Chavez Warns of Moving Jets (F-16s) to Cuba, China

[Mika]

Chavez Warns of Moving Jets to Cuba, China
http://www.620ktar.com/?nid=46&sid=96743

President Hugo Chavez warned Tuesday he might share Venezuela's U.S.-made F-16 fighters with Cuba and China, accusing the United States of making it difficult for his country to obtain spare parts for the aircraft.

Chavez claimed the U.S. broke a contract to supply parts for Venezuela's fleet of 21 F-16s and pressured other countries not to help maintain them.

"We can do whatever we want with the planes. Maybe we'll send 10 to Cuba, or maybe to China so that they can see the technology. I say with whatever country that can use them," said Chavez, a close ally of Cuban leader Fidel Castro.

Venezuela originally purchased its fleet of F-16s in 1983. Until Chile acquired a fleet in 2003, Venezuela was the only Latin American country to possess the warplanes made by Lockheed Martin.

Hmmmm.. could be a response to this..

DU thread: US steps up planning for a Cuba without Castro (plus destabilization plan)

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

1. Maybe he can bury them in the sand.

[Judi Lynn]

2. It should be interesting around next Friday, according to Mika's article:

In his comments, Chavez pledged to challenge U.S. "imperialism" at an upcoming Summit of the Americas, beginning Friday in Argentina and drawing leaders from 34 Western Hemisphere nations, including both Bush and Chavez.

Chavez said he would go the summit with the message that Washington's "capitalist, imperialist model" was responsible for exploiting developing economies and ruining the global environment.
(snip/...)

Bush will be ready for him, however, since he has his own private audio line to Karl Rove! Does _Bush know debates!

[Judi Lynn]

3. Venezuela Chavez Says U.S. Won't Sell F-16 Jet Parts

Venezuela Chavez Says U.S. Won't Sell F-16 Jet Parts (Update1)
Nov. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said the U.S. refuses to sell parts for the South American country's F-16 fighter jets and put pressure on other countries to refrain from parts sales as well.

Chavez said Venezuela would seek to buy Russian or Chinese fighter jets should the country be unable to get parts for the U.S.-made planes.

``Now they don't want to sell us maintenance parts for the F-16s,'' Chavez said today in a televised speech in Caracas. ``Not only that, when we try to find parts in other countries, the U.S. pressures them not to sell to us.''

Venezuela bought 24 F-16s from the U.S. in 1983 and three have since crashed. Venezuela bought 100,000 AK-103 rifles from Russia in May, part of a $120 million contract for military helicopters and aircraft.
(snip/...)

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000086&sid=asn4vgvOW2Zs&refer=latin_america