Hugo Chavez Seeks Alliance With Iran

[Iranian Monitor]

Although ties between Iran and Venezuela are still in their early formative stages, if Iran ever manages to gain a foothold in Latin America through some formal alliance with Venezuela, in the long run (assuming Venezuela maintains its current policies under Chavez's successors) that will have a huge impact on Iran's abilities to defend itself and Venezuela against US bullying.

What is distance, incidentally, between Venezuela and the US?


http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2006/4/10/152524.shtml

Hugo Chavez Seeks Alliance With Iran

Officials at the Pentagon and State Department are increasingly concerned over Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez’s efforts to strengthen his nation’s ties with Iran.

The two countries have even had discussions on holding joint military exercises, and Venezuela is seeking to buy uranium from Iran, according to Bush administration officials cited by The Washington Times.
...

[Shaster]

Although ties between Iran and Venezuela are still in their early formative stages, if Iran ever manages to gain a foothold in Latin America through some formal alliance with Venezuela, in the long run (assuming Venezuela maintains its current policies under Chavez's successors) that will have a huge impact on Iran's abilities to defend itself and Venezuela against US bullying.

What is distance, incidentally, between Venezuela and the US?


http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2006/4/10/152524.shtml


Political distance or physical distance? :p

Venezuela is in the North of South America so not very far from Florida. Probably 3h flying. Good city and beautiful women (I was there before). #1 oil exporter to USA but on very bad relationship after CIA sponsored two coups to overthrew him failed. Try to shift more and more oil shipment to China now and also let China own its whole West oil field.

Beside Venezuela, whole Latin America is on an anti-US and left side movement now with Venezuela, Bolivia, Peru, etc. all elected presidents that are not go well with US. Plus left presidents in Brazil and Argentina.

US worried most about China's influence here. Check this link:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4872522.stm

[sebakoole]

Ooh, Newsmax and "according to Bush administration officials cited by The Washington Times." Yeah, those are some trustworthy sources all right.

[Iranian Monitor]

Ooh, Newsmax and "according to Bush administration officials cited by The Washington Times." Yeah, those are some trustworthy sources all right.

I am glad that you agree that the Washington Times and Newsmax, both conservative organs in the US, are not credible. When they report something that contradicts reports from more 'mainstream' media (themselves not free from clear bias and without credibility issues), I would be careful in citing their reports as well.

However, what aspect of this report do you dispute? Venezuela and Iran do have close ties. Iran is building a Samand auto manufacturing plant, a tractor factory, a cement factory, a housing project in Venezuela and cooperating with the Venezuelans on energy programs and projects. Chavez has publicly backed Iran in its nuclear program and Venezuela was only one of 3 countries on the IAEA board to vote against the IAEA resolution against Iran (the other two countries being Syria and Cuba). Moreover, Chavez has in the past publicly announced that Venezuela seeks Iranian assitance in developing a nuclear energy program. Finally, Chavez and members of his cabinet have been rather frequent guests in Iran, while Iran has sent high level delegations to Venezuela in the recent past as well including a trip last year by outgoing president Khatami as well as more recently by the speaker of Iran's parliament Adel Hadad.

The only part of the report that caught my eye, and related to something I had not read previously, was the reference to Venezuela planning joint military exercises with Iran. I don't know if that part is accurate, although I have read reports in the past about Iran's willingness to supply Venezuela some of the products of its conventional arms industry. However, on the latter score, I guess both countries have been cautious not to excite attention from hostile corners and have been treading lightly.

BTW, besides Venezuela, Iran has close ties with Cuba as well, recently embarking on a host of projects on that island nation. Iran is seeking to expand its ties with various countries in the Western hemisphere and recent political events in Latin America augor well for the success of Iran's efforts.

[johan neeskens]

Mr Chavez also wants to annex the Dutch antilles, apparently.

Has the world ever before in its entire history seen so many idiot leaders at one time I wonder.

[Scarecrow]

If Chavez actually tries to get any Uranium he will be removed by the US. Ask the Soviets what our reaction to anyone messing in this part of the world will be.

[Ali_reza]

Great ! Now Bush is really pissed off :D

[jammybastard]

take everything you read with a giant grain of salt.
It's all about keeping us fearful and ignoring the BushCo. meltdown on all fronts.
If not Osama then Chavez, Iran, etc...the fact is that it's all bullshit.

