Russia, Venezuela plan military drills

Thanks GwB!
Putin sending planes to Caribbean | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press
MOSCOW -- Russia said Monday that it will send a naval squadron and long-range patrol planes to the Caribbean for military exercises with Venezuela -- a deployment in the Western Hemisphere unseen since the Cold War.



The move follows the U.S. deployment of warships to deliver aid to the former Soviet nation of Georgia, barely a month after Russian armor and aircraft crushed the Georgian military in a five-day war.

Russia's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Andrei Nesterenko, insisted Monday that Russia's decision to send the squadron and planes to Venezuela was made before Russia's war with Georgia.

"This deployment had been planned in advance, and it's unrelated to the current political situation," he said.

But the announcement was made just a week after Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin warned that his country would mount a response to U.S. aid shipments to Georgia.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, an unbridled critic of U.S. foreign policy, was blunt Sunday night about the possibility that the United States might be concerned about the exercises. "Go ahead and squeal, Yankees," Chavez said in a national broadcast.

Chavez said the Russian vessels would arrive in late November or December.

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack mocked Russia's plans. If Russia really intends to send ships to the Caribbean, McCormack said, "then they found a few ships that can make it that far."
WoW!

Meanwhile, in a pointed but mostly symbolic expression of displeasure with the Russian government, President George W. Bush canceled a once-celebrated civilian nuclear cooperation deal with Russia on Monday. Bush had sent the agreement to Congress for approval in May, after a much-heralded signing by the two nations that capped two years of negotiations.

The deal would have given the United States access to state-of-the-art Russian nuclear technology, while helping it address climate change

LOL! Russia is too funny!

The Bear is back! "Pic-nic basket!"

well here they are Two Russian bombers land in Venezuela - CNN.com

"State Department spokesman Sean McCormack mocked Russia's plans. If Russia really intends to send ships to the Caribbean, McCormack said, "then they found a few ships that can make it that far."

:D

No need for that, Chavez' own Navy was there (see stock photo below).

Well if 4 passenger jets can ruin NORADs day then imagine what a couple of BlackJacks can do.

Meh... this is getting out of hand

I thought that Ronald Reagan ended the Coldwar?

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Originally Posted by epilepticme

I thought that Ronald Reagan ended the Coldwar?

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Maybe Bush ran out of other types of progress to undo?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by epilepticme

I thought that Ronald Reagan ended the Coldwar?

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...and what happened to our "peace dividend"?

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Originally Posted by khronik

Maybe Bush ran out of other types of progress to undo?

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He's got 4 more months to precipitate WWIII. Do you think he can do it? I wouldn't bet against him!