Top US commander warns of Iran influence in Lat Am

Space War ^ | 06/25/2009 | Miami (AFP)

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

Iran's growing influence in Latin America is a "potential risk" to the region, the newly-appointed head of the US Southern Command, General Douglas Fraser has warned. Fraser, who on Thursday takes charge of US military operations in 31 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean, expressed "real concern" about the Islamic Republic's links with "extremist organizations" in the region.

"The real concern is not a nation-to-nation interaction, it is the connection that Iran has with extremist organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah and the potential risk that that could bring to this region," Fraser told journalists ahead of taking up the post.

Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has forged close ties with several leftist Latin American leaders in recent years, most notably Venezuela's Hugo Chavez and Cuban leader Raul Castro.

Commenting on Iran's ties to extremist groups in the region, Fraser said: "it is a concern, and it is an issue we will continue to monitor for any increasing activity."

He cited Lebanon-based Hezbollah, which has links to Iran and is accused of being behind a suicide bombing that killed 200 US marines in Beirut in 1983 and the 1996 bombing of the Khobar towers in Saudi Arabia, which killed more than 20 people.

The group has denied playing a role in those attacks and the bombing of Israeli and Jewish targets in Buenos Aires.

Fraser, who was Deputy Commander at US Pacific Command, said the illicit trade in arms drugs and people was worrying, and indicated it would be the focus of his work.

[Thunder90]

The good General, Douglas Fraser, can jump up and down all he wants about this, but Obama and the Dim Congress will completely ignore him. They don’t want to hear about it. Instead, O and Congress want to hear about giving amnesty to illegals and how to ban firearms, while stripping the military of most funding.

[TheClintons-STILLAnti-American]

"Iran's growing influence in Latin America is a "potential risk" to the region, the newly-appointed head of the US Southern Command, General Douglas Fraser has warned."

I wonder how long before this guy is fired and the press told he was "confused and disoriented".

[Thunder90]

PING!!!

[LeoWindhorse]

yet another reason to waste the Mullahs

Let’s stop pretending here , they are the worst bunch of evil doers presently running any country on this planet .
Well....among the worst!

They are utterly illegitimate by any measure now after what has happened .
They need to be selectively targeted and killed , one by one
or en masse , right away .

If the USA doesn’t have the stones to do this I hope Israel does .
We need to be reading about their demises daily .

Enough is enough and that’s it
There is absolutely NOTHING t be gained by waiting or giving them any more slack whatsoever .

[TheClintons-STILLAnti-American]

"Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has forged close ties with several leftist Latin American leaders in recent years, most notably Venezuela's Hugo Chavez and Cuban leader Raul Castro."

All the people Obortion has indicated he most wants to have as his buddies in the world.

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

I agree. They have become a worldwide threat.

[MadMax, the Grinning Reaper]

Fraser’s next, surprise Command, for telling the truth about Islamic infiltration into Latin America, will be in Alaska.

(See the movie “Stripes” if you don’t understand what I mean. At the very end of the film).

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

I understand what you are saying about concerning the “Stripes” reference.

[Cindy]

A Look at Iran
http://www.truthusa.com/IRAN.html

[ETL]

Ahmadinejad is the Russian's guy in the Middle East as Chavez is for Latin America. This is why he sounds more like a leftist-revolutionary than a religious fanatic when he speaks (he uses commie-left terminology). Here is what he said about his buddy Hugo Chavez: "Chavez is a source of progressive and revolutionary current in South America and his stance in restricting imperialism is tangible". The Russians probably helped put Ahmadinejad in power. Russia has big plants for Latin American, and elsewhere around the world. They'll be holding their 3rd set of joint war games (since 2005) with the ChiComs in a month or so.

From CBS-News, July 29, 2006:

Chavez Vows To 'Stand By Iran'
After Oil Talks In Tehran, Venezuelan Leader Called 'Brother' By Ahmedinejad

"Chavez pledged that his country would 'stay by Iran at any time and under any condition,' state television reported. Ahmadinejad said he saw in Chavez a kindred spirit." "'We do not have any limitation in cooperation,' Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying. 'Iran and Venezuela are next to each other and supporters of each other. Chavez is a source of a progressive and revolutionary current in South America and his stance in restricting imperialism is tangible.'":
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/07/29/world/main1847331.shtml
______________________________________________________

http://www.kansascity.com/451/story/1254226.html
______________________________________________________

From National Public Radio (NPR):
August 29, 2006
"Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has been visiting countries such as China, Iran and Russia as part of an effort to build a 'strategic alliance' of interests not beholden to the United States. He considers the United States his arch enemy.":
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5729764
______________________________________________________

Venezuela Set to Develop Nuclear Power With Russia
September 29, 2008
CARACAS, Venezuela — President Hugo Chavez said Sunday that Russia will help Venezuela develop nuclear energy — a move likely to raise U.S. concerns over increasingly close cooperation between Caracas and Moscow.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,429441,00.html
______________________________________________________

Venezuela's Chavez welcomes Russian warships
Nov 25, 2008
LA GUAIRA, Venezuela – Russian warships arrived off Venezuela's coast Tuesday in a show of strength aimed at the United States as Moscow seeks to expand its influence in Latin America. The deployment is the first of its kind in the Caribbean since the Cold War and was timed to coincide with President Dmitry Medvedev's visit to Caracas — the first ever by a Russian president.
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=%22Venezuela%27s+Chavez+welcomes+Russian+warships%22&ei=UTF-8&fr=moz2

More Yahoo search results for Russia and Venezuela connections:
http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0geu_X30pZJCJEAfCtXNyoA?p=Russia+Venezuela+bombers+tanks+arms&y=Search&fr=404_news
______________________________________________________

From the Russian News and Information Agency:
July 27, 2006
"'I am determined to expand relations with Russia,' Chavez, known as an outspoken critic of what he calls the United States' unilateralism, told the Russian leader, adding that his determination stemmed from their shared vision of the global order.":
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20060727/51913498.html
______________________________________________________

President Obama and Venezuela dictator Hugo
Chavez at the 2009 Summit of the Americas in Trinidad

Obama, Chavez shake hands at Americas Summit:
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D97KK2T00&show_article=1
______________________________________________________

Russia's Medvedev hails "comrade" Obama

Associated Foreign Press (AFP) ^ | April 2, 2009 | Anna Smolchenko

"Russia's Dmitry Medvedev hailed Barack Obama as "my new comrade" Thursday after their first face-to-face talks"

http://www.france24.com/en/20090402-russias-medvedev-hails-comrade-obama

April 1, 2009:
"Obama, Medvedev pledge new era of relations":
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090401/wl_afp/usrussiadiplomacynuclear_20090401152002

[bert]

Barack Obama is the new Al gore and is Putin’s man in the White House

[RushIsMyTeddyBear]

Well who didn’t see THAT one coming when the buzzards were circling BEFORE ‘the coronation’?

[ex91B10]

Fraser, who on Thursday takes charge of US military operations in 31 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean,...

Tough gig I'll wager.

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

The USSOUTHCOM area of focus encompasses 32 nations (19 in Central and South America and 13 in the Caribbean), of which 31 are democracies, and 14 U.S. and European territories. As of Oct 2002, the area of focus covered 14.5 million square miles (23.2 million square kilometers.

The United States Southern Command area of interest includes:

The land mass of Latin America south of Mexico
The waters adjacent to Central and South America
The Caribbean Sea, its 12 island nations and European territories
The Gulf of Mexico
A portion of the Atlantic Ocean

This includes narco-trafficking and other illicit-trafficking activities, and organized crime and gangs