Chavez vows revenge for Falklands war

The Sunday Times Online (UK) ^ | September 2, 2007 | Martin Arostegui

[Jeff Head]

In a new outburst of antiwestern sabre-rattling, President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela has threatened Britain with “revenge” for the Falklands war of 1982. The belligerent Latin American leftist warned last week that his recent build-up of sophisticated Russian and Iranian weapons would be used to destroy the British fleet if it attempted to return to the South Atlantic.

Speaking on his weekly television show Alo Presidente (Hello, Mr President), Chavez denounced what he described as Britain’s “illegal occupation” of the Falklands and repeated his call for a regional military alliance against Britain and the United States.

“If we had been united in the last war, we could have stopped the old empire,” Chavez said, as he gesticulated to maps showing how Venezuelan aircraft and submarines would intercept British warships. “Today we could sink the British fleet.”

Chavez has often expressed support for Argentina’s claim to the Falklands, but his latest broadside was notable for both its antiBritish vitriol and its unprecedented threats. He declared that British history was “stained with the blood of South America’s indigenous people” and demanded revenge for the “cowardly” sinking of the General Belgrano, the Argentine cruiser.

Western diplomats have long grown used to harangues from Chavez, who announced this weekend that he would negotiate with guerrillas holding dozens of hostages in Colombia, including three US contractors and Ingrid Betancourt, a French-Colombian abducted as she campaigned for president in 2002. But US and British officials have recently become more concerned by his willingness to lavish billions of dollars from Venezuela’s soaring oil income on military capabilities.

[Bender2]

Re: If you cannot graps that, I am sorry, but that has been the point of the discussion from the beginning and no amount of insults or ignorance regarding those facts will change them.

Jeff, if you cannot read a map, I truly feel sorry for you and cannot understand why you keep saying you are right in the face of facts and any map? Look at any map and scale off the distances. The listed range for the SU-30MK cannot be wrong, the map cannot be wrong, the ruler cannot be wrong, but you sure are.

If I were wrong on such a simple point, I would not like admitting my ignorance, but I would! To know you are wrong and refuse to admit it, only proves stupidity and I hate to see you paint yourself into that corner.

I've enjoyed your past posts, especially on the Aircraft Carriers, but you are showing a side I find most unlike my past opinion of your knowledge on military and current political matters.

If you want to cling to this, okay!

I, the listed range for the SU-30MK, all maps and all rulers are wrong while you alone are correct!

Happy?

[JoanVarga]

:o)

[JoanVarga]

Great blog.

Thanks!

Joan

[Ghengis]

He declared that British history was “stained with the blood of South America’s indigenous people”...

Let's see. The name, Chavez. Hmmm...Chavez. How indigenous is that name to South and Central America? Was any blood shed in order to implant that name into the region?

[Armedanddangerous]

Even without the sixth fleet, the royal navy could destroy the venuzuelan military.

[RightOnline]

A swarm of cruise missiles into the Presidential palace. Problem solved.

Yes, I’m serious.

[PGalt]

“Today we could sink the British fleet.”

http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/jsf/

You wouldn’t have a nation left to defend, Hugo.

[B4Ranch]

> I say put one of those into the Chavez bedroom and be done with it.<

>Then you send in oil company representatives and act as if nothing had changed since they were last in Venezuela.<

Where are you going to find a leader with the cojones to make an executive decision of that weight?

[Bender2]

Jeff,
no one disagrees that if Hugo wanted to, he could send his SU-30MK on a one way flight to attack a Brit task forces heading down to the Falklands while hugging the coast of Africa way more than 2,700 miles away from the nearest easternmost point of Venezuela. The SU-30s would have the one-way range to get there, but that would be militarily unsound since Hugo has ordered only 24 SU-30s.

But that is not what you stated. You said “...the UK, IMHO, in either case, would not be able to get past Venezuela on the way down to the Falklands.”

I know how to read a map and I know how to use a ruler to scale off a map. I cannot understand why you cannot grasp this?

