[NYTr] Venezuela to buy 5,000 Russian sniper rifles
 
Date: Sun, 26 Aug 2007 21:15:11 -0500 (CDT)


Via NY Transfer News Collective  *  All the News that Doesn't Fit
 
[They're still fussing about these rifles,and there's also a major
brouhaha from the US about a large order of civilian aircraft (not
only military planes) placed by Venezuela with Russia. The US
won't sell any of this to Hugo Chavez, and no one else is supposed
to, either. -NYTr]

Reuters - Aug 26, 2007
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070826/wl_nm/venezuela_rifles_dc

Venezuela to buy 5,000 Russian sniper rifles

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Sunday said he
plans to buy 5,000 Dragunov sniper rifles from Russia to protect the
oil-rich nation from a possible U.S. invasion.

The self-styled socialist revolutionary and open critic of Washington
has bolstered the OPEC nation's weaponry by buying planes, helicopters
and assault rifles from Russia to prepare for a guerrilla-style
resistance to a foreign invader.

"I'm going to buy 5,000 Dragunov rifles from Russia ... with telescopic
sight, the best in the world, with infrared night-view," Chavez said
during his weekly Sunday broadcast held on a beach along Venezuela's
eastern coast.

"We will knock out any imperialist that approaches."

The United States has cut arms sales to Venezuela and blocked several
attempts by Chavez to acquire military aircraft technology on the
grounds that Venezuela has not adequately explained why it needs the
equipment.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Hemispheric Affairs Stephen
Johnson said during a recent visit to Colombia that countries in the
region should be concerned about Venezuela's multi-billion dollar
weapons purchases.

Venezuela last year purchased 24 Sukhoi fighters jets and 100,000
Kalashnikov AK-103 assault rifles from Russia, and is currently
negotiating the purchase of submarines.

 
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