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The Australian:  Moscow arms sale to Chavez angers US

HUGO Chavez, the ardently anti-American President of Venezuela, arrived in Russia late last night to sign a billion-dollar arms deal that has infuriated and alarmed the US.
The self-styled leftist revolutionary will sign an agreement with President Vladimir Putin to buy 30 Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets and 30 military helicopters worth $US1billion.

The two leaders will also discuss plans to build two Kalashnikov factories in Venezuela - to add to the 100,000 Kalashnikov AK-103 assault rifles Venezuela has bought from Russia in the past year.

The arms deals - and the visit by Mr Chavez - are the latest evidence of Mr Putin's drive to re-establish Russia as a counterbalance to the West in international affairs.

But they threaten to sour relations with Washington just a week after Mr Putin and President George W. Bush publicly reaffirmed their friendship at the G8 summit in St Petersburg.

The US has repeatedly asked Russia to reconsider its arms sales to Venezuela, which the State Department says does not co-operate in the fight against terrorism.



Maybe we can eventually make language a complete impediment to understanding. -Hobbes
by Izzy (izzy at eurotrib dot com) on Wed Jul 26th, 2006 at 12:38:07 AM EST

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