As you read this, think about how nice a missile defense backed by more than republicans would be. Think about how many more INOFFENSIVE policy choices there would be with a missile defense. A missile defense whose ELIMINATION by Barack Obama was a major campaign promise.

Die Welt, google xlation:

Iran plans to build a missile base in Venezuela

Both countries strengthen their relationship - at all levels. A secret agreement also provides for common ground-ground missiles. Iran wants on Venezuelan soil as a basis for medium-range missiles up and deepen the strategic cooperation with the regime of Hugo Chávez. How “World Online” learned from Western security sources, an agreement between the two countries during the last visit of the Venezuelan president in Tehran on 19 Signed in October. The previously undisclosed contract provides for the establishment of a jointly operated military base in Venezuela and the joint development of ground-ground missiles. The agreement follows a recommendation of the Supreme Security Council of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Ali Khamenei, religious leader a few months ago. According to information of this newspaper, the Security Council had proposed a joint military facility on Venezuelan soil to increase the deterrent power of Iran against the West. The cooperation would be a way for Iran, a strategic base in the South American continent to build - in the backyard of the United States. After “World Online” Information Venezuela has agreed in the agreement, to allow Iran to establish a military base, which should be manned by Iranian missile officers, soldiers of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and Venezuelan missile officers. The base is mainly as a storage location for strategic Iranian weapons serve. In addition, Iran has given permission to be allowed in case of emergency missile shoot down of mobile bases. In return, it says in the agreement that Venezuela can use the basis for “national needs”. This would increase the threat to neighbors like Colombia. Iran also pledged to help Venezuela to expertise in rocket technology, such as intensive training of officers. Also planned is the development of a common ground-to-surface missile, based on the extensive experience of the Iranians. The agreement also provides for Iranian Shahab 3 (range 1300-1500 km),

(ALL OTHER SOURCES PLACE SHAHAB3 RANGE AS 2000 KM)

Scud-B missile (285-330 kilometers) and Scud-C missiles (300, 500 and 700 km) on the new base to relocate, and four mobile launchers. be found according to information of “World Online” still has a good location for the base. Both sides want the end of 2011 but start building the infrastructure of the military establishment. The intensive training of Venezuelan officers to be held in the coming months in Tehran’s Sharif University. There will be notified of the Venezuelan LNG drives rocket engines, navigation systems and on the analysis of missile performance. Washington is monitoring these developments with growing distrust. When Chavez broke up half a decade for his first visit to Tehran, he was laughed at. Ever since he was nine times there - only three times in the past year and a half. Ahmadinejad visited Venezuela in turn four times officially. Several hundred of cooperation agreements have been signed since then, but 250 in September and another 70 in October. Between the two countries are developed close contacts at all levels, that one can confidently speak of an “axis of Caracas-Tehran.Chavez has long been one of the main pillars for the Iranian nuclear program. He defended strongly and castigated the international word for sanctions against Iran. In September he gave for the first time publicly that his country had “preliminary studies” undertaken to establish its own nuclear program, which was to serve “exclusively peaceful goals.” The close cooperation with Tehran, he did not deny it. Anyway is against Western intelligence agencies detailed evidence. However, it came like a bomb, as Roger Noriega early October in the journal “Foreign Policy” some of them summarized in a paper to a wider public. In the paper, “Chávez’s Secret Nuclear Program,” said former Republican Vice-Foreign Minister and current adviser working at the conservative think tank American Enterprise Institute, Chávez for two years on systematically building its own nuclear program.

READ IT ALL

FAS on SHAHAB-3/Zlezal

Missilethreat on Shahabs

Globalsecurity on Shahab

Globalsecurity on Iranian Missile Inventories

TWO WORDS…

MONROE DOCTRINE

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