U.S. fears Venezuela could trigger regional arms race

[NeoConsSuck]

Source: CNN.COM

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The United States fears recent weapons purchases by Venezuela could fuel an arms race in South America, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Tuesday.

"They outpace all other countries in South America and certainly raise the question as to whether there is going to be an arms race in the region," Clinton said about Venezuela's arms deals, after a meeting with Uruguayan President Tabare Vazquez.

The Russian government Monday extended $2.2 billion in credit to Venezuela to finance arms purchases, including 92 Soviet-era T-72 tanks and short-range missiles with a reach of 55 miles (90 km).

<snip>

Chavez has said his military buildup is in response to the growing U.S. presence in the region, which he calls threatening and dangerous to Latin America.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/09/16/us.venezuela.arms/index.html

---

Some morning fodder for the anti-Chavez bridgade.

[Demeter]

1. Oh, Please! Can the Hysteria, Hillary

I never thought much of her appointment, and nothing to date has changed my mind.

[WriteDown]

6. Just look at what she did to Pakistan

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/u_s_condemned_for_pre_emptive_use?utm_source=a-section

close enough to see her cold, dead eyes.

[RedCloud]

2. Should be easy to watch the freeper sleeper cells emerge in this thread.

Since they spew the other party's vehement line when it comes to our oil supplying ally.

[dipsydoodle]

3. Clinton should either put her brain in gear

or join DU.....lol.

Response to my post on same subject yesterday : http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=4058100&mesg_id=4060116

Now - look at Colombia.

[dotymed]

4. Hmmmmmmmmmm?

Let's see...America spends more money on "defense"
(from who?) than ALL other nations COMBINED. We have been
supplying weapons and NUCLEAR arms to India and Pakistan.
These are sworn enemies who share a common border. Obviously,
Pakistan (and India, to a lesser degree) does not have a
stable, democratic government. America has also, recently,
been supplying Colombia with major armaments and money, to
help facilitate their "war on drugs/terrorism".
America has financed and guided two (at least) coup attempts
against President Chavez and the Venezuelan people. Colombia
shares a common border with Venezuela and was reportedly the
"staging area" for both coup attempts. Yes, Chavez
should be buying weapons off of Russia (America is belligerent
against Venezuela) to deter the Colombians from "trying
anything" with their American supplied weapons. So.
actually it is America who has been "fueling an arms
race" in that area of the world. Too bad we can't have
sane foreign policy. Instead, we keep up the "bush
doctrine" which is more of the same and basically just a
continuation of Reagan's empire building  (like it actually
worked) policies.

[Aragorn]

5. I was gonna say that!

thanks

[dotymed]

8. Well, thank you.

Honest minds think alike...

[Tempest]

9. The U.S. fuels the arms race all over the world

By far the U.S. is the largest arms dealer in the world.

And we contribute to human rights violations worldwide:

More than half of the top 25 U.S. arms purchasers in the developing world were "undemocratic governments or regimes that engaged in major human rights abuses," in 2006 and 2007, the foundation said in a report last week.

http://www.reuters.com/article/AerospaceandDefense08/idUSTRE4BE6KB20081216

[Dover]

12. And this complaint by the U.S. sounds very much like Russia's complaint about

the U.S placing missle defense systems on their border. So I'm sure Russia is more than happy
to supply Venezuela with similar 'defense'.

It's all a grand game. Everybody is playing and no one is innocent. I hate hyprocrisy, propaganda and political rhetoric.

[Dover]

13. dupe post...n/t

[Soylent Brice]

7. BULLSHIT.

outdated tanks. whoop dee fucking doo.

fucking damn it. i'm tired of all this war drum bullshit.

[bemildred]

10. Why do they always say "fears" when they mean "hopes"? nt

[Vidar]

11. Hillary's biggest lie, to date.

[Peace Patriot]

14. Here's the chart showing Brazil's arms purchases--about EIGHT TIMES that of Venezuela.

See Comment #73, provided by ronnie624

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4058100
from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8255930.stm

Brazil: $24.6 billion
Venezuela: $3.7 billion

-----------------------------------

Do you think Clinton is just being a kneejerk disinformationist, or is she in on the war plan that Rumsfeld left on the desk?

I'm not sure, actually--and believe me, I've thought about it, and I'm aware of the many strikes against her on both war policy and Latin America. I'm still toying with the notion that the Bushwhacks booby-trapped US policy in L/A, and that Obama/Clinton are only just getting a handle on things. Too hopeful? Too charitable? Could be.

[Psephos]

15. But it *will* help stimulate hemispheric economic growth.

:evilgrin:

[MisterP]

16. will 2010 see the unveiling of the "Madagascarene Menace"?

with their lemurs and vanilla and S-O-S-H-U-L-I-S-T ex-government
this BS fearmongering is becoming tedious and boring, except in that it's the sort of stuff that leads to coups and wars

[AlphaCentauri]

17. -South America . fears U.S. 7 military bases could trigger regional arms race-

[fascisthunter]

18. lol... incredible hypocrisy

[Alamuti Lotus]

19. --she said, after conveniently forgetting the billions of military spending to Colombia for the last

several decades........... if I remember correctly, Colombia is 3rd behind Israel & Egypt in that department.