When the administration and their cronies start sqwaking about all of these threats as if it's of vital national interest cast your memories back to the Cold War and the genuine, credible threat that the USSR and it's missles posed.
That was a real nuclear threat, many times over. The USSR was the gold standard of threats, and it's an insult to our collective intelligence to apply the same amount of gravitas to countries like Iran or Venezuela.

Iran as a nuclear power? Not even in the ballpark.
All we are doing by putting pressure on them is generating sympathy for the mullahs in their own country and the rest of the world.
Same old Bush doctrine, bankrupt of any intelligence.

So what else have we got to be fearful about...

N. Korea? Definately a threat to S. Korea, Japan, and China.
But Kim is not about war, he's about rattling his sabre enough to keep himself in brandy and smuggled Hollywood movies until he dies.

Chavez? He's about keeping his people focused on his agenda. He loves to say that the US is trying to kill him. Like Iran it generates sympathy for him domestically and internationally.

One more thing...for those of you who backed our move into Iraq on the strength of the "evidence" should be extra cautious about believing any of this stuff having hopefully learned your lesson on Iraq.

In the meantime you all should have a cold one and read "Cobra II".

[Ali_reza]

take everything you read with a giant grain of salt.
It's all about keeping us fearful and ignoring the BushCo. meltdown on all fronts.
If not Osama then Chavez, Iran, etc...the fact is that it's all bullshit.

When the administration and their cronies start sqwaking about all of these threats as if it's of vital national interest cast your memories back to the Cold War and the genuine, credible threat that the USSR and it's missles posed.
That was a real nuclear threat, many times over. The USSR was the gold standard of threats, and it's an insult to our collective intelligence to apply the same amount of gravitas to countries like Iran or Venezuela.

Iran as a nuclear power? Not even in the ballpark.
All we are doing by putting pressure on them is generating sympathy for the mullahs in their own country and the rest of the world.
Same old Bush doctrine, bankrupt of any intelligence.

So what else have we got to be fearful about...

N. Korea? Definately a threat to S. Korea, Japan, and China.
But Kim is not about war, he's about rattling his sabre enough to keep himself in brandy and smuggled Hollywood movies until he dies.

Chavez? He's about keeping his people focused on his agenda. He loves to say that the US is trying to kill him. Like Iran it generates sympathy for him domestically and internationally.

One more thing...for those of you who backed our move into Iraq on the strength of the "evidence" should be extra cautious about believing any of this stuff having hopefully learned your lesson on Iraq.

In the meantime you all should have a cold one and read "Cobra II".

Nice post.
I will just add, IMO Ahmadinejad would'nt mind a small US attack on Iran. Nothing better to have all the Iranian public opinion behind him.

[Rostam]

Mr Chavez also wants to annex the Dutch antilles, apparently.



This is the 21st century with all the talk about HR and Democracy, why should any country have a colony or anything close to resembling past colonies?

[Shaster]

This is the 21st century with all the talk about HR and Democracy, why should any country have a colony or anything close to resembling past colonies?

Actually it is not exactly like a colony now. Local people run their own stuff, and all of them are citizens of Holland which isn't a bad deal at all. I have a lot of relatives there, and one of my uncle was the treasurer for Crusao and now lead their tiny Olympic committee. It is kind of like countries like Canada or Austrialia. The head of state is still the king of Holland, but local administration run their own stuff.

[Shaster]

N. Korea? Definately a threat to S. Korea, Japan, and China.
But Kim is not about war, he's about rattling his sabre enough to keep himself in brandy and smuggled Hollywood movies until he dies.


N. Korea, a threat to China? You must be kidding. It isn't a threat to S. Korea either. Japan? Different story. If Japan doesn't behave well and keep to see themself as a dog for US, they may be kicked out of East Asia politically and economically.

[Iranian Monitor]

Nice post.
I will just add, IMO Ahmadinejad would'nt mind a small US attack on Iran. Nothing better to have all the Iranian public opinion behind him.

One of the biggest 'weaknesses' that a country like Iran has, militarily, is the US ability to target its political leadership. They put this under the euphemism of going after 'command and control' targets.

