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Al Qaeda in the Andes: Spotlight on Colombia
Jamestown Foundation ^ | April 6, 2006 | Chris Zambelis

Posted on 04/06/2006 8:30:17 PM PDT by FairOpinion

Colombian authorities claim to have dismantled an extensive counterfeit passport ring in January 2006 that allegedly supplied an unknown number of Pakistanis, Egyptians, Jordanians, Iraqis, and others purported to be working with al-Qaeda with Colombian, Portuguese, German, and Spanish citizenship, enabling them to travel freely in the United States and Europe. Bogota also mentioned that the network had ties to Hamas militants (al-Hayat, January 28; Caracol Radio, January 26).

In contrast, U.S. Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security officials expressed surprise at Bogota's announcement while emphatically disputing its claim, alleging that they had no knowledge of known links between the document forgery operation and any brand of Islamist terrorism, let alone al-Qaeda. Instead, they acknowledged that the sting operation involved Colombians posing as members of the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) or Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, the country's largest and most powerful rebel group, interested in purchasing forged documents and possibly even weapons (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Report, January 27). Washington classifies FARC as an international terrorist organization.

Since the September 11 attacks, Washington fears that radical Islamist terrorist organizations such as al-Qaeda may exploit Latin America's porous borders, endemic corruption, and weak institutions to gain a foothold in the region in order to infiltrate U.S. territory or to stage attacks against vital U.S. interests in the region. Many observers believe that Colombia, a strong ally of Washington, with its vibrant narcotics trade, ongoing insurgencies, robust energy reserves, and proximity to the Panama Canal and other vital shipping lanes, represents an ideal target.

(Excerpt) Read more at jamestown.org ...


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: alqaeda; colombia; gwot; terrorism; waronterror; wot
I wouldn't be surprised, with all those leftist leader in S. American, they may even knowingly allow Al Qaeda in their country, to prepare to attack the US.
1 posted on 04/06/2006 8:30:18 PM PDT by FairOpinion
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To: FairOpinion

Related article:


Iran-Venezuela pact fostering fears of uranium cooperation

http://www.wpherald.com/storyview.php?StoryID=20060313-084446-4483r

A recent deal between Iran and Venezuela provides for the exploitation of Venezuela's strategic minerals, prompting opposition figures to warn that President Hugo Chavez's government could be planning to provide Tehran with uranium for its nuclear program.

The deal was part of a package of agreements, most of which were announced during a visit last month to Caracas and Cuba by Iranian parliament Speaker Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel. The two countries also established a joint $200 million development fund and signed bilateral deals to build homes and factories, and exploit petroleum.


Public details are vague, but Venezuelan opposition figures and press reports have said the deal on minerals could involve the production and transfer to Iran have said the deal on minerals could involve the production and transfer to Iran of Venezuelan uranium taken from known deposits located in the dense jungle states of Amazonas and Bolivar.


2 posted on 04/06/2006 8:33:25 PM PDT by FairOpinion (Dem Foreign Policy: SURRENDER to our enemies. Real conservatives don't help Dems get elected.)
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To: FairOpinion

Perhaps enforcing our Southern Borders just might be the right thing to do 'right about now' !


3 posted on 04/06/2006 8:57:44 PM PDT by justa-hairyape
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