Posted on 09/08/2008 5:41:51 AM PDT by maquiladora
Russia plans temporarily to base anti-submarine aircraft in Venezuela, foreign ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said Monday. (UPDATED)
"Before the end of the year, as part of a long-distance expedition, we plan a visit to Venezuela by a Russian navy flotilla... and the temporary basing of anti-submarine aircraft of the Russian Navy at an airport in Venezuela," spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said.
The four ships will include the Peter the Great nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser and the Admiral Chabanenko anti-submarine ship, Nesterenko told a briefing in Moscow.
The Venezuelan navy announced Saturday that four Russian ships with almost 1,000 sailors aboard would carry out joint manoeuvres with the navy of Caracas leftist government in Venezuelan territorial waters on November 10-14.
The visit has been planned for a long time and "is not in any way connected to the current situation in the Caucasus," said Nesterenko, referring to tensions over Russia’s incursion into US ally Georgia in August.
"It is not aimed at any third country," he said.
Medvedev accused the United States of rearming Georgia under the guise of humanitarian aid, after Friday’s arrival of the US Navys Mediterranean flagship at a key Georgian port close to where Russian troops are patrolling.
"I wonder how they would like it if we sent humanitarian assistance using our navy to countries of the Caribbean that have suffered from the recent hurricanes," Medvedev said.
Leftist-populist President Hugo Chavez, a harsh critic of the US government, has forged closer ties with Moscow including arms supply and production deals.
Chavez has supported Moscow in the Georgia conflict, and stressed that "Russia is rising up again as a global power."
Russia’s defense ministry in July denied a report it was considering basing bomber aircraft in Cuba in retaliation for US missile defense plans in Eastern Europe.
"We regard these sorts of reports from anonymous sources as disinformation," RIA Novosti quoted defense ministry spokesman Ilshat Baichurin as saying.
Someone better let the U.S. Coast Guard know, so it can prepare for the inevitable rescue.
Russia is still a third world country ... With the bomb. They obviously haven’t upgraded their intelligence.
Just another target for the boomers............
Russian ships with almost 1,000 sailors aboard ......................... They should keep the Venezuela secret police busy keeping the sailors away from any means of defecting.
They are probably more worried about Chavez’s subjects defecting. The Russians will want liquor and prostitutes.
James Monroe and Adlai Stevenson ... Call Your Offices.
Ping.
The Russians having nuclear subs and anti-sub aircraft stationed so close to Florida begs the question: does Senator Obama still believe in meeting Hugo Chavez without preconditions?
Obama is wearing Pelosi right now.
What Boomers?
My understanding is that we don’t have many left, mainly thanks to Clintoon and his kumbaya buddies......:)
Again the Russian Bear is intent on controlling oil!
Wake up, Freepers!
Russia is using Iran as a proxy, and wants to control energy. That is why Georgia is so important - they want control over the oil pipeline that bypasses Russia and the Middle East.
Sarah Palin is a gift from God to America. Energy independence is the Manhattan project of the century for the West.
The New Cold War may ironically be won by Alaska! - how appropriate!
And the War on Islamic Terroerists will be greatly aided by defunding the jihadists.
Sarah America is truly at the nexus of America's future.
The Il-38 "May" is a piece of crap. An attempt to copy the US Navy's P-3 Orion, it has a lousy record of unreliability and hopelessly poor electronics. F-22? We could take them out with T-45s.
“I wonder how they would like it if we sent humanitarian assistance using our navy to countries of the Caribbean that have suffered from the recent hurricanes,” Medvedev said.”
What’s stoppin ya?
ping
But you're going to base some anti-submarine aircraft in Venezuela? These press releases from Medvedev and Putin read like Scrappleface satires.
The Il-38 is what they plan to station in Venezuela? Does Venezuela have adequate SAR capabilities to pull the aircrew out of the drink?
I’m sure Huge has bought some rubber rafts from China. lol
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