Russia to Sell 100,000 Kalashnikov Submachine-Guns to Venezuela

[Gloria]

From the new World Media Watch up now at http://www.zianet.com/insightanalytical
Tomorrow at Buzzflash.com




5//RIA Novosti, Russia 09:14 May 18, 2005

http://en.rian.ru/business/20050518/40372525.html



RUSSIA TO SELL 100,000 KALASHNIKOV SUBMACHINE-GUNS TO VENEZUELA



RIO DE JANEIRO, May 18 (RIA Novosti, Andrei Kurguzov) - On Tuesday Venezuela and Russia signed an agreement on supplies of 100,000 Kalashnikov submachine-guns to that South-American country.The sum total of the transaction is $54 million. Russia undertook to supply to Venezuela, alongside weapons, also 2,000 handbooks, as well as spare parts and accessories for the AK submachine-guns.



This transaction also provides for transferring technology of assembly of the submachine-guns of this model to the Venezuelans, for training of 45 Venezuelan technicians and engineers in Russia for 11 months, and for organizing assembly production of the AK-103 in Venezuela.



As Venezuela's Defence Minister Jorge Garcia Carneiro stated at the ceremony of signing the contract, the first batch of 28,000 AK-103 submachine-guns must be received already in October.



(snip)



The Minister said that already on Wednesday the Russian technical commission will start analyzing and estimating the possibilities of the Venezuelan military-industrial company which will assemble the Russian AK-103 submachine-guns in the future.



(SNIP)



According to Rosoboronexport representative Sergei Ladygin who participated in the signing ceremony, Venezuela will become the first country in the world after Russia where the Russian AK-103 submachine-guns will be assembled, and the first country of the Western hemisphere to have them in service.



Earlier this year Russia and Venezuela signed a $120-million contract for supplies of Russian helicopters to Venezuela.

[whistle]

1. Those are very good weapons much better than anything the

...U.S. has for hand to hand combat, am I correct on that?

[solinvictus]

5. More reliable, at least.

The Kalashnikov is nearly 60 years old and is still hard to beat for use in gritty, grimy conditions.

[lonestarnot]

2. This for looming over slave laborers under CAFTA?

[aquart]

7. Or to take out US mercenaries.

[Maple]

3. Probably twice that many

in Texas alone.

[getmeouttahere]

4. Good....it will give Venezuela a fighting chance....

in what is sure to be another U.S. led coup attempt

www.handsoffvenezuela.org

[Cocoa]

6. Rummy doesn't understand why Venezuela needs the guns

but remind me, what country is Rummy the sec of defense of? I'm pretty sure it's not Venezuela...

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000086&sid=aHhZbqWo.M_I&refer=latin_america

``We have made it very clear to the Russian government our concerns about certain arms sales in Latin America and Venezuela,'' Rice said on April 20.

U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in March said Venezuela wasn't giving an adequate explanation of the purpose for the weapons.

``I can't imagine what's going to happen to 100,000 AK- 47s,'' Rumsfeld said March 23 in Brasilia. ``I can't imagine why Venezuela needs 100,000 AK-47s. I personally hope it doesn't happen and I can't imagine that if it did happen this would be good for the hemisphere.''

[getmeouttahere]

9. Good one, Cocoa....

I don't know why your post struck me as so funny...maybe we need more levity nowadays

[cliss]

10. Good point.

I recall reading that very same line by RumsFailed a few weeks ago. Someone on the thread mentioned, "well, maybe RumsFool is upset because he didn't get any of that commission".

Well, whether RumsFathead likes it or not, the sale is going through anyway. I've also read that Chavez is training his soldiers; he's also setting up local militias all over so his citizenry can be prepared.

I'd say he knows something....

[killbotfactory]

8. I guess we better start action now, before they can defend themselves

Hey, AK's... terrorists use them... they must be supplying them to terrorists!

[Toots]

11. I have never heard of an AK-103

Heard of an AK-47 and an AK-74 but never AK-103. What does it do? Is it belt fed or magazine? :shrug: