Radical Islam's Western Foothold: Hugo Chavez and Hezbollah
Abstract
Hugo Chavez strategy of embracing Iran in its quest to build an anti-imperialist and anti-American coalition of nations has undoubtedly gained strength in recent years. Beyond the close ties between Venezuela and Iran due to the two countries shared anti-American priorities, there are also many similarities between the basic ideologies of Chavez Bolivarian revolution and Iranian revolutionary thought. The Lebanese group Hezbollah shares many of Iran s priorities and principles, and it receives a sizeable amount of financial support from the Islamic Republic. Although its armed activities are focused primarily within its traditional area of operations in the Middle East, Hezbollah has been implicated in terrorist activities around the globe. These activities range from financing and training to outright attacks and cooperation with criminal elements. The recent establishment of direct airline flights between Caracas and Tehran, as well as the eagerness of both regimes to embrace the other, does not bode well for anti-terror prospects in Latin America, given the close collaboration of Iranian and Hezbollah operatives in the past. Hezbollah members and sympathizers have gained the ability to move with relative ease outside the Middle East to Latin America and such movements already appear to be taking place. This points to a particularly worrisome possibility: that Hezbollah will move beyond financing and support in Latin America to pursue operational objectives within the Western Hemisphere.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 2010
- Accession Number
- ADA549117
Entities
People
- Sam Pickell