Chavez To Seek Oil for Arms Deal With N.Korea ... ? So, looks like Hugo Chavez has a new best friend: Kim Jong Il, and they'll be getting together in a few weeks.

From the Middle East Times, about half-way down the article:

"...The missile launch came ahead of a visit to Pyongyang by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, possibly late this month. Chavez has announced that he will travel to North Korea, which is at odds with Washington over its nuclear program, at a time when Chavez is seeking to distance Venezuela from the United States.

The Venezuelan leader is most likely to fly to Pyongyang at the end of July on the occasion of his planned trip to Russia on July 25. Chavez told reporters that he will be going to the North to discuss science and technology cooperation.

But Chavez and Kim Jong Il are expected to seek an oil-for-arms deal. During the summit, Venezuela, the world's fifth-largest oil-rich country, is expected to offer energy resources to North Korea, which is suffering from energy shortages after the United States halted its supply of heavy oil.

In return, North Korea can offer conventional weapons and missiles to Venezuela, which is looking to fortify its military power..."

Let's see. Last weekend, Chavez hobnobbed with President AllMyDinari from Iran. In a few weeks, he'll be glad-handing Kim Jong.

Chosumibo, out of South Korea says that the missile launches might have been a sales pitch: There is speculation that Iranian officials, who have been in the North since early this month according to press reports, were observing the launches on the spot to see whether they want to buy. (It's not out of the question that the demonstration was also aimed at Chavez, so to speak -- FB)

The Editors at NationalReviewOnline takes a sober look at the situation:

"...Kim continues to arm Iran, and he is also forging an alliance with Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez, who is to visit Pyongyang later this month. Kim and Chavez are expected to strike a deal in which North Korea would provide conventional arms to Venezuela in exchange for energy assistance (which would vitiate the effects of sanctions against North Korea even if we could secure them). There is a very real possibility that, at Kim’s initiative, the regimes most hostile to the U.S. will form an alliance backed by North Korean missile technology. Preventing that outcome will require decisive action to thwart Iran’s atomic ambitions before the mullahs possess a deterrent like Kim’s, and redoubling our efforts to see them removed from power. It will require us to move more aggressively to isolate Hugo Chavez. And it will require us to block any North Korean arms shipments to client states in the Americas ..."

It should also apply to N. Korean arms shipments to South America, packed in Chinese ships.

Crossposted at RedState.Com, and at RightWingThinking. Offered for trackback at Cao's.   ¶ 8:00 AM