Terrorists active in U.S. 'backyard': Latin America hotbed for both al-Qaida, Hezbollah

As the administration of President George W. Bush weighs an attack against Saddam Hussein's Iraq, international terrorist groups are taking firm hold in South America – often referred to as "America's backyard" – according to recent testimony given to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Both Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida and the Palestinian terrorist group Hezbollah are active in Latin America, with Hezbollah having "broader penetration in the Western Hemisphere than any other terrorist organization," stated the U.S. State Department's acting coordinator for counterterrorism, Mark F. Wong, in testimony before the U.S. House International Relations Committee.

Hezbollah "is a multi-faceted, multinational" organization that "has a presence in virtually every country in North and South America. …" Wong reported.

Addressing the problem of "international terrorist threats to Americans and American interests" in South America, Wong described a "collaboration among terrorist groups," which included the apparent cooperation between the Irish Republican Army, or IRA, and the communist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC.

The IRA and FARC have had "established links … since at least 1998," according to the summary of findings regarding links between the IRA and FARC issued by the majority staff of the House International Relations Committee.

The Marxist FARC's "ability to carry out terrorist bombings" in Colombia is linked directly by that nation's government to "the IRA's activity," according to the committee report.

In addition to ties with the IRA, the FARC also has close relations with the communist Cuban government of Fidel Castro, which, in turn, hosts an IRA liaison office on the island.

The government of Colombia includes Iran in the mix of foreign entities operating in FARC-controlled areas and supporting the FARC movement.

Both al-Qaida and Hezbollah are active in the common border area of Colombia, Peru and Ecuador, according to an earlier statement of Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage in hearings before the Foreign Appropriations Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee, cited in a report from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

The activities of the Irish Republican Army, Iran, Cuba and various international terrorist networks operating in Colombia may turn that Latin American nation into a "breeding ground for international terror equaled perhaps only by Afghanistan," according to the committee report.

Further to the south in Latin America, Hezbollah and the terrorist Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) are operating in the tri-border region of Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil. The suspected activities of these groups include counterfeiting U.S. currency and drug smuggling, with the area in which they function described as a "haven for Islamic extremists" by the administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Asa Hutchinson, in testimony before the House International Relations Committee.

"The situation in the tri-border area [of Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil] highlights the ease with which terrorist organizations can infiltrate and assimilate in other countries and go relatively undetected for an extended period of time," Hutchinson stated.

The linkage among various terrorist groups and nations associated with support of terrorism in Latin America combines considerable financial resources and technological expertise.

In addition to the vast oil wealth of Iran, the South American terrorist network can rely upon South American drug money to finance its activities. Colombia alone produces 90 percent of the cocaine and "at least" 70 percent of the heroin sold in the U.S., according to estimates of the House International Relations Committee.

FARC reaps about $2 million per day in illegal drug profits, according to the committee.

Sophisticated techniques in the fields of weapons development and use, espionage and infiltration are readily available to terrorist organizations operating in South America.

Cuba possesses one of the most well-equipped and well-trained intelligence services in the world, and it has only one target – the United States.

Like Cuba, Iran has a sharply honed intelligence capability, and, as with Cuba, Iran has close ties – including technological and military ties – with China and Russia.

I don't mean to go off on a rant here and maybe I'm just having a bad day at work but I think it's time we just hauled off and kicked everybody's ass. We need a full scale mobilization similiar to WWII where we stopped making cars for three years because all of the factories were at full capacity making tanks, planes and warships.

Let's face it. This is our last shot. Demographics means certain defeat to the liberals from 2008 on (unless Rice is the nominee-but I digress). We have until 2008, 5 1/2 long years, to wipe out Castro, Chavez, FARC, Muslim fundamentilists, etc... We should shut down our borders and sweep all the trash out through true inter-agency cooperation.

Our allies better hop on board too. Japan needs to help us in the South China Sea and NATO needs to send troops to help secure the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf.

Who's going to stop us? The U.N? Eurotrash? China is 20 years away from presenting a challenge. As far as Russia goes, I personally would like to see an alliance with Russia espicially given the need to stabilize the Caspian sea region. The way things are going, I wouldn't be surprised to see Russia as the last bastion of Western Civilization 100 years from now.

I could not agree more with our beloved Founding Fathers when it comes to interfering outside our borders. Unfortunately, the liberals have managed to pervert their dream so much that we have no choice but to go on a world tour. We're at the point now where the muslims blow up our skyscrapers, brazenly enter the ostensible birthplace of Christ and defile it, and set it on fire. Can you imagine that happening 500 years ago. There would have been a crusade to end all crusades. France, Spain, Italy, and the Germans would have set aside all differences and gone on a rampage that would have made Richard the Lion hearted's looked tame in comparison.

Organized crime, Columbians, Kosovars, Russians Mafia, Chinese triads, etc... sell drugs, launder money, create havoc with our economy through fraud schemes etc.. and we just sit here and take it. We need to really make an example out of a whole bunch of people and we need to do it now.

Then again, maybe it's just me.

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