Iran builds nuclear accord with Venezuela

[ECH1969]

Iranian parliament speaker Gholam Ali Haddad Adel yesterday also called for Venezuela to join his country in forming an alliance to counter threats from the world’s nuclear powers. He accused the US of attacking Iran’s nuclear program in order to undermine Iran’s independence.

Haddad Adel, part delegation visiting Venezuela, thanked President Hugo Chavez’s government for its ”favourable position” toward Iran, especially its support on the International Atomic Energy Agency board.

“Mutual help is necessary in these circumstances,” he said. “Iran and the Mideast and Venezuela and Latin America can act as two convergent axes to neutralise the plans of arrogant world (powers).”

Haddad Adel said: “The people of Iran and Venezuela have common causes: the fight against imperialism and arrogance in the world, and that can be a very strong foundation for developing bilateral relations.”

http://www.breakingnews.ie/2006/02/15/story244738.html

[bluestateguy]

1. I don't agree with everything Chavez does

and this is one of them.

While I respect the right of Iran to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, that does not change the fact that Ahmadajed (sp?) is a bigoted asshole.*



*The astrisk, of course, is my throat clearing "Yes, I know, Bush is an asshole too". There are some people at DU who will not permit you to criticize any other world leader without also making obligatory anti-Bush comments too. But believe it or not, Bush is not the only bad world leader out there.

[Bandit]

9. Yes he may be bigoted but his country has advanced with

his leadership. They are not a backward country and have been making steady forward progress in technology and education. At least he takes care of his citizens. He puts his country first unlike the GOP in USA. They always and I mean always put their party before their country. They neglect their citizens for their own personal enrichment.And every one of them is bigoted as well.

[Deja Q]

17. Bush is arrogant too...

When's the last time the US advanced at anything? :(

That's why the Iranians are behind their leader... and why Americans aren't behind their own... :think:

[K-W]

14. What did Chavez do?

So the bigotry of Iran's president is Chavez's fault?

[Selatius]

2. I think Chavez should keep away from Iran for his own sake

He could potentially do more harm to his nation in the eyes of the world in a diplomatic and economic sense if he courts Tehran. It would give the US even more excuse to interfere inside Venezuela. I do not believe most of Venezuela's poor people would want to associate with these kinds of people. They just want a better life, not more trouble, and they probably do not want to support or aid any dictator or oligarchy over another oppressed population.

I would strongly warn Chavez to avoid foreign entanglements with Iran, especially given the US war machine appears to be heating up again for an air campaign against Iranian air defenses.

[Darranar]

16. The US and the EU will complain.

Nobody else will care much.

Chávez is acting quite reasonably - finding allies, and building a coalition against common enemies. Ahmadinejad is no threat to him, quite the opposite.

[K-W]

18. So they should just sit back and wait?

You are right associating with Iran is not some great course of action, but it is unfortunately the only course of action available. Venezuala's only hope of defending itself is building alliances with the few nations in the world with power and a willingness to stand up to the US. Atm, at my count there are three of these nations in the world; Iran, Venezuala and presumably North Korea. Both Venezuala and Iran know that the US will screw them no matter what they do and that US allies will not help them, basically all they have is thier leverage over oil and thier ability to resist invasion and occupation which they may be able to increase by working together.

Venezuala doesnt have the luxery of thinking that if it keeps its head down it might dodge Washington's wrath, they know better.

[Selatius]

21. Venezuela has a far better potential ally in the name of BRAZIL

You want nuclear power? Talk to the Brazilians. They want nuclear power as well, but the difference between Iran and Brazil is that Brazil is pursuing nuclear power through legal means. Unlike the Iranians, they did not try to hide their program from the outside world, especially the IAEA, and its leaders do not espouse wiping out the state of Israel.

Brazil has a friendly leftist regime in power under Lula da Silva, and Brazil is next door, not an ocean away. In South America, people are electing leftist regimes all over the place. Hugo Chavez is not alone down there.

If I had Chavez' attention, I'd tell him directly to turn south towards Brazil for help, not Iran.

[cliss]

22. Well, there's one major difference between Venezuela

and Brazil: Venezuela is the world's #7 exporter of oil. Brazil does have oil assets, but not to that extent.

Venezuela is part of OPEC. As such, Chavez has to work within that framework. Iran is the #2 exporter of oil. They have a different reason for becoming close allies, as opposed to Brazil.

This has happened before; I'm thinking about the oil embargo of the 1970's. We were over a barrel then.

Otherwise, I agree with you about Venezuela. There is no harm in forming alliances with the rest of C. and S. America.

[K-W]

23. I wasnt talking about nuclear power.

As far as turning to Brazil for help, Brazil is not an option in the context my post actually discussed as it does not share two key qualities with Venezuala, power over oil and US intentions towards regime change. Regardless, you really cannot fault a nation for diversifying its diplomatic and trading partners nor hold them responsible for the statements of leaders of countries they relate with.

