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The Iran, Hezbollah, Venezuela Axis
Iran has illegally laundered billions of dollars through the Venezuelan financial sector and is currently stashing hundreds of millions of dollars in virtually every Venezuelan bank today, according to a former senior State Department official.Its a huge blind spot in those trying to implement sanctions on Iran, Roger Noriega, a former United States ambassador and assistant secretary of state for western hemisphere affairs, told the Washington Free Beacon. Venezuela served as Irans closest Western ally under the late President Hugo Chavez, who allowed the rogue regime to establish a military and financial presence at the highest levels of the Venezuelan government. Irans foothold in the country is expected to grow exponentially under the rule of Chavezs likely successor, Vice President Nicolas Maduro. Noriega and other experts warned House lawmakers at a Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on Wednesday that Irans terrorist proxy Hezbollah is gaining power in Venezuela. Hezbollah, which carries out terrorist attacks on Irans behalf, has helped Tehran access Venezuelas sophisticated financial sector, experts said. Its easy to say billions have been laundered through various Iranian enterprises and institutions through the Venezuelan economy, Noriega told the Free Beacon in an interview Thursday. The Iranians have seized on this as a way to evade sanctions. Hezbollah has not only infiltrated Venezuelas governmental bodies. The organization has also established terrorist training facilities on the countrys Margarita Island, according to Noriega. Hezbollah has been able to form from this Caribbean haven a marriage of convenience with various narcotics traffickers and drug gangs that bring the terrorist threat to our doorstep, Noriega told lawmakers Wednesday. Posted by: tipper 2013-03-22 |
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