US watching Russian arms sales to Venezuela

Tue Nov 30, 7:21 PM ET

OTTAWA (AFP) - The United States is watching possible Venezuelan purchases of MiG fighter jets from Russia but doubts that such sales would destabilize Latin America, a senior US administration official said.

"Let me put it this way: We shoot down MiGs," the official, who spoke to reporters at a White House-organized briefing on condition he not be named, replied when asked whether Washington was worried about such sales.

"It should be an issue of concern to the Venezuelan people. Millions of dollars are going to be spent on Russian weapons for ill-defined purposes," the official said.

Prodded on the purpose of such purchase, the official replied: "My understanding is that they're looking to upgrade their fighter fleet, and they've decided that MiGs might be the fighter to purchase."

White House national security spokesman Sean McCormack said Russian fighter jet sales to Russia "would be an issue we would monitor closely."

Asked about the anonymous official's "shoot down" comment, McCormack winced and said "I would leave that part out."

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez confirmed Friday, after a two-day visit to Russia, that Caracas would buy 40 military helicopters and an unspecified quantity of automatic weapons from Moscow.

The Financial Times reported Monday that this was expected to be followed by Venezuela's acquisition of a fleet of the most advanced model of the MiG-29 fighter jet.

One message is one of confidence that our fighter jocks can outgun any other country's fighter jocks, so if you buy MiGs and go against us you'll lose.

One message is that our fighter plane technology is superior to that of Russia, so if you buy MiGs and go against us you'll lose.

One message is that you should buy American...or else if you buy MiGs and go against us you'll lose.

One message is that the U.S. still considers Russia an enemy or, at least, a lesser ally - one that will take such an insult without complaint...or else.

But the most blatant message is that you will do as we say...or else. Such a nice message to help bring about Peace on Earth. Or maybe it's a clever way to keep our Defense industry and our economy a-float. But I've yet to find a reason to use "Bush" and "clever" in the same sentence, except now.

Oh! - you say - but Bush didn't say we shoot down MiGs, so why blame him. It's the mentality - the "US (U.S.) against the World and we're Right because of our superior weapons" mentality. Don't be fooled. Bush is not a man of peace. We have four more years of war, if not in Iraq then somewhere else. And when Bush pisses off China...