The Iranian, Syrian, and Venezuelan Connection

The Most Important International News That Youwith a brief stop in Damascus, Syria, before continuing
Haven't Heard!onto Caracas took place to form a new economic
Iranian Nuclear Technology, Border Security, and Illegaland military pact. Under the terms of the agreement
Immigration - These issues have dominated thebetween the countries, in a nutshell, Venezuela and
headlines in the last few days, but there's one storySyria agree to support each other with advanced
that combines these issues into one possible story onmissile technology, Iran and Venezuela agree to assist
which most in the media have not reported.Syria upgrading its oil refining capabilities, and both Syria
While the debate over illegal immigration and borderand Iran agree to purchase gasoline from Venezuela.
security continues in our country, most in the mediaBut what really makes the US and Israel uneasy is that
and the majority of Americans are focusing on theVenezuela has reportedly agreed to allow the
14th amendment and what to do with the "illegal's" thatexploration and exportation of Uranium to Iran from the
are already in within the United States. We all coulddeposits of its country.
possibly be missing an impending threat due to ourUnder the current agreement Iran has with Russia and
current foreign policy in relation to the country's ofthe International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran
Venezuela and Iran and the lax security on ourcan only use its nuclear energy from the Bushehr plant
southern border.for domestic electricity. If fully operational, the plant
In Iran, Russia is in the process of fueling Iran's nuclearcould support the energy needs of the majority of the
reactor as we speak. This act has left the Unitedcountry. Iran is obligated to give all used reactor fuel
States and Israel on edge due to the nature of thefrom the Bushehr plant to the Russians as so to
relationship between the countries at this current time.extinguish the possibility of nuclear proliferation. Used
At present, the United States does not have an activereactor fuel can be used to produce Plutonium which
diplomatic role in any peace talks between Iran andcould then be used to complete an atomic weapon.
Israel. Tensions between the two countries haveThe fear is, using its alliance with Venezuela, Iran could
steadily risen within the last two years. During the lastcircumvent IAEA inspections and its' "no proliferation"
Bush administration and the current Obamadeal with Russia. Iran could purchase, produce, and
administration, U.S.- Iranian relations have been virtuallyenrich Uranium without the knowledge of the IAEA and
nonexistent due to a lack of willingness to interact withcould potentially begin to weaponize nuclear material.
Iran and its present leader President MahmoudUranium, has to be more than 90% enriched to be at
Ahmadinejad from the U.S. State Department. This rift,weapon grade level to produce a nuclear warhead.
has lead Ahmadinejad to accuse the US of playingThe current fuel provided by Russia is at 3.5% which is
favorites between themselves and the Israelis whichway below the weapon grade level needed. However,
has only added fuel to an already tense relationship.Uranium supplied from Venezuela to Iran could be
The U.S. has demanded that Iran tone down its'much more difficult to track and test for the IAEA and
rhetoric against Israel before any talks can take place.the international community.
Israel is reportedly considering an air strike against IranAlso, one of the main concerns from U.S. intelligence
s' nuclear facility in Bushehr, a town about 700 milesagencies is that they are having a hard time finding out
south of Tehran.who's coming in and out of Venezuela on these flights
In Venezuela,in the latest episode in a comedy offrom Tehran. These flights land at a military base in
errors between two countries, President Hugo ChavezVenezuela. No one is allowed to book seats on these
has accused the U.S. of backing rebels insideflights. The flights always show no availability and there
Venezuela and Columbia against his government in anis no flight manifest to show the names of the persons
attempt to over throw him and install a new regime.that are flying in and out of Venezuela.
The U.S. has repeated denied any role in a schemeAs the perception from most Arab nations that the
against Venezuela and has refused any one-on-oneUnited States continues to support Israel's foreign
talks with the President after it levied accusations ofpolicy unevenly in the Middle East when it concerns
possible human rights violations against his government.Palestinians, Israel's perceived enemies and other
From Caracas, Venezuela, Hugo Chavez has initiatednations continue to pull away from the U.S. Mideast
an agreement with the countries of Iran and Syria thatpolicy. This perception of the U.S. in the region, could
will benefit all three countries militarily and economically,make radicals from the Middle East, attempt to board
but how their new found friendship will affect theone of the flights into Venezuela from Tehran and
United States and its relationship with these threemake their way from South America into Mexico and
countries has yet to be determined.across the border into the U.S. - to possibly conduct
In 2007, the first of many flights originating in Tehran,terrorist activities.