It looks like Russia is increasing it’s ties to Hugo Chavez’s Venezuela:
CARACAS, Venezuela — Chafing at the reactivation in recent weeks of an American naval fleet in Latin American waters, President Hugo Chávez said Sunday that Venezuela could engage in naval exercises with Russian ships in the Caribbean before the end of the year.
Mr. Chávez’s words echoed news reports here over the weekend that four warships with as many as 1,000 sailors from Russia’s Pacific Fleet could take part in a training exercise in November off Venezuela’s coast. Salvatore Cammarata Bastidas, Venezuela’s chief of naval intelligence, said the exercises were aimed at strengthening military ties.
Russian officials confirmed on Monday that Russian naval ships, including the nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser Peter the Great and the anti-submarine ship Admiral Chabanenko, will dock in Venezuela by the end of the year.
The ships will engage in joint exercises with Venezuelan warships in the Atlantic Ocean, Russian Navy Assistant Commander Capt. Igor Dygalo told the Interfax news agency on Monday. “The ships will have joint maneuvers, practice search and rescue at sea and check communications,” he said.
Anatoly Nesterenko, a Russian foreign ministry spokesman, said, “The temporary deployment of Russian Navy anti-sub aircraft at an air field in that country is also planned.”
He said the operations were not a reaction to the tensions between the United States and Russia over Georgia. “This is a planned operation, and is not in any way connected to current political events, nor to the situation in the Caucasus,” he said.
Yea, sure it’s not.
While we are over here fighting like cats and dogs over an election, Russia and Venezuela are making the most of a good situation. Could this be the real reason Bush wants to get out of Iraq? So we can concentrate on these two? They see what is going on over here. They are laughing their heads off!
Having badly trained Russian naval crews on poorly supported ships visit Venezuela just means that the US Navy can practice closer to home….
Let’s see, 2 German Type 209 Subs and 6 Italian Lupo Frigates. Won’t be much of a joint exercise. Russia is sending 4 ships, including a possible Kirov Class cruiser.
This just gives the US a chance to see how badly the Russian Navy has degraded.
Chavez particularly is unhappy with the re-formation of the U.S. Navy’s 4th Fleet, based in Mayport, Fla., which was disbanded in 1953 but is now patrolling the Caribbean.
Can you say, “Target Rich Environment”?
“This is a planned operation, and is not in any way connected to current political events, nor to the situation in the Caucasus,”
No, it’s just another step toward Russia becoming a full-fledged Communist state again…