Aren't, Hugo Chavez and fidel pals? Cuba is 90 mi from the US connect the dots.

Ace--

There seemed to be some confusion over in the LGF talkbacks on this story this weekend.

http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=15376_Spain_Sold_Chem-Bio_Weapons_to_Venezuela#comments

Inference was made that this was a pretty generic category that covers things like tear gas, which we all know Chavez needs/likes.

If you want to buy small stocks of chem/bio materials, you certainly don't need to do it out in the open like this. It's one thing to hide a few million dollars worth of stuff, but less than a $100K? Hell, you or I can do that person-to-person mail order, and no one would be the wiser.

Chavez is a bad egg, but color me skeptical that this specific instance means much of anything.

Cheers,

Dave at Garfield Ridge

Dave - That was my first thought as well. But then reading the english translation I saw this:
Another €509.229 consisted of "paramilitary and security material" which encompasses "firearms or gas weapons, bombs, grenades, explosives, armoured and all terrain vehicles, water canons, telescopic sights and night vision devices, etc."

Putting the inclusion of gas weapons in the larger class combine with the specific classification of the smaller purchase as, "the said category includes "biological and nerve agents destined to chemical warfare" of which Venezuela bought €30.374." certainly makes it appear that the smaller purchase is WMD material.

I trust that the European press will pursue this and discover what exactly was sold to Venezuela; it may still be nothing or it may be something.

A cursory Google for info on Spanish chemical weapons came up with nothing; does anyone know if Spain even has any WMD quality material?

The problem is that if this was in the first half of 2004, it was under Aznar's government, not Zapatero's. Which makes things real interesting.

Barcepundit has been following this story for several days now. He's Spanish, and he's distinctly irked by the whole affair. (Link here: http://barcepundit-english.blogspot.com/)

Elric: The link above also notes that Chavez received materiel from both Aznar and Zapatero, but he feels the supplies from Aznar's government were smaller scale and more routine in nature. Might be a point to consider, anyway.

Von, didn't Spain get some of the Iraq WMD that went missing.......who knows. Only the shadow.....

vonK--

The trouble is, "gas weapons" can mean tear gas (CS, pepper, other irritants, etc.), which are commonly categorized as such. They're not WMD, that's for sure.

As far as Spain having a WMD program, I doubt they had an offensive program (at least not after Franco died), but like all big nations, they probably had a defensive program, which would include small stocks of chem and bio agents (although who knows which).

My guess? Need more info.

And you wonder why the Portuguese hate the Spanish.