Venezuela Lawmaker Slams US Criticism Of Russia Arms Deal

[Say_What]

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Venezuela Lawmaker Slams US Criticism Of Russia Arms Deal

CARACAS -(Dow Jones)- Venezuela needs more arms to protect its border with guerilla-ridden Colombia and the U.S. has no right to criticize a planned purchase of 100,000 Russian Kalashnikov assault rifles, said a leading lawmaker Tuesday, according to state news agency Venpres.

Eddis Rios, the president of the National Assembly's Defense Commission, said the commission is ready to sign a document that rejects recent U.S. criticism of the arms deal. Last week the U.S. State Department said it is "extremely troubled" by Russian arms deliveries to Venezuela, fearing the weapons could fall into the hands of leftist rebels in neighboring Colombia.

"We are in our right to buy high technology weapons for the functionality and equipment of the armed forces," said Rios.

The U.S. has helped arm Colombia, he said, and Venezuela needs to protect its border from rebels looking to enter Venezuelan territory.

..."The Bush administration, increasingly irked by Chavez's adventurism, will no doubt use the recent arms purchases as an excuse to funnel still more armaments to Bogota, increasing tension and the possibility of regional instability," wrote the Washington-based Council on Hemispheric Affairs in a research report published this week.

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[Tempest]

1. And today Russia announced missile sales to Syria

Looks like Pootie Poot is sticking it to Shrub.

[Ganja Ninja]

2. Shrub is a marketing tool for the Russian arms industry.

He's the biggest selling point they have at the moment.

[Tempest]

4. Not just Russia, China too

China's weapons sales to other countries like Iran and Latin America have increased in the last 4 years.

[underpants]

3. So they are taking the oil $$$ from us and buying Russian arms

Seriously is there anything that W doesn't get played on?

Venezuela provides about 35% of the oil/gas we use in the US.

[bin.dare]

5. No, Venezuela provides about 11 to 15% of US oil imports n/t

[natrat]

6. wait i thought he looked into putin's soul,,,oh never mind

[Say_What]

7. LatAm moving away from its ugly northern neighbor--can't blame them

Colombia's Uribe also agreed to attend a meeting that will revise three-way agreements in energy, petroleum, and coal. Chavez commented that he and Lula would be delighted if Colombia committed itself, alongside Venezuela and Brazil, to the creation of the business "Carbosurámerica" (South American Coal). Bush ain't gonna like that one bit--not after the $$billion$$ he's been sending to the Colombia military.

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...Among the agreements reached was a joint venture between the two countries' state-owned oil companies: Venezuela's PDVSA and Brazil's Petrobras. It was agreed that PDVSA will contribute to the construction and operation of a refinery in northeastern Brazil while Petrobras will invest in oil exploration and production as well as gas refining. The two companies signed a total of 14 accords.

During a televised speech Chávez announced that Venezuela had signed a joint venture with the world's largest iron ore mining company, Brazil's Companhia Vale do Rio Doce, to mine coal in western Venezuela. "We are signing today the interest of Brazil in participating in the Orinoco Oil Belt and ...in (natural) gas projects...We have even reserved a block . We want to give priority to Brazil," the Venezuelan President declared.

...Venezuela is also currently in the process of negotiating a potential $470 million arms deal with Brazilian aircraft manufacturer, Embraer, the world's fourth-largest aircraft producer. In his weekly television show Aló Presidente, Chávez spoke of purchasing Brazilian made Tucano fighter jets, claiming that the US had "delayed the delivery of spare parts for Venezuela's existing F-16 fighters," leaving him with little choice other than to search out new potential arms manufacturers.

...Although the agreement has yet to be finalized, Venezuela has expressed interest in acquiring 12 AMX-T planes and 24 Supertucano fighter jets from Embraer. These aircrafts are currently employed by Brazil to monitor drug trafficking in the Amazon basin. According to Brazilian officials, this purchase may lead to closer bi-lateral cooperation in the development of "a military surveillance system to monitor the Orinoco and Amazon regions."

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news.php?newsno=1506

[LeaderlessResistance]

8. Bolivia Also Had Success After George Bush Was distanced From It

With the success of the Bolivian national referendum, and new President Carlos Mesa approval ratings being around 70 percent, maybe 500 years of uninterrupted looting of the country's resources, silver, tin, oil and now gas may finally come to an end.