Download pdf - Presencia de Iran en Venezuela y sus implicaciones

Iran’s Threat in the Western Hemisphere

General Context

• Relationship In just the last 5 years,

Iran and Venezuela

have created a vast

economic, political, and

operational

relationship, which

both countries use to

advance their

asymmetric strategies

in the USA’s own

neighborhood.

• Projects The $30 billion inventory

of joint projects and

commercial transactions

and the broad range of

cooperation (diplomatic,

military, commercial,

financial, industrial,

energy, petrochemical, and

many others) makes Iran’s

relationship with

Venezuela one of its most

important partnerships in

the world.

• Platform Iran uses Venezuela to

project its influence and

activities in the Americas,

to evade international

sanctions, and to harvest

uranium and other strategic

minerals in the region – all

with the aim of aiding its

illegal nuclear program and

challenging the USA and

international security.

Areas of Cooperation

Area 1: 2004

Area 2: 2006

Area 3: 2005

Area 4: 2007

Area 5: 2007

Area 6: 2005

Financial Infrastructure

Industrial Infrastructure

Technical Cooperation

Nuclear Technology and Uranium Mine

Military Cooperation

Terrorism and Drug Trafficking

1. Financial Infrastructure

2. Tractor Factory

3. Cement Plant

4. Gold Mine

5. Energy Sector

6. Chemical Plant

7. Car Assembly Plant

8. Bicycle Factory

9. Tuna Processing Plant

10. Dairy Products Plant

11. Corn Flour Plant

12. Housing Development

13. Weapon Factory

11/14/2011 4

Iran’s Significant Presence in Venezuela

Venezuela Supports Iran’s Evasion of Sanctions

11/14/2011 5

Iranian Government

Iranian Companies (Iran

Revolutionary Guard Corps)

Iranian Subsidiaries’

Companies in Venezuela

Venezuelan Government

(PDVSA)

Venezuela Financial System

International Financial System

Evasion of International

Restrictions on Iran’s Access to Financial

System

Incorporation of a Venezuelan Commercial Bank

Notes:

Rahim Faramarzi, CEO

Banco Toseyeh Saderat Iran C.A.

Industrial Sector

• VENEIRAN (Bolivar State) Tractor Factory

• Edhasse Sanat (Monagas State) Urbanización Los Tucanes NO. 22, Maturín, Estado Monagas

Cement Plant

• FANABI (Cojedes State) Bicycle Factory

• Impasco (Bolivar State) Gold Mine

11/14/2011 7

11/14/2011 8

Iran’s ‘Tractor’ Factory: Venelran Military-Style Compound with Iranian Security

Building 1

Building 2

Building 3

High-Security Facility

Iran’s ‘Tractor’ Factory: Intended Recipient of Bomb-Making Materials and Lab

11/14/2011 9

Iran’s ‘Tractor’ Factory ‘Barrels of nitrate and sulfite chemicals’

11/14/2011 10

Transportation Industry

Regular Flights

Route: Caracas – Damascus – Teheran

Aircraft: Boeing 747 SP

Tail Number: EP-IAD

Regular Flights

Route: Caracas – Damascus – Teheran

Aircraft: Airbus 340-211

Tail Number: YV 1004

Transportation Industry

11/14/2011 12

Net loss for 3 years operations

USD $ 30,140,776.42

11/14/2011 13

CONVIASA: Cargo Facility

Energy

11/14/2011 14

Rafael D. Ramirez C. President, PDVSA

Cousins

Ilich Ramirez Sanchez AKA: Carlos ‘the Jackal’, Ramirez’ cousin

Rafael D. Ramirez C. President, PDVSA

11/14/2011 16

Iran and Venezuela’s Ministers of Defense (Mostafa Mohammed Najjar and Ramon Carrizalez), signing an agreement of military cooperation on April 30, 2009 in Caracas

Military

Military

Training of the Venezuelan Armed

Forces in asymmetric war

and techniques to sabotage the

energy infrastructure.

Army, Navy and Militias

Explosive plant in Carabobo State

CAVIM

Overhauling for the Venezuela’s combat plane F-5 by Iranian

Air Force

Air Force

Infrastructure and machinery to build

bombs, Bolivar State.

Tractor Factory Veneiran

Unnamed Aerial Vehicles

M2 42 Planes Maracay

Aragua State

CAVIM AIO

11/14/2011 17

Iranian Cooperation in ‘Nuclear Technology’

11/14/2011 19

11/14/2011 20


Notes: • Cooperation “in the field of

nuclear technology….”

