 A proposed contract between Russia and Venezuela that could transfer thousands of sniper rifles to Venezuela has raised concern in the United States about the potential use or regional distribution of the weapons by the socialist-inspired government of President Hugo Chávez. The rifle in question is the latest variant of the Dragunov, a long-barreled, semi-automatic design with an optical sight. It is derived in part from the much more widely circulated Kalashnikov assault rifle. First manufactured in 1963 for use by militaries and intelligence agencies in the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact, the Dragunov and its clones have become one of the most lethal and effective weapons against American troops and their allies in Iraq.
| First manufactured in 1963 for use by militaries and intelligence agencies in the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact, the Dragunov and its clones have become one of the most lethal and effective weapons against American troops and their allies in Iraq. |
Venezuela is negotiating a contract with Rosoboronexport, the Kremlin-controlled arms export agency, to purchase about 5,000 modernized Dragunov rifles, according to officials at Izhmash, the rifle's manufacturer. Venezuela has about 34,000 soldiers in its army and 23,000 in its national guard, according to estimates by Jane's Information Group, which analyzes military forces and regional risks. Because sniper rifles are specialized infantry weapons and not typically issued to large numbers of soldiers, diplomats and military officers and analysts said, a purchase of several thousand Dragunovs would not seem to have a conventional military use for Venezuela's armed forces. | No, they are for his Islamicist and leftist buddies. |
"Sales like this, and other sales of military equipment and arms to Venezuela, don't seem consistent with Venezuela's needs," David Kramer, deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, said by telephone. "It does raise questions about their ultimate use," he added. "We're not sure what their purpose would be."
Mark Joyce, the Americas editor for Jane's Country Risk, part of Jane's Information Group, said that a purchase of thousands of sniper rifles would fit with the ongoing defense reorganization in Venezuela under Chávez. "Obviously, what he has in mind is some sort of urban, guerrilla war against an invading force, and the model for that is Iraq," Joyce said. |