American energies have been focused on Iran’s activities in the Middle East but while we have been looking across the sea, Iran has been working hard to expand its influence in many other places around the globe (see article below, “Iran’s Global Ambition,” by Michael Rubin). It is important to look closely at what is happening to our neighbors in the southern half of the hemisphere, in Latin America.

Iranian presence in Latin America is nothing new. Hezbollah established a foothold some time ago in South America. Terrorists linked to Iran bombed the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires in 1992 and the Jewish community center there in 1994, devastating the community. Recently, Interpol successfully resolved to issue warrants for the arrest of those Iranians who are wanted for these crimes. All the while, Ahmedinejad continues to flout international law and unrelentingly pursues ways to spread his evil influence.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, recently designated as a terrorist organization and weapons proliferator by the United States, has been recruiting sympathetic terrorists via its operatives in South America. We have seen only the first revelations of how convoluted a network and how far-reaching a web they have constructed for our neighbors to the south. We have seen the threats against pro-American Colombia, a prime target for Iran, and the change in Costa Rica which was an ally of the United States and of Israel. We see how they have turned. The payoff was election to the Security Council, and now even the president of Costa Rica is engaged in the same mischief that we have seen from others. America cannot ignore this and members of the US Congress with significant responsibility in this area are beginning to understand.

The Iranian threat consists not only of weapons that flow into the Middle East but also of the Iranian projection of asymmetrical warfare in Latin America. We see lots of headlines about Chavez and the threat to Colombia and the question of Ecuador. Chavez is in lockstep with Iran, in what he calls the “axis of unity”. Both he and Ahmedinejad make overtures to each other, both have toured each other’s camps. Iran is projecting power over this area much the way the Soviet Union did. Many things can be pointed to—incursions into the banking system, into business, the building of ports, and establishing presences. Ecuador, Nicaragua, Paraguay and Uruguay have all been affected. Iran has opened ten embassies in this region in only the past year, establishing a beachfront, because they know the proximity of this area is America’s soft underbelly.

The aim is clearly to destabilize the region and to threaten the security of the United States, a way to bring terrorism into the United States by working with the drug cartels of Mexico and Colombia. It is a security threat, situated only two or three hours away. Ahemdinejad recognizes that from here he would have maximum leverage, a place from which he could take action should America ever have to exercise the worst option against Iran.

We remember the attack on the AMIA in 1994 and mark it each year, together with the families of the victims. As we watch this rapid expansion, there is every reason to fear that Iran would strike again if it believed it would serve to consolidate its power. All the more reason to redouble the efforts to stop Iran.

Swiss Sign Huge Gas Deal with Iran, Dismiss US Criticism - A deal is being made between Swiss energy company EGL and the state-owned National Iranian Gas Export company to buy 5.5 billion cubic meters of Iranian natural gas per year. The deal is estimated to be worth $28 billion, setting a negative example to Europe. Israel summoned the Swiss ambassador to register its protest as Switzerland dismissed US criticism.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1205420743425&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FPrinter
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1205420703987&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FPrinter
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hcIcjmMOxeh85QKn6JOJ56TNU5RQ
http://www.farsnews.com/English/newstext.php?nn=8701050143
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1205420732796&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FPrinter

Iran Vote Favors Ahmedinejad Camp, Dismisses Western Criticism on Elections – The Iranian presidents’ attacks on the West trumped criticisms of his handling of the nation’s financial crisis. But many boycotted the elections, citing fraud.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iran16mar16,1,702814.story
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/16/AR200803
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1205420709275&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FPrinter
http://www.ncr-iran.org/content/view/4981/1/
http://www.ncr-iran.org/content/view/4977/1/

Merkel: Germany Stands Beside Israel in Face of Iranian Threat – The German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, said that she would stress Germany’s deep commitment to Israel during her visit to the country, saying that “a threat facing Israel is also a threat to us… this is particularly the case regarding Iran.”
http://www.iht.com/bin/printfriendly.php?id=11116990
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/objects/pages/PrintArticleEn.jhtml?itemNo=965302

Iran a Key Topic on Cheney’s Mideast Tour - High gasoline prices and prospects for an Israeli-Palestinian peace headlined Vice President Cheney’s trip to the Middle East but fears about Iran’s rising influence were a key topic of his private talks at each stop.
http://www.nysun.com/article/73015

EU’s Solana Hopeful of New Nuclear Talks with Iran – EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said that he hoped to meet Iran’s top nuclear negotiator within the next three months, a day after Iran ruled out further talks with major world powers.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080316/wl_mideast_afp/irannuclearpoliticseu_080316144907&printer=1

