Iran Building Missile Base in Venezuela
There's a situation developing south of the border that has the potential to become President Obama's very own missile crisis.
Die Welt reports that in fulfillment of a commitment made by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Tehran in October 2010, Iran has now entered the concrete planning phase for constructing launching pads for Iranian intermediate-range missiles in Venezuela. The missiles Iran intends to deploy at the site are believed to be Shahab 3s (1300-1500 km range), Scud-Bs (285-330 km) and Scud-Cs (300, 500 and 700 km).
Note that Venezuela is about 2000 km from Florida. And according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Iran is making "robust strides" in its attempts to manufacture longer-range ballistic missiles "with the apparent aim of being able to deliver nuclear warheads."
Citing "Western security insiders," Die Welt claims that Iran is building the launching pads on the Paraguaná Peninsula, which is on the coast of Venezuela about 75 miles from Colombia. This would appear to be the first stage of a larger project to establish a military base that will eventually be manned by Iranian missile officers and soldiers of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, as well as Venezuelan missile officers who are to receive intensive training from the Iranians.
When the agreement between Iran and Venezuela was signed last fall, the Hudson Institute noted the significance of the timing: it coincided with NATO's Lisbon summit (19-20 November 2010), which set up a missile defense capability to protect NATO's European territories against ballistic missile attacks from the East (i.e., Iran). "Iran's counter-move consists in establishing a strategic base in the South American continent -- in the United States's soft underbelly," the Institute wrote.
The plan is now in motion. Engineers from Khatam al-Anbia, a construction company owned by the Revolutionary Guards, visited Paraguaná in February. According to Die Welt, their delegation was approved by Amir al-Hadschisadeh, the head of the Guard’s Air Force. The project is believed to entail command and control stations, bunkers, barracks and watch towers, and twenty-meter deep rocket silos. It's being financed by Iranian petroleum revenues, and Iran is said to have already paid in cash for the preliminary phase of construction.
The missile base, when armed, will constitute a multi-level threat. Chavez agreed at the 2010 meeting in Teheran to fire on Iran's Western enemies if Iran is itself attacked, and Iran agreed to allow Venezuela to use its missiles for "national needs" -- a phrase that should cause some sleep to be lost in Bogotá and elsewhere in the region.
The base will also, as the Hudson Institute notes, represent a means by which Iran and its suppliers can sidestep UN sanctions. After the latest round of sanctions, "Russia decided not to sell five battalions of S-300PMU-1 air defence systems to Iran," the Institute wrote in December 2010. "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, it found one: Venezuela."
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Comments:
Oct '10
Re: Iran Building Missile Base in Venezuela
Well. This could change everything.
Oct '10
Re: Iran Building Missile Base in Venezuela
This is potentially extremely bad news for America and for President Obama. I am very interested to see the reaction of the president and that of Brazil and Columbia. I also wonder whether this will allow the opposition to Chavez present a more unified front in the upcoming election in Venezuela.
Jun '10
Re: Iran Building Missile Base in Venezuela
Finally, a real mission for the B-2 bomber.
Sep '10
Re: Iran Building Missile Base in Venezuela
Somewhere in the US, there was an uncomfortable conversation on a golf course with the Presidential Seal present.
Jan '11
Re: Iran Building Missile Base in Venezuela
Weakness invites this sort of thing.
May '10
Re: Iran Building Missile Base in Venezuela
Can't a man just eat his waffle in peace?
Mar '11
Re: Iran Building Missile Base in Venezuela
That guy saluting behind em looks a little scary.
I wouldn't worry about the missiles - I am sure our gutsy President has it all under control.
Jan '11
Re: Iran Building Missile Base in Venezuela
It could go something like this. "Leon, so Hugo is having Iran build Missile sites in Venezuela Hmmn hand me my 3 wood would ya". "Yes Mr. President, Yes Mr. President". "And arrange a call with the man, Tell him if he keeps this up I'm going to have to take serious action". " Yes sir Mr. President". " I might even have to retrieve My Big Birtha I loaned him on our last outing". Leon ( rolling his eyes), "yes Mr. President". "Can't have him threatening those off shore Brazilian oil fields can we." "No sir" " "gonna need that Brazilian oil 'till the wind thingies get going, and more people are riding bikes. And Leon when you talk to him Habbillaz Espanolaa. "Sir?" We want to keep this friendly"
Edited on May 17, 2011 at 3:04pmAug '10
Re: Iran Building Missile Base in Venezuela
Prediction: Obama will do nothing.
May '10
Re: Iran Building Missile Base in Venezuela
Gutsy call, my friend. Gutsy call.
Dec '10
Re: Iran Building Missile Base in Venezuela
First his "Sputnik Moment" now his "Kennedy Moment" as in Cuban Missle Crisis.... this should get interesting.
Dec '10
Re: Iran Building Missile Base in Venezuela
Monroe Doctrine anyone? The lesson from the Kennedy years in my perspective is to destroy them now like the Israelies did to the Syrian nuclear plant before any real threat emerges. Normally I couldn't care less about the U.N. however this makes for a prime opportunity for our international neighbors to show their proverbial cards on the world stage. China, Russia, do you really approve of a messianic cult that is actively pursuing nuclear weapon capabilities establishing missile facilities far outside their sphere of influence? Unfortunately, our political class prefers to allow these kinds of problems to fester for reasons of political expediency (i.e. immigration, war on drugs).
Dec '10
Re: Iran Building Missile Base in Venezuela
I meant to post this article too which will make you stop and think....
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3761519,00.html
Jan '11
Re: Iran Building Missile Base in Venezuela
Die Welt has been reporting on this since December. Why isn't any other newspaper or magazine mentioning it?
Sep '10
Re: Iran Building Missile Base in Venezuela
Well, thanks to all the tight lips and stoics at the White House I'm sure they're not expecting a Navy Seal Team strike are they?
May '10
Re: Iran Building Missile Base in Venezuela
I guess we should park a couple of these in the Caribbean Sea. Just until, you know, we can negotiate a peaceful solution.
May '10
Re: Iran Building Missile Base in Venezuela
By the way, just last month the Navy proved its Aegis weapon system is capable of engaging and destroying intermediate range ballistic missiles.
Edited on May 17, 2011 at 5:58pmAug '10
Re: Iran Building Missile Base in Venezuela
Hello Venezuelan Missile Crisis... Time to set up another blockade.
Dec '10
Re: Iran Building Missile Base in Venezuela
As the saying goes, this will not end well.
Feb '11
Re: Iran Building Missile Base in Venezuela
No one will hear about this except conservatives- that is, until Iran has nukes and is threatening to launch them from Venezuela. Then the news will then come as a total shock to the American public.
Know why? Because the mainstream media has simply stopped reporting stories that might make the left look stupid, corrupt, feckless, or incompetent. If the media talked about this story, then people would obviously question Obama's foreign policy, and Obama doesn't have an answer.
So when and if conservatives start bringing this up it will become another crazy conspiracy story, supposedly about how Obama is conspiring with Iran to threaten us with nukes- and hey remember that birth certificate thing? Remember how crazy that was?
Yeah, this is just like that. Or so the public will be told, and a lot of the public will believe it.
No, it won't end well.