• Accord signed Nov. 14, 2007

Venezuela’s ‘Nuclear Power Program’

11/14/2011 21


11/14/2011 22

Notes: • Internal Document

• Discloses Nuclear program years before Chavez admitted to have one

Workshop on Steps for Conducting Nuclear Power Plant Technology Assessments, Vienna, Austria, 17-20 November 2008

CEA

• The Atomic Energy Committee (CEA) is our “Nuclear

Energy Programme implementing Organization (NEPIO)1

since 2007.

• The CEA is conformed by

– Ministry of Science and Technology (MCT)

– Ministry of Energy and Petroleum (MENPET)

– Ministry of Basic Industries and Mining (MIBAM)

– Electric Companies (CORPOELEC)

– Universities (UCV, USB)

1 NEPIO is the designation used in the IAEA by the guide “Milestones in the Development of a National Infrastructure for

Nuclear Power”

Funding Venezuela’s Nuclear Program

11/14/2011 23

Notes: • Roughly $50 Million for

“Science and Technology” Program

Funding Venezuela’s Nuclear Program

11/14/2011 24

Notes: • “Peaceful use of

Nuclear Energy”

• Chavez personal approval

Venezuela’s Nuclear Program

11/14/2011 25

Notes: • Russian deal signed days

after Chavez says he is only “studying” nuclear energy…

• Same firm that built Bushehr Nuclear Reactor

Uranium in Venezuela’s Roraima Basin

11/14/2011 26

Notes: • Among the largest

deposits of uranium in the world

• Canadians are mining “uranium” in Guyana…

Iran’s “Gold” Mine (Impasco – Minerven)

11/14/2011 27

Iran Strikes ‘Gold’ in Uranium Basin

11/14/2011 28

“Gold” Mine

Notes: • Canadians are mining

“uranium” in Guyana… Iranians mining “gold” in Venezuela

• Export of uranium to Iran would be an apparent violation of UN sanctions

• Eyewitnesses say ore processed at Iranian “cement plant” and loaded on barges on Orinoco River

Uranium Reserves in Venezuela

11/14/2011 29

Prospección de Uranio en la

Republica Bolivariana de

Venezuela

Deciembre 2010

Notes: • Iran discovered

Uranium in Venezuela in 2007


11/14/2011 30

Notes: • Thousands of

samples taken throughout the country


11/14/2011 31

Ubicación de muestras geoquímicas tomadas por el Proyecto Irán – Venezuela Etapa I

Title: Location of geochemical

samples taken

Iran – Venezuela Project: Phase 1

(Uranium exploration)


11/14/2011 32

Results Iranian Study: Location of geochemical

samples taken

Regional Geoquimical Explorations in Timotes,

Merida State

(Uranium exploration)


11/14/2011 33

Title: Distribution Map of

Uranium

Regional Geoquimical

Explorations in Timotes,

Merida State

September 2007

Geological Survey of Iran

Instituto Nacional de Geologia y

Mineria

Venezuela

Terrorism: Hezbollah in Venezuela

11/14/2011 34

11/14/2011 35

Ghazi Atef Salameh Nassereddine Abu Ali


11/14/2011 36

Birth Certificate Spanish Translation


Ghazi Atef Salameh Nassereddine Abu Ali

11/14/2011 37

June 18, 2008hp-1036

Treasury Targets Hizballah in Venezuela

Washington - The U.S. Department of the Treasury today designated twoVenezuela-based supporters of Hizballah, Ghazi Nasr al Din and Fawzi Kan'an,along with two travel agencies owned and controlled by Kan'an.

"It is extremely troubling to see the Government of Venezuela employing andproviding safe harbor to Hizballah facilitators and fundraisers. We will continue toexpose the global nature of Hizballah's terrorist support network, and we call onresponsible governments worldwide to disrupt and dismantle this activity," saidAdam J. Szubin, Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

Today's action was taken pursuant to Executive Order 13224, which targetsterrorists, those owned or controlled by or acting for or on behalf of terrorists, andthose providing financial, technological, or material support to terrorists or acts ofterrorism. Assets the designees hold under U.S. jurisdiction are frozen and U.S.persons are prohibited from engaging in transactions in property or interests inproperty blocked under the order.

