follows the article I read today, (see below)
Latin America moves to reduce reliance on US weapons
By Michel Leclercq, September 8, 2009
September 8, 2009
Wake up to Peacemaking, Latin America,
by Arn Specter, Phila.
(Twitter and www.opednews.org )
Let us put out a "Call: - loudly- to Latin America to change their policies
of arms buying to one of arms reductions and more, more, more diplomacy and the making of negotiations and agreements for cooperation and peace in the region! A new arms race in Latin America needs to be challenged!
At present the U.S. agreement with Columbia to use 7 of their military bases needs to be vigorously challenged as provoking an arms race that has repercussions throughout Europe, Asia and other parts of the world. The millions of people in Latin America need to feel safe rather than threatened. Seeing headlines in their papers or on television about more "war" weapons purchased by their government instills more fear and trepidation in their hearts and minds. Their children too are getting a message of war making instead of peacemaking. Be on the alert, Latin America, escalation of arms and military does not engender peace; diplomacy and cooperation does help bring about peace and security. The world is watching and hoping that you change policy and stand up for peaceful progress. thank you.
arn specter, phila.usa (Twitter and www.opednews.org )
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Latin America moves to reduce reliance on US weapons
By Michel Leclercq, September 8, 2009
www.dailytimes.com .pk
Political restrictions on arms sales are forcing Latin American nations to diversify their arms suppliers
BRAZIL'S plans to buy French fighter jets confirms a trend across Latin America, a region once under the thrall of the United States that overwhelmingly prefers to buy European military hardware. The main reason is the proclivity of US lawmakers to put political restrictions on what customers can and cannot do with their purchases. In Brazil's case, that explained in part why France's Rafale emerged victorious over the US F/A-18 Super Hornet and Sweden's Gripen NG, according to the planned purchase announced Monday.
While the Rafale was an excellent choice anyway on performance criteria, Brazilian officials said it was France's offer to share all the plane's technology that really clinched the deal - something that could not be guaranteed by the other bids. The technology behind the F/A-18 and the Gripen (which uses some US components such as the engine) are subject to approval from Washington - which has in the past vetoed any transactions with of which it disapproved.
That was the case under president Jimmy Carter, who embargoed military sales to South American dictatorships in the 1970s. Argentina as a result turned to Europe - buying French Super-Etendard fighters with Exocet missiles that subsequently sank the British destroyer Sheffield during the 1982 war over the Falkland Islands.
More recently, former US president George W Bush slapped an arms embargo on Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a leftwing leader not deemed to be doing enough in US "war on terror. Chavez, who has his country's oil riches to back up his anti-US bombast, went calling on Russia, which has proved only too happy to sell him 24 sophisticated Sukhoi fighter jets, 51 combat helicopters, missile-launchers and 100,000 AK-103 assault rifles for a total 4.4 billion dollars. He also bought 24 light jets from China.
Across the rest of Latin America, where the memories of US military adventures persist, the preference has long been for deals from western Europe and from Russia. Peru, although now friendly to the United States, had longstanding ties with Moscow. It flexes Russian MiGs and Sukhois and French Mirages in its air force, and German submarines in its navy. The army has US tanks - but they are backed up by French, German, Italian and Russian armoured vehicles. Even Colombia, the United States' main ally in the region, is not relying entirely on Washington, which has given it 5.5 billion dollars in mostly military aid over the past decade to fight drug trafficking and rebels. While its air force has 15 Black Hawk helicopters, its pilots also navigate the cockpits of French Mirages (and Israeli-modified Mirages called Kfirs) and Brazilian Super Tucanos.
Colombia will this year receive five Russian Mi-17 transport helicopters and is asking France and Germany to look at modernising its navy. In Chile, cooperation with European suppliers goes back to the start of the 20th century, Guillermo Patillo, a defence specialist, told AFP. That was because the Chilean military wanted "cultural proximity and better stability for supplies, he said. Santiago has recently signed deals with France and Germany too.
Brazil, before the Rafale announcement, already enjoyed good ties with France. Last December it agreed to fork over around 10 billion dollars to buy five French attack submarines (one of which will be adapted to nuclear power) and 50 military transport helicopters.
What appears to be emerging is a Latin American arms race, according to statistics compiled by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, which says regional defence spending grew 50 percent between 1999 and 2008. And it is Europe and Russia that are reaping the benefits of selling their war machines, and standing back. afp
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