[Aussie Dasher]

What are the Russians playing at???

[cripplecreek]

Chavez isn't very bright. The Russians screwed him when they sold him thousands of junk assault rifles a while back.

[muawiyah]

Making money.

[BenLurkin]

Making money off this clown's gullibility I suspect.

Why the Venezuelans don't bridle at Chavez wasting their money on high performance aircraft is beyond me.

All he can do with them (assuming he can keep them in the air) is threaten his neighbors -- our guys will make short work of them

[Orbiting_Rosie's_Head]

Muller said we would sell them to Iran, and that is possible.

Go ahead. Iran won't be able to buy parts for them either.

[the invisib1e hand]

those jets will be easy enough to pick off if necessary.

[dr_who_2]

The usual.

[COEXERJ145]

Raptor food.

[exit82]

The F-16's should be destroyed on the ground in Venezuela before they can take off for Iran.

Even an idiot like Chavez would get the message.

BTW, Russia is still our enemy. We've had a fifteen year timeout. Russia has spun off its troublesome Muslim provinces, but it is still countering us in the Middle East and the War on Terror.

[Doctor Stochastic]

So Iran will have more US F-16s to face fewer Russian planes?

[DakotaRed]

Mr Chavez hailed the Russian Sukhoi fighters as "the best in the world, 100 times better than the F-16s".

No airplane is any better than it's pilot and their training. 'Nuff said.

Go right ahead and sell some aging F-16s to Iran. Do you really think they are equipped with everything the US kept models have? Do you think the maintenance and training of personnel is equal? The jokes on you, Chavez, keep running off at the mouth and watch as your own people tire of you and oust you from office one day.

[jazusamo]

LOL...I guess Chavez forgot that our pilots are probably about 100 times better than his.

[heights]

[Jameison]

"Chavez to buy Russian jets "

Those jets will do him the same good Saddam's Russian jets did for him. :)

[Zeppo]

Mr Chavez hailed the Russian Sukhoi fighters as "the best in the world, 100 times better than the F-16s".

Chavez is not too bright, eh? Does he have a clue about how childish such a statement makes him appear to be? Do they understand the phrase "sour grapes" in Venezuela?

[kAcknor]

so Muller said we would sell them to Iran, and that is possible.

Bull. The Iranians have had experience with U.S. fighters without having the support for them. A fleet of F-14's left over from the Shah. They didn't last long at all. After that, who would do it on purpose?

Chavez if blowing political smoke, and he knows it.

[sgtbono2002]

What makes Chavez think that Iran would buy a bunch of ragged out F-16's that they cant get parts for either?

How long will it take for Venezuela pilots and ground maintenace people to get up to speed on the new Russian planes?

Or is Russia planning to send over "advisors".
Like they did with the Cuban missiles.

[Sender]

Oh yeah, those Russian "state of the art" fighters, absolutely 100 times better than F16s, will deter likely threats like the Bolivian Air Force.

[soccer_maniac]

Shouldn't Chavez help the poor in his country before buying arms?

[USNBandit]

The interesting thing about this article isn't that Chavez is going to buy Russian aircraft. He has been talking about that for some time.

The interesting, and disconcerting, thing is that he is now talking Sukhoi vice Mig. Mig-29s due to their short range would hardly be a threat to his neighbors. Sukhoi-27 variants are a different matter entirely. I could really see this nut trying all sorts of wacky stuff with long range fighters.

[GregoTX]

Russia may sell Chavez Jets, but we will give him some moonbats free of charge.