Ahmadinejad heads to nuclear-backers Brazil, Venezuela

NUKEWARS

Israel seeks to check Iran in S. America
Buenos Aires (UPI) Nov 20, 2009 - Israel is seeking to check Iranian diplomatic and trade advances in South America, a region where it has enjoyed sympathy and support since its founding, but a fuller picture of shifting alliances must also take into account recent advances by China and Russia, analysts said Thursday. Israeli President Shimon Peres, on the last day of his tour of Argentina and Brazil, told a forum in Buenos Aires he expected both Iranian and Venezuelan regimes to collapse soon. His comment reflected Israel's anger and frustration over deepening ties between Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Ahmadinejad is scheduled to visit Brazil and Venezuela, and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has already dismissed Israeli concerns over the visit. Israel is not taking any chances, however. Peres told his audience the people of Venezuela and Iran will make their leaders disappear before too long.

"They won't hold, not because any of us is going to kill them; their own people are getting tired of them," Peres said, MercoPress reported. "So if you want good relations with them, consider that they are passing passengers. It's a short-term relationship, so don't waste too much on them." Peres spent a week in Brazil and Argentina as part of a diplomatic effort to counter perceived Iranian inroads into the continent through increased political and trade ties. Chavez visited Iran earlier in the year and played host to Ahmadinejad earlier. Peres directed most of his ire at Chavez, who is battling an energy and water crisis at home. "I see the latest polls that show most of the people are dissatisfied with him," Peres said. "If I could vote in the poll, I know exactly how I would vote. Because the problem is not just what Venezuela is doing for Chavez but what Chavez is doing for Venezuela: It's not a serious government." Peres drew parallels between Chavez and Ahmadinejad. "There's something in common between Ahmadinejad and Chavez, oil makes them think a bit complicated," he said, gesturing to indicate he thought both leaders mentally unbalanced.

Despite Peres's pronouncements, which drew applause from his audience, analysts see a more complex picture emerging in Latin America, where not only Iran but also China and Russia are out to fill gaps left by U.S. absences. The Russian Federation has formally opened its first embassy in Paraguay's 200 year history. Although the two countries have had diplomatic relations, these were managed from Buenos Aires. Russian Ambassador Igor Ezhov said Paraguay was the only country in South America where Russia had no embassy, "and we are correcting this longstanding historic error," MercoPress reported. Russia is hoping to boost its market in Paraguay through the sale of river transport vessels and helicopters. While Russia has targeted South America to boost its manufactured exports, including weapons, and technical expertise, China has reached into its deep pockets to reach out to Latin American countries to secure sources for its energy needs. China will invest $10 billion in Brazil's deep-sea exploration of development of oil fields, as part of its global strategy to secure sources for future oil needs.

by Staff Writers
Tehran (AFP) Nov 22, 2009
Faced with mounting pressure over his country's atomic ambitions, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad left on a five nation tour Sunday, including Brazil in a bid to boost ties with Latin America's biggest economy and a rare backer of Tehran's nuclear programme.

Since coming to power in 2005, Ahmadinejad has sought to form bonds with leftist south American leaders, and enjoys "brotherly ties" with fiercely anti-US Hugo Chavez, president of Brazil's neighbour, Venezuela.

His five-day trip will also take in Venezuela as well as another left-leaning South American country, Bolivia and the West African countries of Senegal and Gambia, the presidential website said.

"Nations such as Iran, Brazil, Venezuela, Gambia and Senegal have the ability to restore a new world order," Ahmadinejad said before leaving Tehran.

Highlighting Tehran's growing ties with Brazil, the hardliner said: "Iran and Brazil have a common vision about the situation in the world and are determined to develop their cooperation."

The Islamic republic's influence in arch-foe the United States' back yard has unnerved Washington and its key Middle Eastern ally Israel amid speculation Venezuela and Bolivia might be providing uranium to Iran for its controversial nuclear programme.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has backed Iran's nuclear development programme as long as it is peaceful, as Brazil seeks to up its diplomatic profile by playing a mediating role in the Middle East.

Lula, who hosted Israeli President Shimon Peres earlier this month, is firmly against sanctions on Iran over its nuclear defiance and has called for diplomacy and talks.

Israel accuses Iran of seeking atomic bombs and along with the United States has never ruled out a military option to thwart the nuclear drive. Iran denies it seeks atomic weapons.

The West is currently hoping to receive a positive response from Iran on a UN-brokered nuclear deal aimed at allaying their fears that Iran could use its enriched uranium to make a bomb.

In an interview with AFP in September, Lula said he believed US-led criticism of Iran was reminiscent of Washington's fallacious justification for the war in Iraq.

"Even today, those leaders in favour of the war in Iraq are unable to explain why they invaded if there were no chemical weapons. Well, I am seeing the same sort of things starting to happen over Iran," he said.

Iran is already under three sets of UN sanctions over its refusal to suspend uranium enrichment.

Ahead of the visit, Ahmadinejad welcomed Brasilia's support for Tehran's nuclear drive.

"While there is an unfair polemic in Western countries against Iran's peaceful nuclear programme, the people of Brazil side with the Iranian people," Ahmadinejad said in a statement.

"If the Brazilian people and the Iranian people are united on issues such as the Zionist regime's cruel attack on the defenceless people of Gaza, this will show a mutual desire" for peace, he added.

During the visit Ahmadinejad is expected to discuss cooperation in the areas of technology, oil production and space exploration.

In his trip to Bolivia, which sits on South America's second largest gas reserves, Ahmadinejad and his counterpart Evo Morales will hold a private meeting and sign bilateral agreements, La Paz has said.

And in Venezuela, the Iranian hardliner is expected to receive a warm welcome given his good relations with Chavez, as the two leaders are known for their populist economic policies and strong anti-US tirades.

Chavez, who also supports Tehran's nuclear programme, has himself been a regular visitor to Iran since the presidency of Ahmadinejad's predecessor Mohammad Khatami, the reformist president.

Since his disputed re-election in June, Ahmadinejad has been dogged by mass protests by opposition supporters charging the polls were rigged, and the regime has come under fire abroad for its violent suppression of protests.

Ahmadinejad has also faced criticism at home by his political rivals over the benefits of seeking allies thousands of miles away in Latin America.

And the United Nations human rights committee blasted Iran for "serious, ongoing and recurring" human rights violations, in a non-binding resolution adopted on Friday.

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Taiwan PM urges China to withdraw missiles: report
Taipei (AFP) Nov 21, 2009
Taiwan's Premier Wu Den-yih has urged China to remove missiles targeting the island to pave the way for peace talks between the formal arch-rivals, a report said Saturday. Beijing needed to build deeper trust with Taiwan by removing the rockets as well as allowing the island greater space in the international community, Wu was quoted by the United Daily News as saying. "We can only begin ... read more

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