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02/12/2005:

"Venezuela Dismisses U.S. Complaints Over Russian Arms"

CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuela Friday dismissed as ``impertinence'' U.S. criticism of its plans to buy Russian rifles and helicopters and suggested Washington was just sore it was not buying U.S. weapons.

``This is a sovereign action by Venezuela which President (Hugo) Chavez's government is not willing to discuss,'' Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel said in a terse statement.

It was the second public rebuttal this week by left-winger Chavez's government of U.S. fears about the planned Venezuelan arms purchases announced several months ago.

Venezuela, the world's No. 5 oil exporter, is a major supplier of oil to the United States. But Chavez and President George. W. Bush's government have been at loggerheads for several years.

Rangel rejected concerns expressed by the State Department Thursday that 100,000 Kalashnikov automatic rifles Venezuela is buying from Russia could fall into the hands of leftist guerrillas Washington considers ``terrorists.''

In his statement, Rangel described the U.S. reaction as ``another impertinence from Mr. Bush's government.''

``One has to ask whether the U.S. concern might not stem from the fact that this equipment is being bought in Russia and not in the United States,'' he said.
Full Article: nytimes.com