Hugo and the Jets

Venezuelan president-for-life Hugo Chavez is threatening to sell his fleet of U.S. made F-16 fighters to Iran:

Venezuela is considering selling its fleet of U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets to another country, perhaps Iran, in response to a U.S. ban on arms sales to President Hugo Chavez's government, a military official said Tuesday.

Gen. Alberto Muller, a senior adviser to Chavez, told The Associated Press he had recommended to the defense minister that Venezuela consider selling the 21 jets to another country.

Muller said he thought it was worthwhile to consider "the feasibility of a negotiation with Iran for the sale of those planes."

Even before the U.S. announced the ban on arms sales Monday, Washington had stopped selling Venezuela sensitive upgrades for the F- 16s.

They'll be about as much use to Iran as they are to Venezuela. Without the upgrades and with the difficulty of getting spare parts for the planes, they might make a nice propaganda photo-op, but will have little use to the Iranian airforce. They'd still be sitting ducks for our top-line stuff.

And, of course, they wouldn't be flown by American pilots.