In case of a war, and specially as it relates to Iran where such a war will not necessarily be advertised before it is launched, Iran's political leadership is in the US target list. Any American attacks will try to take them out as well. That tends to make many of Iran's leaders too willing to compromise when push comes to shove. That is what happened in 2003 with the suspension agreements entered into by Iran. Even then, Iran as a country had better cards to stand up to US pressures than the cards wielded by its leaders.

It requires a leader with courage to stand up to these kind of a threats when he has a choice. Saddam did not have a choice. The US had decided to invade and occupy Iraq and no concession by him would have saved him in 2003. Ahmadinejad, on the other hand, does have choices that would not subject himself and his family to the same degree of risks. But Ahmadinejad, despite not being handsome and being portrayed as a nut, is a rare figure among Iranian politicians. He has courage and he is not corrupt: he showed as much in his service behind enemy lines during the Iran-Iraq war and by never cashing in on political connections and office.

Ahmadinejad does not want war. He believes, however, that Iran should stand firmly to protect its right and should not act all 'scared' of war either. He basically believes that Iran has the power to deter its enemies from waging such a war so long as Iran stands firm. He could be right or wrong, but the issue is not about Ahmadinejad wanting a war.

[Iranian Monitor]

Ask the Soviets what our reaction to anyone messing in this part of the world will be.

Since you have alluded to the Cuban missile crisis, let me post this article here.

http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20060413/1055123.asp

A deadly game unfolding in Iran

By DAVID IGNATIUS

The emerging confrontation between the United States and Iran is "the Cuban missile crisis in slow motion," argues Graham Allison, the Harvard professor who wrote the classic study of President Kennedy's 1962 showdown with the Soviet Union that narrowly averted nuclear war. If anything, that analogy understates the potential risks here.
...
What worries me is that the relevant historical analogy may not be the 1962 war that didn't happen, but World War I, which did. The march toward war in 1914 resulted from the interlocking of alliances, obligations, perceived threats and strategic miscalculations. British historian Niall Ferguson argued in his book "The Pity of War" that Britain's decision to enter World War I was a gross error of judgment that cost that nation its empire.

Zbigniew Brzezinski, a former national security adviser to President Carter, makes a similar argument about Iran. "I think of war with Iran as the ending of America's present role in the world," he told me this week.

[BenReilly]

N. Korea, a threat to China? You must be kidding. It isn't a threat to S. Korea either. Japan? Different story. If Japan doesn't behave well and keep to see themself as a dog for US, they may be kicked out of East Asia politically and economically.

Your seem to be growing increasingly hostile to Japan. I can appreciate the historical reasons for this, but your attitude is still misplaced. Japan is a global economic power that is light years ahead of the rest of east Asia. There's no way in hell I'm living without Japanese products, and hundreds of millions feel the same way.

[BenReilly]

Since you have alluded to the Cuban missile crisis, let me post this article here.

http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20060413/1055123.asp

It would be the mother of all wars.

[Shaster]

Your seem to be growing increasingly hostile to Japan. I can appreciate the historical reasons for this, but your attitude is still misplaced. Japan is a global economic power that is light years ahead of the rest of east Asia. There's no way in hell I'm living without Japanese products, and hundreds of millions feel the same way.

Nope. I am not anti-Japanese and I believe a good co-operation out of China and Japan will be benefit for both countries (especially Japan) and US maybe the loser out of such relationship.

As matter of fact, China is Japan's #1 trading partner and a long holiday in China new year in Feb caused Japan economy a big drop for the month. Of course, there is still a strong anti-Japanese sentiment in China especially many of the war victims still alive and Japan's politicians are still busy to piss everyone in Asia up. But not like many Chinese who worry Japan's remilitarization, China has such powerful military today (especially the nuclear capacity) that Japan cannot stand a slim chance.

Interesting the same camp in Japan's right wing who were doing out those damage to cause a freeze political relationship with all neighboring countries, are funding a big high school schorship that exchange elite high schoolers between China and Japan to promote closeness for next generation.

[Rostam]

It would be the mother of all wars.

You sound like Saddam.

[eric_appleby]

Has the world ever before in its entire history seen so many idiot leaders at one time I wonder.

1914 comes to mind.

[Scarecrow]

1914 comes to mind.
Lets not also forget about the treaty that ended that war either.