Two Russian bombers land in Venezuela

[Guest Verbal Kint]

News Link: CNN

Two Russian bombers land in Venezuela

President Hugo Chavez had said Venezuela is ready to host Russian aircraft, news agency Novosti reported.

(CNN) -- Two Russian bombers have landed at a Venezuelan airfield, from which they will carry out training flights for several days, the Russian news agency Interfax reported Wednesday.

The Tupolev Tu-160 strategic bombers landed at Venezuela's Libertador military airfield and "will spend several days carrying out training flights over neutral waters, after which they will return to the base," Interfax reported, citing the Russian Defense Ministry.

Col. Alexander Drobyshevsky, a ministry spokesman, told Interfax that NATO fighters followed the bombers on their 13-hour flight over the Arctic Ocean and the Atlantic.

"All flights by air force aircraft have been and are marked by strict conformity to the international rules on the use of air space over neutral waters," Drobyshevsky told Interfax.

On Monday, Russia announced it might hold joint naval maneuvers with Venezuela in the Caribbean. The declaration came in the wake of increased tension between Russia and the United States over Russia's invasion last month of the former Soviet republic of Georgia, a U.S. ally that aspires to join NATO.

Russia on Monday denied any link between that announcement and the conflict in Georgia, although Russia has criticized U.S. support for Georgia, and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has long antagonized Washington.

Earlier this month, Chavez said Venezuela would welcome the Russian air force, according to Russian news agency Novosti.

"If Russian long-range bombers should need to land in Venezuela, we would not object to that either. We will also welcome them," Chavez said on September 1, according to Novosti.

[Guest Revelator]

Well it's not the Cuban missle crisis but it is interesting, considering the players. My wife is from Colombia, which borders Venezuela and is about the only pro-US country in South America. I hope developments like this don't make it difficult for us to travel there in the years to come.

[towerclimber37]

and that's a great way to get sh*t kicked into the next century, if you push too far....

trust me..we've done it before..and there's not a heck of alot that Russia would do about it.

the supply lines would be way too far for them...especially considering that we pretty much own the pacific.

[Guest HunterH]

The more clear and presnet dangers that become ovious to the American public, the more they realize they need McCain in office and not a rank amateur like NObama!!!

[TGO David]

The more clear and presnet dangers that become ovious to the American public, the more they realize they need McCain in office and not a rank amateur like NObama!!!

I wish I shared your optimism, Hunter. Unfortunately most Liberals tend to think that the way to solve problems is to through pacifism, appeasement, compromise, tolerance, acceptance or just plain throwing money at them.

If the people I work around are any indication, we're ****ed come November.

[creeky]

If the people I work around are any indication, we're ****ed come November.

Those "people" are where I'm at as well.