Posted on 02/05/2006 3:11:19 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez says he is considering buying enough rifles to arm one million people ready to repel a possible US invasion.
Chavez also threatened to close down his government's US-based refineries if Washington decided to cut diplomatic ties.
During a speech warning his supporters that Washington was considering an invasion of Venezuela, Chavez said that 100,000 Russian-built Kalashnikov assault rifles would not be enough to defend the country.
"We still need a higher number of rifles. The 100,000 Russian rifles are not enough, Venezuela needs to have one million well-equipped and well-armed men and women," he said.
"I've started making contacts with some countries" that would be able to supply the rifles, Chavez told the crowd of supporters to rousing applause.
Relations between Washington and Caracas have been tense in recent months in part because of US criticism of Venezuela's purchases of military equipment, including 100,000 Russian-made assault rifles.
Chavez said Venezuela did not want to go to the extreme of cutting off petroleum supplies to the US but he said if Washington wanted to break relations he could easily order Venezuela's US refineries closed.
"We'll see how high oil prices go, we'll see how much a gallon of gas will cost. I could easily sell the oil we sell to the United States to other countries," he said.
"We don't want to get to that extreme, we want them to leave us in peace."
Venezuela is the world's fifth biggest oil exporter and supplies about 15 per cent of US petroleum imports.
Washington has made no suggestion that it plans to cut off relations with Venezuela but Washington ordered out a Venezuelan diplomat after Chavez expelled a US military attache on spying charges earlier this week.
During Saturday's marathon speech, Chavez extended his war of words with Washington, comparing US President George Bush to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler while commemorating a failed 1992 coup he led as a lieutenant colonel.
"If any president in this world is similar, including physically, to Adolf Hitler it is Mr Danger," said Chavez, prompting cheers from his supporters following a march through Caracas.
"The imperialist, mass murdering, fascist attitude of the president of the United States doesn't have limits. I think Hitler could be a nursery baby next to George W Bush," Chavez added.
The Venezuelan leader's statements followed comments made on Thursday by US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who compared Chavez to Hitler and warned darkly about populist leadership in Bolivia and Cuba.
AP/Reuters
The Venezuelan Army will wrap this one up before too much longer.
100,000 AK's or 1,000,000 AK's wouldn't matter against a company of Marines and a couple of tanks (we'll throw in a couple of AH-64's for good measure). Chavez was a Venezuelan military officer at one point wasn't he? Surely he isn't that stupid.
Oh sure, that is who is going to get those rifles. NOT.
Its amazing how many people jumped on Pat Robertson about his comments!Those who thought he was wrong are now having to silently choke on crow!
Awww, let 'Ol "Fist-in-the-Air" have his 1,000,000 Kalashnikov's.
We just need to be concerned with keeping any Ammo from getting to Venezuela.
They let there hatred of PR cloud their judgment.
I do not have any production figures handy, so I can't say for certain how much impact we've had.
I'm on a land rig in Montana, drilling a dual lateral horizontal well that will drain about 2 square miles of reservoir.
The company I am working for has 4 rigs drilling steadily (when not drilling or running casing, they are moving), and has had for the past year or so. That is up from one rig 5 years back.
This region, (the Williston Basin) had no drilling activity at all for a few months when oil crashed in the late '90s, for the first time since oil was discovered here in the '50s. In that time frame, there had always been at least one rig drilling, and a max of 212 rigs in 1980. Wells are less spectacular than offshore, for instance, usually producing between 100 and 1500 bbl/day to start. But the drilling costs here are a lot less than offshore, too, so there is a dollar to be made.
Can't do that... It might upset the (ahem) free world trade of oil where markets use supply and demand to determine world oil prices! sarc/off
"Tiny genetalia makes no difference when you're a brutal commie dictator!"
"Si Fidel, it's just as you said..."
"During a speech warning his supporters that Washington was considering an invasion of Venezuela,.."
I am unaware of any such plan
Chavez can probably get them from France cheaply. The don't (or won't) use theirs. I've got a good SMLE for them, "dropped once - never fired."
Lol, the oil producing countries have been using their oil to blackmail us. Time to fight back.
I thought the Kalashnikov was Russian, what would a French soldier be doing with one?
It looks like Chavez has victim envy. We ignored him too much and now he is having a hissy fit. This guy is a paranoid loon.
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