Posted on 05/21/2006 6:49:50 PM PDT by Aussie Dasher
PRESIDENT Hugo Chavez confirmed today that Venezuela will buy Russian fighter jets during a planned visit to Moscow, and warned that Caracas could sell its US-made F-16s to Iran.
"We will soon be in Moscow because we will buy Russian fighter jets to defend these skies and land," Mr Chavez said in a speech on state-owned television.
Mr Chavez hailed the Russian Sukhoi fighters as "the best in the world, 100 times better than the F-16s".
The leftist leader did not say when he planned to travel to Russia, but Venezuela's ambassador to Moscow has said the trip could take place in August or September.
Mr Chavez also said he supports Venezuelan General Alberto Muller Rojas's recommendation to sell the F-16s. Caracas says Washington refuses to supply replacement parts for the warplanes.
The United States has ordered an arms sales ban against Venezuela, accusing Caracas of failing to provide assistance in the "war on terror".
"General Muller made an interesting statement - he said that if they do not want to sell us the F-16 parts, we would sell the planes," Mr Chavez said. "Why lose the money? It's millions of dollars, so Muller said we would sell them to Iran, and that is possible."
But the United States has indicated that it would not allow Venezuela to sell the F-16s to Iran.
"Any time you have the sale of US military equipment to a foreign government, there are clauses and there are agreements that are signed," US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said last week.
"And part of those agreements are that, without the written consent of the United States, you can't transfer these defence articles, and in this case F16s, to a third country," he said.
"And I would expect that, even if such a request were made, that it would not be forthcoming from the US government," Mr McCormack said.
Not if these "Venezuelan" birds have Russian piolets in them...
Does it matter? FTB, "T" standing for "the" or "them". And pox on them all.
Communism is always about "Them"...
How does Chavez plan to move the F-16's to Iran? They have a ferry range of around 2000 miles, way short of the distance to Iran. Without air refueling capability, which I doubt he has, those F-16's aren't going anywhere.
Just more sabre rattling for the locals, IMO. The first thing any despot learns is he must have a bogey man to shout threats and defiance toward. Thats us!
Poor, maybe. But they sure have an eye for color. Nice palate there, Chavez!
He can have all the russian garbage he wants. Our F-22's with F-15's under our AWACS will destroy anything the russians have.Target practice!
We need $30 oil - and a few "weekends at home boyotts"will do the trick
Condi should backchannel to Putin that if Chavez gets the Sukhois, we arrange for cut-rate sales of F-22's to Poland and the Baltic republics.
We should sell F-22's to Taiwan and Japan as well. Flank both the Russians and Chinese. Also, we should offer the F-35 JSF to India.
Actually your idea is better - F-35's. More affordable.
The SU-47 & the Mig-1.44 are unique aircraft,but that's about it.They are barely past prototype stage, aren't in service .Aircraft based on these technologies will only get inducted after 2012,when Russia will start to replace it's Mig-29 & SU-27s.Buying them now for any country would burn only a huge hole in the buyer's pocket,nothing else.
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