02/10/050.html

[htuttle]

1. The US bought 100,000 rifles for the Dominican army

...And they mysteriously ended up in the hands of the criminal gangs we helped to take over Haiti.

We're one to talk...

[Oggy]

2. Don't see them chiding Saudi

And they are buying Russian arms to ...

[Gman]

3. My thought too

I'm expecting to see Russian made rocket launchers and other arms showing up in Iraq in the next few months.

[justinsb]

4. Hands off Venezuela

http://www.handsoffvenezuela.org/

[Alpharetta]

5. Chiding! Ouch! That's like painful chafing, isn't it?

Yesterday Condi chided Germany France and other European countries to help more in Iraq.

This chiding is powerful stuff. We're like the Coalition of Chiders!

[Wright Patman]

6. Gun control schemes

on the part of the GOP are particularly hypocritical.

I believe in every nation's right to its version of our Second Amendment, up to and including WMDs, especially if its survival is being directly threatened by a WMD power such as the U.S.

Why should only a select handful of countries anoint themselves as the only responsible possessors of such weaponry and continue to do research on new generations of same?

[David__77]

7. He should buy 10,000,000 rifles...

...1,000,000 RPGs and they should create a new popular Bolivarian military force to know how to effectively fight foreign aggression (and internal fascist coupmakers) in order to uphold national sovereignty. These Russian arms should only be the beginning. Chavez should keenly regard the horrible lessons of Indonesia 1965 and Chile 1973, and never trust the old state or the foreign defenders of "human rights."

[hector459]

8. Did any nation "chide" the US for weapons deals with Saddam?

Or with Pakistan and India? Or with Israel?

[Redstone]

9. So how is it that Russian weapons...

"could fall into the hands of illegal groups" but not, as the statement implies, American ones?

Do our weapons have some kind of magic "anti-insurgent" chips?

Redstone

[Kinkistyle]

13. How about chiding Russia?

Its not like Venezuela is FORCING Russia to sell weapons to them is it? Its so stupid.

[HuckleB]

14. Exactly.

But the MSM is too damn subservient to even point this out.

[tedzbear]

10. Latin America is pulling away from the chimp's control...

...and it's too late for him to stop it (even if he tries to overthrow Chavez). Bolivia is another example of the people's revolt against globalization and "free" trade.

Now with N Korea and Iran slapping the chimp in the face, Ms. Rice has her work cut out for her.

:bounce:

[Toots]

11. This is some more propaganda

"But relations between Caracas and Washington have soured since left-wing President Hugo Chavez came to power six years ago."

Actually relations with Venezuela were quite fine until four years ago when extreme-right-wing Bush* came into power and started planning a coup against Chavez. Things soured rapidly after that.

[Quakerfriend]

12. I think that Bush is just itching to go after Chavez!

This admin must be soooooo peeved that he's made a deal with China to do a pipeline!

It's been very refreshing watching Chavez and the way he is systematically distancing himself from the US.

Last year he even went so far as to warn the US that it better not attack Venezuela!