Venezuela, Iran & others: a coalition? (New title)

[AdamG]

Originally Posted by Strickland

Regardless of the bellicose rhetoric, oil imports from Venezuela remain VITAL to the US economy (i think they remain in the top 5 providers to the US). If Chavez truly wished to harm the US, and commit national or at least regime suicide, he could attempt to prevent oil from flowing to the US and/or disrupt oil exports from Mexico. Either of these moves would hurt far worse than the Straits of Hormuz being closed.

Right before Nigeria.
ftp://ftp.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/pe...nt/import.html

Acting alone, Venezuela would be stupid but in concert with others?

[AdamG]

Building recent on efforts to strengthen political relationships between Tehran and South American nations, Iran has announced intentions to launch HispanTV to expand their influence in the region, and give their strategic influence a wider audience.

http://insightsur.com/2012/02/02/ira...h-language-tv/

[AdamG]

Iran and Middle East-based extremist groups are stepping up their activities in South America, aiming to make friends and score cash, a senior U.S. military official says.

Tehran intends to build military drones in Washington's backyard for the Venezuelan military led by Hugo Chavez, U.S. Southern Command chief Gen. Douglas Fraser told reporters Wednesday during a breakfast meeting in Washington.

http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/dot...-south-america

[davidbfpo]

I think this Israeli think tank report sits best here, especially Venezuela is centre stage with Iran and then there's Hezbollah:http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/mal.../iran_e163.htm

It ends with:

Iran's activities in Latin America and its readiness to carry out terrorist attacks on American soil (manifested by the attempted assassination in Washington of the Saudi Arabian ambassador) led Roger Noriega (added an AEI analyst) to the conclusion that "Tehran's activities near our homeland constitute a very real threat that can no longer be ignored." (ITIC emphasis) Despite with the grave assessments of the Iranian threat as expressed in a number of expert testimonies before Congress, certain members of the American administration are of the opinion that Iran's influence in Latin America is limited and that the United States can minimize it.

Not exactly an impartial review; Israel and those who lean a certain way maybe convinced.

[AdamG]

Meanwhile, over at the Blog...
http://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art...-latin-america

[AdamG]

From Admiral Lyons -

LYONS: Regime change needs to be endgame for Iran
Missile proliferation justifies U.S. strikes

Iran has extensively penetrated Venezuelan economic, industrial, banking and petroleum industries. Venezuela has become one of the principal vehicles for Iran to work around U.N. sanctions. Furthermore, Venezuela has become the support base for Iranian infiltration throughout Latin and Central America. The Iranian proxy terrorist group Hezbollah has established bases throughout Venezuela, including Margarita Island, and Cuba.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...game-for-iran/