http://interamericansecuritywatch.com/hezbollah-in-the-streets-of-caracas-2/
“Hezbollah in the streets of Caracas?”
IASW | Thursday, February 20th, 2014
SNIPPET: “A man whom the US Treasury Department has designated as an operative of the terrorist organization Hezbollah has relocated from the Syria war zone to Venezuela in recent days, apparently in support the government’s violent crackdown against student demonstrators. Ghazi Atef Nassereddine was sanctioned by the US government in 2008 for providing logistical and financial support to Hezbollah.”
SNIPPET: “Two witnesses also have told me that Nassereddine worked personally to obtain Maduro’s approval of Hezbollah money laundering schemes using Venezuelan entities. One plan involved the transfer of Syrian oil through a Venezuelan-operated refinery in the Caribbean to evade international sanctions. These deals would produce enormous profits for corrupt representatives of the Maduro regime as well as Hezbollah.
As part of the late Hugo Chávez’s radical, anti-US agenda, the Venezuelan regime has promoted and even funded the presence and activities of Iran and Hezbollah in the Western Hemisphere.”
SNIPPET: “Ghazi Nassereddine appears to have returned to Venezuela to help the regime in its fight to hold to power and silence protesters against Nicolás Maduro’s criminal regime. He tweeted from Caracas on February 19 that he “supports the actions taken by the government [against the opposition]” and labeled the government’s actions against the opposition as “humanitarian and patient.”
Nassereddine’s return to Venezuela shows that the regime knows that it is in fight for survival and prepared to use violence.”
SNIPPET: “In recent years, numerous policymakers and experts in the region have documented the presence of Iran’s terrorist proxy in the Hemisphere – although the State Department continues to minimize this threat.”
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treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/pages/hp1036.aspx
“Treasury Targets Hizballah in Venezuela”
6/18/2008
hp-1036
SNIPPET: “Washington - The U.S. Department of the Treasury today designated two Venezuela-based supporters of Hizballah, Ghazi Nasr al Din and Fawzi Kan’an, along with two travel agencies owned and controlled by Kan’an.
“It is extremely troubling to see the Government of Venezuela employing and providing safe harbor to Hizballah facilitators and fundraisers. We will continue to expose the global nature of Hizballah’s terrorist support network, and we call on responsible governments worldwide to disrupt and dismantle this activity,” said Adam J. Szubin, Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
Today’s action was taken pursuant to Executive Order 13224, which targets terrorists, those owned or controlled by or acting for or on behalf of terrorists, and those providing financial, technological, or material support to terrorists or acts of terrorism. Assets the designees hold under U.S. jurisdiction are frozen and U.S. persons are prohibited from engaging in transactions in property or interests in property blocked under the order.”
“Ros-Lehtinen: Nicolas Maduro is Becoming Worse Than Chavez”
Secure Freedom Radio Podcasts | February 18, 2014 | Latin America
SNIPPET: ““I handed to Secretary of State John Kerry during one of his appearances before a foreign affairs committee, proof of electoral fraud [in Venezuela], but of course the United… did nothing…. We have a sort of ‘let’s ignore this guy and maybe the problem will go away.’”
Ros-Lehtinen also warned of the progress Iran and North Korea are making into Latin and Central America, particularly through alliances with the ALBA (Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas) countries. As proof, she put forward the example of purported Iranian consulates in the region.
“Now, you’ve got to think, what are the consulates for? Usually it’s to do passport service and visas. Well, I can’t see a huge number of Latin Americans travelling to Iran. Obviously those are make-believe embassies and consulates that are really operations for espionage.”
Ros-Lehtinen urged Americans to see Iran, as well as North Korea, as threats that are close-to-home, and not as distant as they may seem.
“For those folks who think ‘Iran is over there in some other part of the world, and South America is another part of the world—no, no, no. South America is right here and Iran is right here with them.””