Brasilia, Brazil ? Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Wednesday issued the strongest U.S. condemnation yet of Venezuela’s planned purchase of 100,000 AK-47 rifles, saying he couldn’t “imagine why” Venezuela needed the weapons.

Lower level officials of the Bush administration had been sounding the alarm for some time on the Venezuelan plan to buy the AK-47s from Russia, fearing that the weapons, munitions or rifles they replace could arm rebel groups fighting the government in Colombia. But this is the first time that a senior Cabinet-level official has used such blunt language.

In a news conference with Jose Alencar, Brazil’s vice president and defense minister, Rumsfeld said that “certainly I’m concerned” when asked about the AK-47s.

“I can’t imagine what’s going to happen to 100,000 AK-47s. I can’t imagine why Venezuela needs 100,000 AK-47s,” Rumsfeld said. “And I just personally hope it doesn’t happen, and I can’t imagine that if it did happen, that it would be good for the hemisphere.”

Venezuelan officials have said the weapons are needed to create a militia to confront a U.S. invasion. They also argue that the rifles will replace aging Belgian FAL models and that it is their right to modernize their armed forces.

The AK-47s are part of a multibillion dollar weapons purchase that includes plans to acquire between 40 and 50 advanced Russian MIG-29 jets, a move questioned by the Pentagon given that the country already owns comparable U.S. F-16s and has largely peaceful relations with its neighbors.