Sink Or Sell? Russia Spat Leaves France With Warships To Spare

[Purveyor]

By John Irish and Cyril Altmeyer

PARIS (Reuters) - For sale: two French-built helicopter carriers, tested by Russians. Buy now for only 1.2 billion euros($1.33 billion). Shipping extra.

Tensions between the West and Russia over Ukraine have blocked a deal in which Moscow was to buy the ships, leaving Paris trying to negotiate a face-saving compromise and work out CAwhat to do with two unwanted warships.

"There are three possibilities: deliver the boats to Russia, sell them to someone else or destroy them," said a source close to the matter.

It is an embarrassment that is not of French President Francois Hollande's making. The deal stems from his predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy's decision in 2011 to make the West's first major foreign arms sale to Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union.

But it will be difficult for Hollande politically and underlines the difficulty for France to reconcile its ambitions as a global arms supplier - a sector on which thousands of French jobs depend - with commitments to NATO allies.

It may also be very costly.

more...

http://news.yahoo.com/sink-sell-russia-spat-leaves-france-warships-spare-141951864.html

[TexasProgresive]

1. The could probable find buyers from certain Mexicans

who have lots of dinero from questionable sources. nod nod

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. Nah. Too big and not sneaky enough

though the Mexican Navy would not shock me. If there are no concerns as to buyer...I can see a billionaire or two. They would make incredible yachts. And trying to keep with the joneses. Of course, the remodeling would be extensive. Naval vessels are not precisely swanky

As to the Mexican navy...this is Plan Merida baby. That money would come from that.

[TexasProgresive]

3. Speaking of Mexico (off topic)

What's happening? We caught a little news on Telemundo, I think. I only have a few words of Spanish but the visuals were scary. I don't know if some of them were old or new. I did see a reference to 20 dead. Since you posted about trouble in Mexico yesterday I know that you have your finger on the Mexican pulse.

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. Elections are on Sunday

and the low grade fever is rising again.

In the southwest people took over the INE (electoral college) offices in several towns (that match precisely where Mexico had a guerrilla problem in the 1960). And burned ballots. Ballots were also burned in four other states and 3 bombs went off in Puebla, 90 minutes from Mexico City.

In the capital proper the building had people in front with a very loud demonstration. The conflict is deep enough that there is a fear elections will not be held in dangerous precincts, tbd, and the army and navy will patrol ( they used to, but were pulled from that duty a few years back).

Near where I live the Baja 500 might not run this year.

[TexasProgresive]

6. Thanks, It is amazing to me that we get news from Dubai

but seldom from our near neighbors. I guess nothing happens south or even north of the border that's of interest to us.

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. This is by design. CNN, Reuters and AP

have bureaus in Mexico City. Hell, CNN has a pretty competent, with a rightward bent, Mexican CNN en Español. Editors really think there is no interest, and they do not want that interest. A lot of the issues are a direct consequence of new liberal policies and nafta.

[jwirr]

4. Sink? Turn them into homes or hotels.