Identifying Information

GHAZI NASR AL DIN

Ghazi Nasr al Din is a Venezuela-based Hizballah supporter who has utilized hisposition as a Venezuelan diplomat and the president of a Caracas-based Shi'aIslamic Center to provide financial support to Hizballah. Nasr al Din served untilrecently as Charge d' Affaires at the Venezuelan Embassy in Damascus, Syria,and was subsequently appointed the Director of Political Aspects at theVenezuelan Embassy in Lebanon.

Nasr al Din has counseled Hizballah donors on fundraising efforts and hasprovided donors with specific information on bank accounts where the donors'deposits would go directly to Hizballah.

Ghazi Nasr al Din has met with senior Hizballah officials in Lebanon to discussoperational issues, as well as facilitated the travel of Hizballah members to andfrom Venezuela. In late January 2006, Nasr al Din facilitated the travel of twoHizballah representatives to the Lebanese Parliament to Caracas to solicitdonations for Hizballah and to announce the opening of a Hizballah-sponsoredcommunity center and office in Venezuela. The previous year, Nasr al Dinarranged the travel of Hizballah members to attend a training course in Iran.

AKAs: Haj Ghazi Nasseredine

Ghazi Nassereddine

Gazi Nasseridine

Gazi Nasser El-Din

Ghazil Nasser Al-Din

Haj Ghazzi Nassereddine

Ghassan Attef Salame Nasserddine

Ghassan Nasr El Din Ghassan

June 18, 2008hp-1036

Treasury Targets Hizballah in Venezuela

Washington - The U.S. Department of the Treasury today designated two

Venezuela-based supporters of Hizballah, Ghazi Nasr al Din and Fawzi Kan'an,along with two travel agencies owned and controlled by Kan'an.

"It is extremely troubling to see the Government of Venezuela employing andproviding safe harbor to Hizballah facilitators and fundraisers. We will continue toexpose the global nature of Hizballah's terrorist support network, and we call onresponsible governments worldwide to disrupt and dismantle this activity," saidAdam J. Szubin, Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

Today's action was taken pursuant to Executive Order 13224, which targetsterrorists, those owned or controlled by or acting for or on behalf of terrorists, andthose providing financial, technological, or material support to terrorists or acts ofterrorism. Assets the designees hold under U.S. jurisdiction are frozen and U.S.persons are prohibited from engaging in transactions in property or interests inproperty blocked under the order.

Identifying Information

GHAZI NASR AL DIN

Ghazi Nasr al Din is a Venezuela-based Hizballah supporter who has utilized hisposition as a Venezuelan diplomat and the president of a Caracas-based Shi'aIslamic Center to provide financial support to Hizballah. Nasr al Din served untilrecently as Charge d' Affaires at the Venezuelan Embassy in Damascus, Syria,and was subsequently appointed the Director of Political Aspects at theVenezuelan Embassy in Lebanon.

Nasr al Din has counseled Hizballah donors on fundraising efforts and hasprovided donors with specific information on bank accounts where the donors'deposits would go directly to Hizballah.

Ghazi Nasr al Din has met with senior Hizballah officials in Lebanon to discussoperational issues, as well as facilitated the travel of Hizballah members to andfrom Venezuela. In late January 2006, Nasr al Din facilitated the travel of two

Hizballah representatives to the Lebanese Parliament to Caracas to solicitdonations for Hizballah and to announce the opening of a Hizballah-sponsoredcommunity center and office in Venezuela. The previous year, Nasr al Dinarranged the travel of Hizballah members to attend a training course in Iran.

AKAs: Haj Ghazi Nasseredine

Ghazi Nassereddine

Gazi Nasseridine

Gazi Nasser El-Din

Ghazil Nasser Al-Din

Haj Ghazzi Nassereddine

Ghassan Attef Salame Nasserddine

Ghassan Nasr El Din Ghassan


Terrorist Training: City of Qom

11/14/2011 38

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Terrorist Training: City of Qom

11/14/2011 39

Notes: • Recruiter:

