[Bender2]

Re My 162 post: ...what Bizarro World map you are using that makes the Brits have to go past Venezuela to get to the Falklands?

Your 163 post: If they use the same path/route they used before, staging at Ascension Island. Not bizarre at all. Of course they could use the Canal and go the other way, either the Suez or the Panama, but that adds a lot of distance and does not provide as good a staging.

Guess the continents must have moved... since I took geography back in the 1950s...

But... as I recall:

Going from the UK to Ascension Island and on to the Falklands does not cross Venezuela...

What is that, a FedEx or whatever commercial, where the older guy tells the young guy to put a pin in China on the map? And the young guy starts at Greenland?

That's the way... I am feeling here!

[JasonC]

Now draw a 1600 kilometer radius circle centered on the northeast edge of Venezuela. That is the combat radius of a late model Su-30 fighter bomber, which Venezuela just ordered from Russia (24), without air refueling.

Venezuela also reported seeking quiet Russian diesel-electric submarines, the Amur which is an improved version of the Kilo class. Some reports say only 3, others say 5, others say 9. These are apparently still at the planning stage, but they have the money and are negotiating terms with the Russians.

I leave it to your imagination what on green earth Venezuela needs a fleet of attack subs for...

[Jeff Head]

That route does pass Venezuela to the east. The new Venesuelan aircraft have the range to interdict that line of travel.

[TrueKnightGalahad]

I think his geography teacher was Miss South Carolina....

“I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because, uhmmm, some people out there in our nation don’t have maps and uh, I believe that our, I, education like such as, uh, South Africa, and uh, the Iraq, everywhere like such as, and I believe that they should, uhhh, our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S., uh, should help South Africa, it should help the Iraq and the Asian countries so we will be able to build up our future, for us.”