Iran Placing Medium-Range Missiles in Venezuela;

[lostinblue 1,989]

Iran Placing Medium-Range Missiles in Venezuela; Can Reach the U.S.

by Anna Mahjar-Barducci

December 8, 2010 at 5:00 am

http://www.hudson-ny.org/1714/iran-missiles-in-venezuela

Iran is planning to place medium-range missiles on Venezuelan soil, based on western information sources[1], according to an article in the German daily, Die Welt, of November 25, 2010. According to the article, an agreement between the two countries was signed during the last visit o Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to Tehran on October19, 2010. The previously undisclosed contract provides for the establishment of a jointly operated military base in Venezuela, and the joint development of ground-to-ground missiles.

At a moment when NATO members found an agreement, in the recent Lisbon summit (19-20 November 2010), to develop a Missile Defence capability to protect NATO's populations and territories in Europe against ballistic missile attacks from the East (namely, Iran), Iran's counter-move consists in establishing a strategic base in the South American continent - in the United States's soft underbelly.

According to Die Welt, Venezuela has agreed to allow Iran to establish a military base manned by Iranian missile officers, soldiers of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and Venezuelan missile officers. In addition, Iran has given permission for the missiles to be used in case of an "emergency". In return, the agreement states that Venezuela can use these facilities for "national needs" – radically increasing the threat to neighbors like Colombia. The German daily claims that according to the agreement, Iranian Shahab 3 (range 1300-1500 km), Scud-B (285-330 km) and Scud-C (300, 500 and 700 km) will be deployed in the proposed base. It says that Iran also pledged to help Venezuela in rocket technology expertise, including intensive training of officers

Venezuela has also become the country through which Iran intends to bypass UN sanctions. Following a new round of UN sanctions against the Islamic Republic, for example, Russia decided not to sell five battalions of S-300PMU-1 air defence systems to Iran. These weapons, along with a number of other weapons, were part of a deal, signed in 2007, worth $800 million. Now that these weapons cannot be delivered to Iran, Russia is looking for new customers; according to the Russian press agency Novosti[2], it found one: Venezuela.

Novosti reports the words of Igor Korotchenko, head of a Moscow-based think tank on international arms trade, saying that if the S-300 deal with Venezuela goes through, Caracas should pay cash for the missiles, rather than take another loan from Russia. "The S-300 is a very good product and Venezuela should pay the full amount in cash, as the country's budget has enough funds to cover the deal ," Korotchenko said. Moscow has already provided Caracas with several loans to buy Russian-made weaponry, including a recent $2.2-mln loan on the purchase of 92 T-72M1M tanks, the Smerch multiple-launch rocket systems and other military equipment.

If Iran, therefore, cannot get the S-300 missiles directly from Russia, it can still have them through its proxy, Venezuela, and deploy them against its staunchest enemy, the U.S..

But that is not all. According to Reuters, Iran has developed a version of the Russian S-300 missile and will test-fire it soon, as declared by the official news agency IRNA, two months after Moscow cancelled the delivery to comply with United Nations sanctions[3]. Iran, in fact, has its own capabilities for constructing missiles that could carry atomic warheads. According to a study recently released by the International Institute of Strategic Studies in London, Iran is presently aiming to perfect the already existing solid-fuel, medium-range missile that can carry a nuke to hit regional targets, such as Israel[4]. If a missile base can be opened in Venezuela, many US cities will be able to be reached from there even with short-medium range missiles.

The situation that is unfolding in Venezuela has some resemblance to the Cuba crisis of 1962. At that time, Cuba was acting on behalf of the USSR; now Venezuela is acting on behalf of Iran. At present, the geopolitical situation is very different: the world is no longer ruled by two superpowers; new nations, often with questionable leaders and the ambition of acquiring global status, are appearing on the international scene. Their danger to the free world will be greater if the process of nuclear proliferation is not stopped. Among the nations that aspire to become world powers, Iran has certainly the best capabilities of posing a challenge to the West.

Back in the 1962, thanks to the stern stance adopted by the then Kennedy administration, the crisis was defused

Nowadays, however, we do not see the same firmness from the present administration. On the contrary, we see a lax attitude, both in language and in deeds, that results in extending hands when our adversaries have no intention of shaking hands with us. Iran is soon going to have a nuclear weapon, and there are no signs that UN sanctions will in any way deter the Ayatollah's regime from completing its nuclear program. We know that Iran already has missiles that can carry an atomic warhead over Israel and over the Arabian Peninsula. Now we learn that Iran is planning to build a missile base close to the US borders. How longer do we have to wait before the Obama administration begins to understand threats?

[1] http://www.welt.de/politik/ausland/article11219574/Iran-plant-Bau-einer-Raketenstellung-in-Venezuela.html

[2] http://en.rian.ru/mlitary_news/20101015/160963585.html

[3] http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3982738,00.html

[4] http://www.iiss.org/whats-new/iiss-in-the-press/november-2010/iran-fortifies-its-arsenal-with-the-aid-of-north-korea/

[luckytxn 2,264]

The U.S. will take them out.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I thought you were all for having the US butt out of world affairs.. this is exactly the reason they dont.

[Danno 1,228]

The U.S. will take them out.

i doubt it.