• Rouhollah Kiyaei Nejad

• Cover of Iran Air

• Network of “Islamic Centers” for proselytisms and recruitment

11/14/2011 40

Terrorist Network: Structure

Mohsen Rabbani Universidad Islámica de Irán

Ciudad de Qom, IRAN

Joao Adriano Olivera da Silva

Centro Islámico de Belo Jardim

Brasil

Munir Valencia

Centro Cultural Islámico la Ciudad del Profeta

Colombia

Sheij Rouhollah Kiyaei Nejad

Centro Islámico

Imán Khomeini – Simón Bolívar

Venezuela

Sheij Seied Abdala Medina

Mesquita Al-Imam

Argentina

Shaij Mahmud Aid

Centro Chileno Islámico de Cultura de Puerto Montt

Chile

Sheij Suhail Assad

Encargado de dirigir los centros en América Latina

Gobiernos de Irán y Venezuela

11/14/2011 41

Terrorist Network: Structure


Abdul Ghani

Suleiman Wanked

(Lebanon)

Dante Rafael Rivas

Quijada (Director of

Saime)

Walid Makled Garcia

Kingpin List

Imad Saab Saab

(Venezuelan Ambasador

in Syria)

Tareck Zaidan

El Aissami Maddah

(Minister of Interior)

Army General

Aref Rachani Jimenez

(CAVIM President

and PDVSA Director)

Edmundo Kabchi

Raymundo Kabchi

Caroni Group

(Bolivar State)

11/14/2011 42

11/14/2011 43

Zoed Karam

Venezuelan

Ambassador in

Lebanon


11/14/2011 44

Venezuela Terrorism: Hezbollah

11/14/2011 45


Caracas Terrorist Summit Hezbollah – Hamas – Islamic Jihad

11/14/2011 46

Notes: • Internal Memorandum

from Venezuelan embassy in Damascus reveals plans for terror meeting

• Venezuelan and Iranian envoys met in May 2010

• Venezuelan “diplomat” sanctioned by US Treasury in 2008 for aiding Hezbollah attended

11/14/2011 47


Notes: • Original plan called for

Chavez to meet Ahmadinejad and Nasrallah in Lebanon

• Instead, terror leaders were hosted in Caracas in August 2010

Khaled Meshaal

Hamas

11/14/2011 48


Arms Trafficking

11/14/2011 49

Notes: • Francop Cargo Ship

• Captured by the Israeli Navy

• 500 Tons of Weapons: November 2009

Arms Trafficking

11/14/2011 50

Notes: • Francop Cargo Ship

• Captured by the Israeli Navy

• 500 Tons of Weapons – November 2009

Iran’s Connections in the Region

Venezuela Main operating base in

the region

Panama Financial Sector

Brazil Financial Sector and

Uranium

Ecuador Minerals Trade

Honduras Maintenance facility for

Iranian ‘tractors’

Bolivia Cement plant

Argentina Financing of Joint Projects

in Venezuela

11/14/2011 51

Iran’s Connections: Ecuador

11/14/2011 52

Notes:

•Bi-national agreement with Ecuador concerning geological mining

11/14/2011 53


Notes:

•Ecuador Ministry of Mining and Petroleum

•Iran Ministry of Industry

11/14/2011 54


Notes:

•$28,973,680 payment

•Dr. José Serrano Salgalo, Under Secretary of Mines, Ecuador

•Sr. M.T. Korei, Vice-Minister and Director of Geological and Mineral Exploration of the Islamic Republic of Iran

11/14/2011 55

Iran’s Connections: Argentina

Notes:

•Venezuela, Argentina and Iran

11/14/2011 56


Notes:


11/14/2011 57


Notes:


•From China Fund

•250 Million Dollars

USA / Venuezuela Security Issues

Threats:

•Iran’s radicalizing influence in the Americas

•Nuclear technology

•Uranium mining, source of nuclear armament production

•Missile launch capability and closeness to USA

•Hezbollah in Venezuela

•Drug trafficking

•USA southern border insecurity

Iran, the Americas

Clear Threat:

•“The strong Iran is ready for enemy-crushing and tough response in case of any illogical and violent behavior by the US.”

•Iranian Defense

Minister, Brig. Gen.

Ahmad Vahidi, while

visiting Bolivia,

June 1, 2011

Threat that Cannot be Exaggerated …..or Ignored ‘Street War’:

•“Iranian forces will fight with the enemies with maximum might and

power all throughout the European and U.S. soil, if Iran comes under attack.” Iranian parliamentarian, November 9, 2011

‘IAEA says foreign expertise has brought Iran to threshold of nuclear capability’

•“Intelligence provided to U.N. nuclear officials shows that Iran’s government has mastered the critical steps needed to build a nuclear weapon, receiving assistance from foreign scientists to overcome key technical hurdles….”

The Washington Post, November 8, 2011