ALBERTO GARRIDO 
SPECIAL FOR EL UNIVERSAL

In the Muslim world "there is absolute solidarity to face any aggression intended by the empire against President Hugo Chávez." The remarks made by National Assembly (AN) Chair Nicolás Maduro and quoted by German news agency DPA are increasingly significant since Hugo Chávez, in addition to endorsing again the Iranian nuclear policy, announced in Asunción, Paraguay, last Wednesday, April 19th, his decision of "bursting" oil fields in the event of a US incursion into Venezuela.

Chávez made the announcement just when the Pentagon has deployed in the Caribbean the Partnership of the Americas operation, including unprecedented military operations in the so-called US "third frontier" embracing also Mexico and Canada.

The statements of both Maduro and Chávez help to anticipate, within the framework of Iran-Venezuela-Cuba "anti-imperialist solidarity," a transnational war in the short term, in the event of an outbreak of the conflict framed by the US-European Union-Israel alliance against the Iran-Syria "strategic corridor."

The Iran-Venezuelan axis
Heinz Dieterich, one of the ideologists of the Bolivarian revolution in a work published in the website rebelion.org ("Latin America in the face of the world crisis," September 4th, 2005), claimed that the hemisphere had been put in the Iraqi battlefield. "Latin American thinks that bombs will drop at 10,000 kilometers and has not realized that its own destiny will be decided over the next few hours." As an example of the "sensitive, dangerous crossroads," Dieterich mentioned "the horizontal axis of approach by China, Iraq, Iran and some Latin American countries, particularly Venezuela and Cuba."

With regard to Iraq, Dieterich only could refer himself to the Iraqi resistance. Regardless of the calculation error concerning the timing for an international armed conflict landing in Latin America, there is a real threat now due to the confrontation of the United States, Europe and Israel with Iran (and Syria.)

Venezuela-Iran ties started officially after the meeting of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) held in Caracas in 2000. Then, the Iranian delegation decided to extend their stay to discuss multiple agreements with the Venezuelan Government. As soon as Chávez took over, the organization of a steel industry to manufacture railway materials in the city of San Félix, southern Bolívar state, was disclosed. The investment amounted to USD 200 million with Venezuela, Iran and China as partners.

In March 2005, Chávez and ex Iranian President Mohamed Jatami executed in Caracas a number of agreements in the areas of oil, gas, petrochemicals, maritime transportation, housing and agriculture. Foreign Vice-Minister for Asian, Middle East and Oceanic Affairs William Izarra revealed the purpose of the meeting: "The relationship with Iran is within the framework of transfer of technology."

Petroleum and nuclear energy
Nuclear technology has been newsworthy. Iran, Syria, Cuba and Venezuela joined to vote at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) the Iranian position to enrich uranium "for peaceful purposes." As a result, the United Nations Security Council resolved to obstruct the Iranian decision. However, its members have taken different sides. The United States and the European Union back a solution based on force. Russia and China -Iran's strategic alliances- encourage a diplomatic outcome.

Iran offered Venezuela its nuclear know-how. Both nations gave up subsequently this move.  President Chávez announced eventually the government attempts at developing nuclear reactors "for electric generation and health-care use," based on technology of Argentina, Brazil and Iran. The project did not bore fruit due to the cold reply of the two South American nations.

So far, oil has played a significant role in the Iran-Venezuela relation. Iran is the second world oil producer. Venezuela sends to the United States 1.5 million barrels of oil daily. It has also the largest oil reserves in the world. United States fears that Venezuela joins Iran to place oil in the direction of China and India. Also, there is a financial link between Venezuela and Iran. Both countries have proposed to turn petrodollars into petro-Euros.

TV station Al Jazeera describes this strategic game as follows: "By joining efforts in a move intended to bash against the US economy, Iran and Venezuela are committing and creating a great opportunity for other states to change the stock of dollars for Euros and other foreign currencies. (htpp://aljazeera.com/me.asp?service_ID=10610) (Quoted by Franz J.T. Lee. "Why should Iran and Venezuela anticipate a preventive military attack by the United States?" March 23rd, 2006)

Chávez has vowed to blow oil fields in the event of US incursion into Venezuela. On the contrary, Iran has promised not to cut the energy supply in the event of a war in an attempt at getting the support of China and Russia. However, both governments think that despite breaking historical price records, oil has not reached yet its actual value.

Military asymmetry
No complementation is visible. Venezuela plans an asymmetric war based on a territorial guard. Iran has a regular army of more than 800,000 troopers, the strongest in the Middle East. Also, it has a notable stock of missiles, in addition to a large war experience. The last event was the confrontation with Iraq.

It should be remembered that Iran resisted for seven years that war. On that occasion, the United States, and some European and Arab nations supported Iraq. The attention on the destiny of Iran missile power made US intelligence sources to disclose a "secret deal by the governments of Iran and Venezuelan on supply of nuclear arms to Venezuela and Cuba."

Missiles would be transported in oil tankers to circumvent US spy satellites and specially equipped aircraft (Newspaper 2001, Jesús Eduardo Brando, "Iranian missiles for Venezuela," April 18th, 2006).

In spite of the strenuous denial of the information by Foreign Minister Alí Rodríguez, failing to link the Iranian case with the astounding naval deployment by the United States and NATO in the Caribbean is almost impossible. This is particularly true just when the countdown for Iran to quit its nuclear plans has started at the UN Security Council. Otherwise, the United States, the European Union and Israel could stage a war. The scope of such a conflict is unpredictable. Military analysts have dismissed the use of tactical nuclear weapons by the anti-Iran alliance and thousand martyrs on the Iranian side. The Iranians would have 29 targets already  (Hassan Abbasi, director of the Center of Doctrine Strategic Studies of the Guardians of Revolution. In, The Sunday Times, April 16th, 2006).

Translated by Conchita Delgado

Alberto Garrido
EL UNIVERSAL