[Selatius]

25. Venezuelan people can better defend themselves than Tehran could for them.

I just don't believe associating with Iran will help the average Venezuelan, especially since Iran is separated by a continent and two bodies of water. Chavez has bought 100,000 Kalashnikov rifles to set up community-controlled militias run by the people themsleves in case of a coup in Caracas that decapitates the government, and they have bought MiG warplanes from Russia to replace US warplanes the US refuses to sell parts for which to keep them airborne.

Chavez has already warned that if his government is decapitated in a coup, then the various organs of government at the lower levels that still function would automatically move to immediately levy an embargo against the US and cut all oil shipments. The only way that can be prevented is if the US directly aided and abetted a future coup and perhaps even put US forces on the ground inside Venezuela to capture key refining facilities and ports, and at present, it seems Iraqi resistance fighters are forcing the US to consume valuable resources in an attempt to crush all resistance in Iraq.

These are Venezuelan people. They actually stood up and fought for what was theirs but denied to them for so many decades. They are awake now, and they are rightfully upset. If the US government with its horrific war machines thinks it can occupy Venezuelan soil or put in a regime in power that will do the bidding of big business and the government it lords over in D.C., they are dead mistaken. They cannot occupy that country, and history has taught us that occupations always fail when the people have awoken. The thugs in power cannot win in Venezuela unless they are willing to kill every man, woman, and child who supports what Chavez is doing, and that's 70 percent of the country, and I'll be damned if I let my own government commit genocide against those people for believing in the "wrong ideas" and refusing to submit to US corporate power.

If Chavez is killed and all his reforms are undone, destroyed, then the last line of defense will be the Venezuelan people themselves, and whether Tehran is involved or not is irrelevant to that fact.

[eridani]

3. All we hear about here is what Haddad said

Not one word about an official Venezuelan response.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/27/international/americas/27venezuela.html

Venezuela does indeed want nuclear energy, but the efforts at actual cooperation seem to be aimed at Brazil and Argentina.

[Selatius]

4. It would make sense to cooperate with Brazil, far more sense, imho

They've got one of the larger deposits of uranium in the world, and they have expressed interest in refining uranium for peaceful purposes and have consulted with the IAEA every step of the way.

[eridani]

5. Indeed

And it would be an all South America thing to boot. Major advantage there.

[Behind the Aegis]

6. The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

This could backfire in Chavez's face. Both countries are members of the NPT, so the rules are very strict, at least for now.

As other countries are seeing from their alliance with the US over Iraq...."lay with dogs, you get fleas." They same could very well happen to Venezuela.

[IndianaGreen]

13. Anyone that is an enemy of Bush, is my friend

Bush deserves the same fate as that of the Nazi war criminals at the end of WWII.

[bemildred]

7. The headline is bullshit.

Mr. Haddad Adel can run his yap all he wants and it does not amount to a "nuclear accord".

[MrPrax]

8. They have to co-operate...

They are both OPEC members...founders of the organization in 1960, so co-operation and bi-lateral arrangements are expected.

But I do like the arrogance of some folks who seem to feel that Iran and Venezuala have to check in with the US. In fact, they like to imply some sorta threat.

Funny when dictators ran these countries without even the benefit of a free vote...nobody seemed to care.

Now they are democratic, the racists feel they can camoflague their Bush Admin support in political terms.

[tatertop]

11. I hope they go for it

Chavez is no mad man. Stronger ties between Chavez and Iran can only be good for the world. Stronger ties between
Iran and Latin America can only be good for the world.

[Peace Patriot]

10. The subject head of this OP is wrong. There is nothing in the article

to indicate that there is any "accord with Venezuela" on nukes. The article only mentions the DESIRE of the Iranians to create such an accord. The subject head should be changed, or this post deleted. We don't need disinformation at DU.

[Behind the Aegis]

12. The subject head is 'correct.'

The OP posted according to LBN rules. What we don't need at DU are people that only read the subject heading. I agree, reading the article shows that the headline is not very accurate, but the OP didn't choose the heading of the article.

[lovuian]

15. Chavez and Iran is trying to patch together allies to protect

themselves!!! By themselves they are vulnerable together their stronger...

[K-W]

19. Im thinking they might make a deal where invasion = oil cut off

Could the US/Europe afford to lose both at the same time?

[RDANGELO]

20. This shouldn't be happening.

Chavez’s government, fiercely critical of Washington, has strengthened ties to Iran, now its closest ally in the Middle East – a relationship that US officials have called a matter of concern.

This would not be happening if we were not hostile toward Chavez. We should be building bridges with our neighbors in the hemisphere, and not antagonizing them.

[katty]

24. Iran, Russia, China, Venezuela all squeezing bush OUT