Venezuela Plan to Buy MIGS Irks U.S.

[IJ Reilly]

It's nice to see the Bushistas haven't lost their delicate touch.

OTTAWA — The Bush administration on Tuesday expressed displeasure over Venezuela's reported plans to purchase sophisticated MIG fighter jets from Russia.

"Let me put it this way: We shoot down MIGs," a senior administration official said at a White House briefing as President Bush paid an official visit to Canada. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, did not elaborate, and the White House moved quickly to downplay the provocative statement.

Sean McCormack, a National Security Council spokesman, said the official "did not mean that literally."

The official meant to say that the purchase "would be an issue we would watch closely," McCormack said.

Venezuela is evaluating MIG-29s as possible replacements for U.S.-made F-16s. President Hugo Chavez said after talks with Russian President Vladimir V. Putin last week that Venezuela planned to buy large amounts of arms from Russia, though he did not mention jets.

The U.S. official said the reported purchase should concern Venezuelans because "millions of dollars are going to be spent … for ill-defined purposes."

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-migs1dec01,1,3826698.story

I especially liked that last line. As if the US has any influence in Venezuela anymore, or can speak about spending millions "for ill-defined purposes" without everyone doubling over in laughter.

[zimv20]

i wonder who made the "shooting down MIGs" remark. and that McCormack response is pretty hilarious.

how does one figuratively shoot down a MIG?

[IJ Reilly]

how does one figuratively shoot down a MIG?

Maybe he meant "virtually," as in, "virtually not at all."

[skunk]

How does a US Administration which connived in an attempted coup d'êtat have the damned gall to question their intended victim's choices of arms supplier?

[mactastic]

No really, it's cool if the Israelis buy tons of weapons from us, but not if someone like Venezuela wants to buy weapons from Russia. Pot, meet kettle.

The US companies are probably just pissed that they aren't getting any of the money.

[skunk]

How secure would Chavez feel about getting spares and technical help from the US without some massive and suicidal climbdown?

[mactastic]

Is Chavez in a tree?

[skunk]

If he had any sense, he would be. A tall one.

[miloblithe]

Russia desperately needs to line up more countries like this. They've fallen dramatically since the end of the cold war as an arms supplier, which has led to a drastic cut of their arms R&D budget. The way things are going, they won't be a major factor in the military arms trade in a few decades.

[blackfox]

Russia desperately needs to line up more countries like this. They've fallen dramatically since the end of the cold war as an arms supplier, which has led to a drastic cut of their arms R&D budget. The way things are going, they won't be a major factor in the military arms trade in a few decades.
Not saying that your point isn't correct, but didn't they just come out with a new shield-dodging super nuke? Seems that their R&D has been just fine.

[zimv20]

Not saying that your point isn't correct, but didn't they just come out with a new shield-dodging super nuke? Seems that their R&D has been just fine.
from what i hear of the anti-missile "shield", i'd bet my VW could dodge it.

[blackfox]

from what i hear of the anti-missile "shield", i'd bet my VW could dodge it.
You know what I meant. Of course anything could dodge it, since it is imaginary and based on wishful-thinking. Gee, I think I see a trend here...reminds me of being a kid on the playground and yelling "force-field, force-field", at those times I didn't want to be hit...

[zimv20]

You know what I meant. Of course anything could dodge it, since it is imaginary and based on wishful-thinking.
to be fair, i was thinking of the 2 of 3 failed field tests, where the interceptor warheads were given slow-moving targets on known trajectories...

[miloblithe]

Not saying that your point isn't correct, but didn't they just come out with a new shield-dodging super nuke? Seems that their R&D has been just fine.

My understanding is that Russia's declining weapons R&D has taken them away from conventional weapons research (engineering really), which is broad-based and expensive, to pursue a more limited set of really nasty weapons. I don't have the numbers in front of me any more (I'll find 'em), but I think Russian weapons R&D is (in dollar terms) behind France, China, England... and perhaps a few others. I don't quite remember. It would stand to reason that without developing new weapons, Russia will no longer be competitive in the long run.

As for today, Russia's only way, for instance, to maintain any 'deterrent' against the U.S. is nukes. They can't compete with our conventional forces with their conventional forces. Since a U.S. missile shield could only be used against Russia (or, to a lesser extend China) at present and in the near future, and because Russia can only compete with nukes, they had to develop a counter-measure to our plans.

[pseudobrit]

We shoot down MiGs

So far as this particular MiG goes, only if a Serb or an Iraqi are at the controls.