Posted on 07/27/2009 3:38:37 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
BOGOTA -- Swedish-made anti-tank rocket launchers sold to Venezuela years ago were obtained by Colombia's main rebel group, and Sweden said Monday it was demanding an explanation.
Colombia said its military found the weapons in a captured rebel arms cache and that Sweden had recently confirmed they originally were sold to Venezuela's military.
The confirmation strengthens Colombian allegations that Hugo Chavez's government has aided the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC.
The bazooka-like AT-4 single-use launchers, made by Saab Bofors Dynamics, lack the precision and range of surface-to-air weapons and there is no evidence FARC rebels have used any in combat.
President Alvaro Uribe complained over the weekend that if Colombia had kept quiet about the weapons "they'll fire them and obtain more and no one in the international community will halt their sale."
Venezuela's justice minister, Tareck El Aissami, on Monday dismissed the report of the missiles, denying that "our government or institutions have ever collaborated with any type of criminal or terrorist organizations."
He told state television that the case of the rocket launchers appears "a cheap film of the U.S. government."
Three launchers were recovered in October in a FARC arms cache belonging to a rebel commander known as "Jhon 40" and Colombia only recently asked Sweden to confirm whether they had been sold to Venezuela, a senior Colombian official told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to discuss the matter.
In Stockholm, a senior Swedish Trade Ministry official, Jens Eriksson, said his government was working with Colombia "to find out how this happened."
"We have also contacted Venezuelan authorities," he told the AP. "We are still waiting for an answer."
(Excerpt) Read more at miamiherald.com ...
Bet your average Swede doesn’t know they’re in the arms busisness. Hypocrites.
I had the opportunity to try out a training version of the AT-4 in ROTC. Nice weapon from a user standpoint. Simple to use, simple to aim. I’d definitely be concerned about FARC having any of the live models.
BOFORS (The manufacturer of the AT-4) also makes the Carl Gustav recoil-less rifle, btw.
Uh-oh. Venezuela-Columbia war?
Chavez is FARC.
And with the death of Marulanda, I’d say he is the de facto head of FARC.
And FARC has been incorporated into the Chavist conspiracy.
That means that indeed Venezuela is at war with Colombia. They are just using FARC for deniability.
I think that has been the case for a long time. Bush knew it. BO is on the Chavez side.
That was one of the things on the infamous hard-drive; that BO sent some intermediaries to meet with Reyes, the FARC number two who was based in Ecuador.
Yes, I agree with you. There may be some rivalry between the two, as O and Chavez wrangle to see who is going to lead the revolution. My money is on Chavez.
http://www.inatoday.com/moscowwishes2009730.htm
“MOSCOW WISHES CHAVEZ HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SENDS ARMS:
ARE THESE ROCKETS YOURS, HUGO?”
International News Analysis Today
July 30, 2009
By Toby Westerman
http://www.semana.com/noticias-nacion/rockets-venezolanos/126650.aspx
“Los ‘rockets’ venezolanos”
SNIPPET: “Varios lanzacohetes que los suecos les vendieron al gobierno venezolano terminaron en manos de las Farc. Todo apunta a que los dos generales más cercanos a Hugo Chávez están involucrados.”
Sábado 25 Julio 2009
http://counterterrorismblog.org/2009/07/tensions_rise_with_chavez_in_s.php
“Tensions Rise With Chávez In South America”
By Douglas Farah
(july 29, 2009)
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