Russia and Spain to upgrade Venezuelan military aircraft

Russia is set to join Spain as the principal supplier of military aircraft to the dictatorship in Venezuela, the Associated Press reports.

Strongman Hugo Chavez is seeking to buy versions of the Russian Sukhoi 'Flanker' fighter jet to replace Venezuela's aging fleet of American-built F-16s, the Associated Press reports from Caracas. He also might buy at least 15 Russian helicopters worth $200 million.

Reports of Venezuela's fighter plane shopping list conflict, though all agree that Chavez is interested in the Flanker series. Russian reports say that Caracas wants the Su-27, a long-range interceptor and air superiority fighter.

AP reports that the regime wants more advanced variants of the Su-27, either the Su-30, a multi-role strike and air superiority fighter, or the Su-35, with a 2,500-mile range.

In Moscow, a top Venezuelan general called the Su-35 "the world's best multi-role fighter."

Spain is upgrading Venezuela's military airlift, selling CASA CN-235 transport aircraft over the objections of the United States.

"Washington has pointed to the mounting defense deals with concern and urged Russia and Spain not to do business with Venezuela. Both countries have shrugged off the warnings."

Russia's Gen. Yuri Baluyevsky said on May 24 that Moscow is "ready to sell weapons to all countries so as to ensure their security and the growth of our military and industrial complex," the Kremlin-controlled Interfax agency reported.

"If Chavez has money, Russia is ready to sell him planes, which don't fall under restrictions on critical or missile technologies," Baluyevsky said. "This specific product [warplanes] is not under restriction."

Ban Pentagon contracts to Spanish abetters of Chavez

by J. Michael Waller
Scripps Howard News Service, May 24

WASHINGTON - The arms embargo recently announced by the U.S. against the revolutionary regime in Venezuela is long overdue. Venezuela's dictator, Hugo Chavez, has gone out of his way to align his country with terrorist regimes, aid extremist movements and break anti-terrorism treaty obligations.

But at least one of our North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies wants to ignore U.S. security concerns and sell military equipment to Venezuela - while competing to sell the same equipment to the U.S. Coast Guard and Pentagon.

Worse, that ostensible ally is collaborating with the dictator's propaganda campaign to trash the United States, while simultaneously lobbying Congress for billions of dollars to buy its military products.

In a globalized economy, it's no longer possible to procure defense systems that are 100-percent made in America. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, provided the suppliers are reliable allies who share U.S. security concerns. But in the Venezuela case, the suppliers - the Spanish government and the state-owned aircraft manufacturer CASA - are no longer reliable.

Until two years ago, Spain was a staunch ally in the global war on terrorists and their supporters. Most observers expected Spain's pro-U.S. government to win re-election until the al Qaeda bombings of the Madrid transit system propelled the Socialist Workers Party to power.

In one of his first acts in office, after pledging to pull Spain from the Iraq coalition, President Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero flew to Venezuela to sell military patrol boats and CASA CN-235 transport planes to the dictator Chavez.

The Bush administration, after fruitlessly voicing its concerns to Spain, invoked a 1992 law allowing the United States to veto other countries' sale of military hardware built with U.S.-made components.

Undeterred, CASA stripped out nearly five dozen U.S.-made parts to allow the sale to Chavez. From that point, the Spanish and Venezuelan governments conspired to rub it in America's face abroad, while CASA lobbied in Washington for U.S. tax dollars.

The game worked.

Last November, after CASA lobbyists had gotten Congress to spend $68 million on the first Coast Guard CN-235s [pictured], Spanish Defense Minister Jose Bono flew to Caracas "to stress what (Chavez) described as a 'defeat' of the United States," according to the major Madrid daily El Pais. In Caracas, Bono publicly criticized the United States as an "empire" as he stood with Chavez, who praised Spain for "confronting the hegemonic and imperialistic ambitions of the elite that now governs the United States (and is) massacring the people of Iraq."

While Chavez celebrated the deal with the Spanish defense minister, he refused entry to a bipartisan U.S. congressional delegation that had been cleared to visit Venezuela. In an act orchestrated to humiliate Congress, Chavez forced the lawmakers (led by 81-year-old House International Relations Committee Chairman Henry Hyde, R-Ill.) to sit in their plane for two hours without being allowed to disembark. Chavez then ordered the congressmen expelled from the country.

Meanwhile, Chavez - to his credit - has taken exception to CASA's and Spain's assurances to Washington that Chavez would use the aircraft exclusively within Venezuela and for peaceful purposes.

CASA and its socialist patrons in Madrid have played a double game, taking part in Chavez's anti-U.S. propaganda while lobbying Congress as valued members of the NATO security network.

Now, CASA is competing for its biggest contracts ever: more planes for the Coast Guard's Deepwater program and the new Army-Air Force Joint Cargo Aircraft, worth $3 billion to $4 billion in the short term, and as much as $30 billion over the decade ahead. Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., said recently, "national security cannot take a back seat to world trade." He's right. Congress should deny contracts to foreign companies that undermine U.S. national-security interests. Making an example out of the CASA aircraft deal would be an excellent place to start.

The U.S. arms embargo won't mean much if Washington continues to share military suppliers with the Venezuelan regime. Our diplomacy with Spain failed, but we needn't enrich the eurosocialists as they stab us in the back. They have chosen whose side they're on. Let them pay the price.

Center for Security Policy calls for Venezuela component of Bush Doctrine

"The new U.S. arms embargo against the extremist regime in Venezuela should have implications beyond South America. Though intended to protect democracies in the region, the embargo should be used to convince our allies that there is a price to be paid for actions that willfully undermine American security interests."

So says the Center for Security Policy in its latest Decision Brief titled, "Venezuela Arms Embargo Should Be Part of Bush Doctrine."

The Center argues that the US should make its wartime policies more consistent, and require its foreign military suppliers to decide whether they are with us or against us:

"The U.S. is accustomed to the self-serving actions of some of our friends abroad. But there is growing resentment among American taxpayers when they are asked to pay for products from companies of countries that actively undermine U.S. interests. The Bush Administration has made it clear that we have compelling interests in stopping the arms build-up in Venezuela. Congress should step in to make sure that our allies understand the message. When it comes to buying planes from supposed allies like Spain, Congress should just say no."

Chavez may sell American F-16s to Iran

A top Venezuelan general says his regime might sell the country's fleet of 21 American-built F-16 fighter planes to Iran.

CNN reports that Gen. Alberto Muller says Caracas is considering "the feasibility of a negotiation with Iran for the sale of those planes."

Most of the fleet is grounded because the US has stopped selling Venezuela the necessary spare parts.

When our allies arm our adversaries: What to do when diplomacy fails

by J. Michael Waller, Strategic Communication White Paper No. 2

The United States must draw the line when its foreign military suppliers endanger US national security interests. This is especially true when foreign defense companies aid and abet regimes that subvert their democratic neighbors and align with state sponsors of terrorism.

When political and diplomatic efforts fail to convince or dissuade, the last resort is Congress. Rather than enact new laws with their cumbersome regulations that impede commerce, Congress should simply refuse to appropriate tax dollars for contracts to foreign firms found to be aiding the nation’s foes. That message will help foreign companies choose whose side they want to be on.

Such is the case at present with a Spanish aircraft manufacturer that seeks multibillion-dollar contracts to supply the US Army, Air Force and Coast Guard. Rebuffing numerous requests and warnings from the Bush administration, that manufacturer – and Spain’s Socialist Workers Party government – have colluded with Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez in an unusually aggressive anti-US propaganda campaign. Meanwhile, they lobby the US Congress for more money. [For the full text of this paper, click here.]



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