CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- A U.S. congresswoman called on the Bush administration Wednesday to reconsider its ban on selling parts for U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets to Venezuela, urging improved ties between the two nations. | Cynthia's no longer in Congress, so one guess who this is ... |
Jackson Lee described Venezuela, as a friendly nation that the U.S. should cooperate with and said that the F-16 jets, which are built in Texas, was an issue of concern to her constituents in Houston.
Just call it Pork BarrelÂ…Seditionist style.
Pledging to "personally go back and raise" the issue, she called for the U.S. Congress "to reconsider sanctions on the F-16s."
She added, “In light of what we know now, how can anybody disagree with Hugo? All he said was that Bush was the Devil incarnate and that the imperialistic US must be brought to its knees. And besides that, wasn’t it just dreamy how he wasn’t afraid to say that the 9/11 terrorist attack was self inflicted.”
The U.S. State Department has banned arms sales to Venezuela, including parts necessary to maintain its fleet of F-16s, citing a lack of support by Chavez's government for counter terrorism efforts and its close relations with Iran and Cuba.
Venezuela has since begun receiving the first of 24 Russian-made Sukhoi fighter jets as part of approximately $3 billion in military deals that Chavez has signed with Moscow. She said her fact-finding mission to Venezuela was part of an effort by a new Democrat-controlled Congress to show that "Venezuela has many friends in this new Congress."
"We're here to re-establish friendship," she said.
Just like the Bashar Assad episode.