Incentives Package Prepared for Iran – The US and four other veto-wielding states on the UN Security Council are preparing a package of incentives aimed at Iran’s newly elected parliament in hopes of ending the country’s uranium enrichment program. Meanwhile, less than half of the UN member states have filed mandatory reports on how they are complying with sanctions against Iran.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080318/FOREIGN/589530246/1001&template=printart
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/17/AR2008031702117_pf.html
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hCI7RGA8YSn3o9e4l_JdWzN_ju4AD8VFF18O1

Bush Insists Iran is a Nuclear Threat – President Bush said that Iran has declared that it wants to be a nuclear power with a weapon to “destroy people”, including others in the Middle East, contradicting the judgments of the recent NIE report. Vice President Cheney said that Tehran may have restarted its nuclear program.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/20/AR2008032002284_pf.html
http://www.iht.com/bin/printfriendly.php?id=11247580

US Banks Warned on “Deceptive Practices” – The Bush administration issued a fresh warning to US banks that Iran is using “an array of deceptive practices” to hide its alleged involvement in nuclear proliferation and terrorist activities.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2008-03-20-treasury-iran_N.htm?csp=34

Israel, Germany Plan Summit to Stop Iran Nuke Program – Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed steps to continue the international pressure on Iran that has developed following the third round of UN sanctions.
Iran Gave Syria Over $1 Billion for Arms Purchases – Iran is making huge efforts to upgrade the Syrian army and has provided Syria with more than $1B to buy surface-to-surface missiles, rockets, anti-tank missiles, and anti-aircraft systems.
http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/966833.html

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Iran’s Choice: A Man in a Military Cap or a Man in a Military Cap – More than 50 million Iranian were invited to vote in March 14th parliamentary elections. Highlighted will be the poor state of the Iranian economy.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article3549190.ece
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1c34d544-f198-11dc-9b45-0000779fd2ac.html http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article3542652.ece
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0314/p01s01-wome.htm

Iran’s Checkmate – Tehran will not pay heed to the third UN round of sanctions. Simply, the supreme leader Ali Khamenei is determined to get the nuclear bomb. Toward that goal, the supreme leader’s men manipulated the capture of more than two-thirds of the parliamentary seats.
http://www.ncr-iran.org/content/view/4976/152/

Ahmedinejad to Face Big Challenges - In spite of the disqualifying of candidates who opposed Ahmedinejad, he might not have it all his own way. The reformists are questioning conservatives’ gains. Pressure will remain due to runaway inflation.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9e1bce0c-f380-11dc-b6bc-0000779fd2ac.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/18/world/middleeast/18iran.html?_r=1&oref=
slogin&ref=todayspaper&pagewanted=print
http://www.iht.com/bin/printfriendly.php?id=11359617

A Rival for Iran’s Ahmendinajad – Mohammad-Baqer Qaalibaf, the mayor of Tehran, is emerging as a quiet rival to President Ahmedinejad. He is likely to be contender for the presidency in next year’s elections.
http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,1723250,00.html#
 
Iran Rejects Sarkozy’s Claim on Missile Threats – Iran rejected French President Sarkozy’s comments on the need to build a strong deterrent against new security threats posed by nuclear armed Islamic states.
http://in.news.yahoo.com/reuters_ids_new/20080323/r_t_rtrs_wl/twl-iran-rejects-sarkozy-s-claim
-on-miss-2186892_1.html?printer=1

Study: Iran Indoctrinating Children in Islamic Supremacism – A Freedom House
Study of Iranian textbooks finds that the Islamic Republic is teaching its children to embrace Islamic supremacism.
http://www.nysun.com/pf.php?id=73162&v=5004746021

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Former Canadian Justice Minister Cotler: Try Ahmedinejad for Genocide Calls –
Ahmedinejad’s actions proved he was guilty of incitement to genocide and he should be stopped before he has a chance to carry them out. The Iranian president advocates the most horrific of crimes, namely genocide.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1205420721615&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FPrinter

Iran Security Forces Crackdown on Shiraz University’s Medical Students –
The State Security Forces attacked a gathering of medical college students at Shiraz University at an event marking the nationalization of Iran’s oil industries nearly 60 years ago. This entailed the beating of some participants and the arrest of others.
http://ww.ncr-iran.org/content/view/4926/1/

Workers Lashed for Participating in May Day Celebrations – The mullahs’ judiciary sentenced 11 worker activists to ten lashes each for demonstrating on May Day last year.
http://ncr-iran.org/content/view/4924/1/

UN Body Emphasizes Rights of Iranian Opposition (PMOI) in Iraq – The UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) assessed the threats against PMOI in Ashraf City, including non-voluntary repatriation to their country of origin and the bombing of the Ashraf City water pumping station by the IRGC in February.
http://www.ncr-iran.org/content/view/4972/152/