[B4Ranch]

We will probably give him the intel just for the asking.

U.S. carrier help? (Admiral offers help to China)

Adm. Tim Keating, the U.S. Pacific Command leader, told reporters during his visit to China last month that while building and operating a carrier battle group is complex, the United States is willing to help.

"We would, if they choose to develop [an aircraft-carrier program], help them to the degree that they seek and the degree that we're capable, in developing their programs," Adm. Keating said.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1845931/posts

U.S. may share missile info with China
WASHINGTON, June 4 (UPI) -- The United States would "seriously" consider sharing technology and missile warning intelligence with China, (Secretary of Defense Gates) the U.S. defense chief said Sunday.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1846099/posts

[mylife]

Its politics FRiend. We are on Chavez like stink on ****

[yarddog]

You seem to be right about the fact that the British could hug the coast of Africa and avoid Venezuealan attack.

One possible fly in the ointment would be the probability that some West African country would allow them to land on their soil and refuel etc.

[Candor7]

Thats a pretty impressive Aircraft. But we would still need boots on the ground, to reverse the communist nationalization of US businesses.

However, the thing to do is cut off his oil revenues by simply pulverizing his oil wells. Then he couldn't pay for his hardware. Venezuelans are good people, why have they allowed such an idiot to seize power in their country? I can't figure it.

[Tall_Texan]

So Chavez runs Argentina now too?

[Polybius]

We would need to provide physical, military support. The new Russian SU-30s have the range to interdict the British fleet and could overcome and overwhelm the Harriers on their current carriers.

The Brits need to get themselves "real carriers" and they are trying to do so.

Without them, even ancient A-4 Skyhawks were able to overwhelm their air defenses.

Without “real carriers”, the British were limited to Harriers which are simply not acceptable in modern naval warfare. Without E-2 Hawkeyes guiding air superiority fighters to engage enemy aircraft 100 miles from the fleet, the British fleet was virtually a sitting duck to air attack. Without such air superiority fighters and their forward "eyes", even antiquated Skyhawks were able to fly over the British fleet and drop “dumb bombs” on the British fleet. ........ 29 posted on 11/21/2002 6:58:30 PM PST by Polybius

BRITISH SHIPS LOST & DAMAGED 1st May - 12th June 1982

[PGalt]

However, the thing to do is cut off his oil revenues by simply pulverizing his oil wells. Then he couldn't pay for his hardware. Venezuelans are good people, why have they allowed such an idiot to seize power in their country? I can't figure it.

Hugo wouldn't have a life or a boot on the ground willing to defend what was once his country.

[Bender2]

Re: You seem to be right about the fact that the British could hug the coast of Africa and avoid Venezuealan attack. One possible fly in the ointment would be the probability that some West African country would allow them to land on their soil and refuel etc.

While that is a hypothecial possibility, my point was the UK Task Force could stay out of the (unrefueled or go out & return) range of Hugo's SU-30MKs. Jeff seems to believe the Geography I was taught back when there was a Geography Course in public school is incorrect.

[DesScorp]

“Today we could sink the British fleet.”

I’ll never understand why we didn’t come to Britain’s aid in that war. It was an attack on a NATO member’s legal territory. The attack-one, attack-all policy should have been enforced.

[yarddog]

We were caught in a bad place in the Falklands. We were on good terms with both countries at the time. Argentina sought to invoke the terms of a mutual treaty which said we would aid Argentina in the event of an attack.

We tried to be neutral but eventually gave aid to the British. I actually have a picture somewhere which I took of three British Frigates leaving Norfolk after being refueled etc. I always wondered of one of them was the Sheffield.

[Tenniel2]

Not a Muzz-national navy. The Royal Navy, in sandmaggot hands.

Tradition has is that a British band played a catchy little tune called The World Turned Upside Down at Cornwallis' surrender at Yorktown in 1781.

Pay no attention to those instruments tuning offstage...