Sunday, June 28, 2009

Top US Commander Warns Of Iran Influence In Latin America

Gen. Douglas M. Fraser receives the U.S. Southern Command guidon from Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright during the change-of-command ceremony June 25 at SOUTHCOM headquarters in Miami. General Fraser relieved Navy Adm. James Stavridis as commander of SOUTHCOM. General Cartwright is the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. (Defense Department photo/J.J. Chiari)

From AFP:


MIAMI (AFP) — Iran's growing influence in Latin America is a "potential risk" to the region, the newly-appointed head of the US Southern Command, General Douglas Fraser has warned.

Fraser, who on Thursday takes charge of US military operations in 31 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean, expressed "real concern" about the Islamic Republic's links with "extremist organizations" in the region.

"The real concern is not a nation-to-nation interaction, it is the connection that Iran has with extremist organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah and the potential risk that that could bring to this region," Fraser told journalists ahead of taking up the post.

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My Comment: General Douglas Fraser gives little if any details on Iran's influence in Latin America. Beyond a few meetings between heads of states, I certainly do not see anything substantive or credible. His concerns on FARC are legitimate, as well as his concerns on the growing drug wars in Central America/Mexico.

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