Iran: Workers Protest Substantial Pay Cuts – Workers are striking in 15 factories, protesting substantial pay cuts. They are angry that they have not been able to provide for their families this year.
http://www.ncr-iran.org/content/view/4978/1/

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Scott Peterson, “For Iran, Iraq is a Two-Edged Sword,” Christian Science Monitor, March 18, 2008 – Many call Iran the ‘winner’ in Iraq, but it faces the prospect of a long-term US presence next door, as the Americans build major military bases not far from the Iranian border.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0318/p13s01-wome.htm

Dennis Ross, “How to Talk to Iran,” Washington Institute for Near East Policy, March 13, 2008 - So long as the UN sanctions don’t directly affect the Iranian economy, Iranian leaders won’t have to make a choice between their economic well-being and their nuclear development and will thus proceed on the path to completing the nuclear cycle. What kind of pressures might work?
http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/print.php?template=C06&CID=1141

“Change from Within in Iran?” USA Today,  March 14, 2008 - An intense debate on what to do about the Iranian threat has long raged within the Bush administration. The resignation of Admiral William Fallon as head of US Central command was the latest manifestation of this debate.
http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2008/03/change-from-wit.html

Yossi Klein Halevi, “The Iranian-Israeli War,” The New Republic, March 11, 2008 – The Palestinian struggle is no longer about creating an independent state. It is about being a front-line participant in the Iranian-led jihad to destroy Israel, evolving from a nationalist to a religious war.
http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=0954c392-d8c2-437a-aedb-581fabeddb3e

Michael Rubin, “Iran’s Global Ambition,” AEI Middle Eastern Outlook, March 17, 2008 – While attention has been focused on Iranian activities in the greater Middle East, Iran has worked hard to expand its influence in Latin America and Africa. Iran’s gains in these areas are meant to destabilize and challenge US interests in these regions and we cannot afford to ignore them.
http://www.meforum.org/pf.php?id=1873

Caroline Glick, “Germany’s pro-Israel Power Play,” Jerusalem Post, March 17, 2008 – German firms report booming business and expanding opportunities in Iran in spite of UN sanctions. Germany’s actions toward Iran cannot be squared with its expressions of commitment to stability, peace in the region, and Israel’s security.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1205420711513&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FPrinter

Amir Taheri, “Revolutionary Guard Post Gains in Iranian Elections,” New York Post, March 20, 2008 – In the next Iranian parliament, the number of members with backgrounds in the IRGC will be twice as large as that of the mullahs.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/03192008/postopinion/opedcolumnists/irans_military_moves_up_102527.htm

Iranian Leadership Racing to Become a Nuclear Power, while the People Want Political Change –Professor David Menashri, director of the Center for Iranian Studies and Parviz and Pouran Nazarian Chair for Modern Iranian Studies at Tel Aviv University lecture at the Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies in Chicago.
http://www.juf.org/news/world.aspx?id=30334#

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State Department Looks to Sanctions Law – Tensions are mounting among the US, Austria, and Switzerland over business dealings European states have with Iran. The announcement of the Swiss gas deal prompted the US State Department to launch a legal review of American sanctions to examine whether Swiss firms should be denied access to US financial markets.
http://www.nysun.com/pf.php?id=73434&v=0937736021

Canadian House of Commons Passes Motion to Divest from Iran and Sudan -
The resolution passed 227-46. (Partial text and full link below.)

“Pursuant to Standing Order 93(1), the House proceeded to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion of Mr. Dryden (York Centre), seconded by Mr. Cotler (Mount Royal), — That, in the opinion of the House, the government, its Crown Corporations and divisions should divest from corporations conducting business in Sudan and Iran and should also divest from funds, stocks, bonds and other financial instruments invested in, or operating in, Sudan and Iran, except where such funds support humanitarian aid and humanitarian relief programs, or are used to fund Canadian embassies, consulates, and representative offices in these countries.” (Private Members' Business M-410)
http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=39&Ses=2&DocId=3349785

US Sanctions British, Armenian Firms for Iran Exports - The US slapped sanctions on British and Armenian firms for unauthorized re-exports of aircraft to Iran, in violation of regulations.
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gozWlbZxyC3x6Tlj4nY-8jOc4_ow

Iran Added to Port Advisory List – The US Coast Guard is placing extra security restriction on commercial ships that make a port call in Iran before arriving in US waters, after determining that there is a lack of effective anti-terrorism measures in Iranian ports.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080322/NATION/205293801/1002&template=printart

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