Posted on 08/28/2006 12:06:59 PM PDT by Flavius
JOHANNESBURG: Zimbabwe has bought another six fighter jets from China to replace its grounded fleet of British-made aircraft.
Secretary for Defence Trust Maposa said yesterday: "We will be receiving six aircraft from China sometime this year."
Zimbabwe already has six Chinese-made jets which were delivered last year. The aircraft are intended to fill the gap left by the Zimbabwe Air Force's ageing British-made fighters, which have been grounded due to lack of spare parts.
Britain, along with most Western countries, has imposed a ban on selling weapons to Zimbabwe, accusing the southern African country of human rights violations.
Zimbabwe has sought to get around the embargo and rearm its military with Chinese and Korean-made weaponry.
Sad.
6 is a "Fleet"?
Far be it for me to criticize any defense spending by a nation, but Zimbabwe has more pressing needs than trying to maintain a military. No one wants to conquer a famished nation.
China and their Aid-for-Oil Strategy:
http://www.cfr.org/publication/9557/
Not only that, how are they paying?
I don't think China would be very happy with a boatload of banknotes with Mugabe's picture on them.
Guns instead of butter? Whey aren't democrats complaining.
So they're replacing Hawker Hurricanes with Mig-15s?
Guns vs Butter is just it, in Zimbabwe, Lebanon, etc.
Western idiots, including our own gov't, keep sending free butter, allowing the buttwipes of the world to keep buying guns. This purchase should be enough to stop all foreign aid to Zimbabwe, but idiot liberals will say "It isn't the peoples fault they have a corrupt and uncaring gov't".
But it is, they myopticly elected this jerk, so they deserve to starve to death until they are all gone, or they raise arms against him. Western aid only props him up and continues the starvation. We should para-drop SKS rifles and 1,000 rounds apiece, all over the country with a note that shows a picture of Mugabe with a bullseye on his forehead.
One day this judgment will come for the decision to purchase weapons of distruction rather than to help feed the hungry people in their own home.
They have no money, no pilots, no jet fuel and no way to pay for any of this except through foreign aid from gullible Western countrie and generous "credit" terms from the Red Chinese.
Yeah, Castro's been going strong for 40 decades and Kim Il Freak of North Korea is a 2nd generation despot. I wouldn't wait...
Actually, this media report isn't very specific. The aircraft purchase are not "fighter jets" persay but rather trainer aircraft. The Zimbabweans are buying K-8 intermediate jet trainers (A quite successful export). Although they can also be used in the light-attack role.
If the Zims can keep one aircraft intact, it will be amazing....Robert von Mugabes flying circus
China is doing this with many natural resource rich nations in Africa and other areas as well. They're supplying equipment, infrastructure development, technical know-how in exchange for oil, platinum, aluminum copper any strategic resource they can get their hands on. Zim is totally bankrupt and these resources are one of the few things Mugabe hasn't ripped off or destroyed simply because he was incapable of doing so. Although it sounds like they'll soon be owned by China.
"Although it sounds like they'll soon be owned by China.
Hmmm......Africa is a tricky place. You may have title to a gold mine, but if some guys decide to chop off your head with a machete, all of a sudden it's their gold mine.
I agree. But this won't be like running the white farmers off their land. China has more than enough muscle to back up their claims. Besides, Mugabe is in such a bad way right now he desperately needs someone like China to help piece back together everything he's destroyed. Much of the west won't deal with him so he's in a pickle. Also, double-crossing someone like the Chinese probably wouldn't be very good for Mugabe's health.
If that man was an individual yes, But where talking on the Government Level here and surely The Chicoms have a Stonger army than all of Africa Combined as One.
No idiot including Rebels would be crazy enough to provoke the Sleeping Dragon and deprive it of it's Gold. The Chicoms are more psychotic than you think.
There was this one report where in Canada this Former Illiterate Chinese Billionaire escape to Canada and I think is fighting a Deportation now.
Anyway, What happened was the Chinese Agents came with his brother who was arrested and probably threaten to kill him or such.
If a rebel is going to want his family killed, He'd be my guess!
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