Venezuela to get Russian missiles

news.bbc.co.uk...

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez has announced that the country will soon take delivery of Russian missiles with a range of 300km (185 miles).

Returning from a 10-day tour of Africa, Asia and Europe, including Russia, Mr Chavez is also planning to buy Russian T-72 and T-90.

"Soon some little rockets are going to be arriving... and they don't fail," he announced at the presidential palace.

But he denied they would be used for offensive purposes.

"We are not going to attack anybody, these are just defence tools, because we are going to defend our country from any threat, wherever it may come from," the president said.

Venezuela is involved in a long-running diplomatic stand-off with neighbouring Colombia, over the latter's plans to allow US troops greater access to its military bases.

Colombia says the US forces will help in the war against drugs and left-wing guerrillas and will not destabilise the region.

Mr Chavez, a fierce opponent of US foreign policy, did not say how many missiles he had ordered.

Russia has been strengthening its ties with several Latin American countries, including Venezuela.

The two countries held joint naval exercises in Venezuelan waters last November.

[edit on 11-9-2009 by john124]

Too bad the little tyrant can't seem to figure out how to use the oil wealth for things like indoor plumbing and electricity for his mostly poor population.

In his paranoia and arrogance, he thinks having these weapons will make him the big man in South America.

He definitely will try to use them with Columbia as his first victim. Any excuse will do.

So Chavez recognized South Ossetia "independence" and gets missiles. Cool.
A note to any dictator - you can get a lot of weapons free (debt will be signed off anyway) for piece of paper. Come on in, summer sale. Last models .
On more serious note: Venezuela is not an island. Thus it cannot behave like Cuba. If US would be really pissed, no need for bay of pigs operation is needed. Just a little convincing for its neighbours that Venezuela is going to get them. And Chavez plays right into their hand:

"Do you know how far they reach? 300 kilometers, and they don't fail."

www.reuters.com...
Great, Chavez. Purely defensive, ha? It is a little more then 200 miles from Venezuela to Colombian capital. Eventually US would not even need to make their hands dirty, neighboring countries would do it. He is politician or a clown?

[edit on 12-9-2009 by ZeroKnowledge]