The makers of the Kalashnikov assault rifle have hit out against US criticism of a plan to sell 100,000 of the weapons to Venezuela.The Kalashnikov's Mishmash factory, the Russian arms export agency and the inventor of the original AK-47, Mikhail Kalashnikov, lined up to deny an April 10 report in the Washington Times claiming that Venezuela had cancelled the deal because the weapons were outdated.
Dmitry Shugayev, an official at the Rosoboronexport arms sales monopoly, was quoted by AFP as saying that so far none of the 100,000 Kalashnikovs due for export in the $54 million deal signed May 2005, had been delivered, but he denied there was any hitch in the deal.