We have brought this on ourselves.

The mastermind behind this is Russia, after the USSR ca lapsed we acted like a friend .... but then spent the last decade or more picking off Russia's satellite countries, drawing them into NATO or if not placing MIssiles or weapons there as well as sending NGO's to orient those Governments more toward our way of thinking.

But hey.... it's a free world right?

Sure is and now we will watch what other countries can do when excersizing their freedom.

While under Kennedy we have a "our hemisphere-Your hemisphere" agreement", WE have torn it up not them.... Now watch as Putin aligns these countries, in our Hemisphere and elsewhere against us.

Not to "take us over".... but simply to cause defense interference.

America was a fortress by geographic s alone, now thats soon gone....but we have Estonia as a friend now.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

i doubt it.

We have brought this on ourselves.

The mastermind behind this is Russia, after the USSR ca lapsed we acted like a friend .... but then spent the last decade or more picking off Russia's satellite countries, drawing them into NATO or if not placing MIssiles or weapons there as well as sending NGO's to orient those Governments more toward our way of thinking.

But hey.... it's a free world right?

Sure is and now we will watch what other countries can do when excersizing their freedom.

While under Kennedy we have a "our hemisphere-Your hemisphere" agreement", WE have torn it up not them.... Now watch as Putin aligns these countries, in our Hemisphere and elsewhere against us.

Not to "take us over".... but simply to cause defense interference.

America was a fortress by geographic s alone, now thats soon gone....but we have Estonia as a friend now.

Agreed. Also Cuba wasn't selling the US oil in the previous crisis.

Edited December 19, 2010 by Sousuke

[luckytxn 2,264]

i doubt it.

We have brought this on ourselves.

The mastermind behind this is Russia, after the USSR ca lapsed we acted like a friend .... but then spent the last decade or more picking off Russia's satellite countries, drawing them into NATO or if not placing MIssiles or weapons there as well as sending NGO's to orient those Governments more toward our way of thinking.

But hey.... it's a free world right?

Sure is and now we will watch what other countries can do when excersizing their freedom.

While under Kennedy we have a "our hemisphere-Your hemisphere" agreement", WE have torn it up not them.... Now watch as Putin aligns these countries, in our Hemisphere and elsewhere against us.

Not to "take us over".... but simply to cause defense interference.

America was a fortress by geographic s alone, now thats soon gone....but we have Estonia as a friend now.

Yes we did. This hemisphere is definitely in our area of influence. Europe and the Middle east is not. If Europe wants any of the former Russian satellites in their confederations then that is their call to make not ours but again they are bargaining for a possible war as they did many years ago by making treaties that bound them to come aid certain countries if they are attacked. A treaty that eventually brought us into their conflicts. I say we tell them it is their choice but don't expect our military to come to their aid if they gamble wrong. We came and helped defeat two superior armies and lost a lot and after the second world war we spent a vast fortune to try to salvage the mess they brought on themselves. They are now prosperous because of our aid and military protecting them. A huge military that made it where they could spend less on defense and more on social programs that we want here. They now seem like adversaries of ours and question our motives and that is OK but it is now time to leave and recuperate. Let Europe decide how Europe wants to be and who to be friends with.

Venezuela is very lucky that we do not interfere like we used to do decades ago. At one time the likes Chavez would have been stamped out like a gnat but we do interfere less and are allowing the citizens to have the government they want. If that government starts to allow offensive weapons (and that is what we have here) that can damage us heavily then the U.S. will stamp it out or I am assuming even an Obama the Socialist would anyway. I think Chavez knows this though and it is just talk as he knows his days will be numbered if he allowed his land to become a base for enemies of America to harm us. He needs crises to keep his growing power going. He needs his people to suffer so that he can seem like a shining knight as he tries to come to their aid. OK I know that he has had Russia arm him with way more small arms and some lower level carriers and such and that is OK and even he has tried to bolster his military in other ways by Russian and China arms but these are just a nuisance but Missiles that can be armed with nukes or even high explosives are a real threat to our security that will be stamped out. Chavez knows this.

[slim 1,514]

As long as we keep buying their oil we'll all be happy campers.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

i doubt it.

We have brought this on ourselves.

The mastermind behind this is Russia, after the USSR ca lapsed we acted like a friend .... but then spent the last decade or more picking off Russia's satellite countries, drawing them into NATO or if not placing MIssiles or weapons there as well as sending NGO's to orient those Governments more toward our way of thinking.

But hey.... it's a free world right?

Sure is and now we will watch what other countries can do when excersizing their freedom.

While under Kennedy we have a "our hemisphere-Your hemisphere" agreement", WE have torn it up not them.... Now watch as Putin aligns these countries, in our Hemisphere and elsewhere against us.

Not to "take us over".... but simply to cause defense interference.

America was a fortress by geographic s alone, now thats soon gone....but we have Estonia as a friend now.

What Eastern European country did we "entice" in regards to them joining NATO ? Those country's couldn't join NATO fast enough seeing how Russia is Europe's biggest threat atm.

Yes we helped to fund the Orange Revolution along with Soros and Berezovsky but Ukraine was never pulled into NATO.

Edited December 20, 2010 by Why_Me

[mawilson 2,133]

I'm shaking in my boots.