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Venezuela about to bring nuclear weapons to Southern hemisphere

there is compelling evidence that Venezuela’s government and banks, with the help of the Ahmadinejad government and Iranian shell companies, are providing Iran with uranium mined in southeastern Venezuela

Venezuela Is Going Nuclear, and We Should Be Worried, THE HUFFINGTON POST, Rizwan Ladha, 8 Oct 10, You may know that the entire world, south of the equator, is one huge nuclear weapon free zone (NWFZ). You may also know that the very first region of the world to come up with the concept of a NWFZ is Latin America. But what you may not know, until you read this eye-opening and chilling article by Robert Noriega, is that this delicate balance of NWFZs in the southern hemisphere is about to be upended by Hugo Chávez, with the help of his trusty friend Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

A little background: Nuclear weapon free zones are an important component of what we today call the global nonproliferation regime, the cornerstone of which is the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). NWFZs not only serve as confidence-building measures amongst countries within a given region, but provide their members with legally binding negative security assurances from the five recognized nuclear weapons states. They arguably promote the overall security and stability of a region — as nuclear weapons are overwhelmingly destabilizing tools — and contribute to the objective of the eventual elimination of nuclear weapons worldwide.

As early as 1958, countries in Latin America were discussing arms control agreements, which would include a ban on nuclear weapons. As a result of those discussions, the Treaty of Tlatelolco was presented in 1967 and then entered into force two years later. Venezuela has been a member of the Latin American NWFZ since March 1970, but in the past few years has been showing signs of breaking with convention and going rogue.

Since 2007, Venezuela has been exploring the idea of developing its own indigenous nuclear infrastructure. Moreover, there is compelling evidence that Venezuela’s government and banks, with the help of the Ahmadinejad government and Iranian shell companies, are providing Iran with uranium mined in southeastern Venezuela — which, if true, would be a blatant violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1929 prohibiting Iranian engagement in “uranium mining, production or use of nuclear materials and technology.”And there are additional anecdotes, as detailed in Noriega’s article, that lend credibility to the idea that Venezuela is interested specifically in nuclear weapons and not just civilian nuclear energy.,,,,,,Rizwan Ladha: Venezuela Is Going Nuclear, and We Should Be Worried

October 8, 2010 - Posted by | SOUTH AMERICA, weapons and war | ,

9 Comments »

  1. Shame on you for disseminating this baseless war-mongering.

    What utter rubbish:

    “there is compelling evidence … which, if true”

    Is it compelling evidence??? or simply another wild assertion made by the Washington establishment bent on manipulating us through fear?

    It does not surprise me that a pro-war outfit like Huffpo would push this tripe. But are you really that desperate to oppose nuclear power that you would sink to supporting wars of aggression in order to deny the use of nuclear energy by nations which are not fully subordinate to the Neocons?

    Shame on you.

    aletho's avatar Comment by aletho | October 9, 2010 | Reply

    • This website is aimed solely at examining the nuclear industry, and publicising news and opinions that rarely see the light of day in mainstream media.
      We’re not aware of the Huffington Post being “a pro war outfit”. I would have thought it is the opposite of that.
      As to us supporting “wars of aggression” in order to “deny nuclear energy to nations” – this idea is indeed utter rubbish. And shame on you, aletho, for suggesting that.

      Having been to your website, I see that it is very supportive of the Palestinians’ plight, and critical of Israel’s treatment of them. I would like you to know that we share that opinion. We are strongly opposed to the continued expansion of Israeli settlements on Palestinian land. We deplore the use by Israel of past oppression of Jews to justify their actions against Palestinians – using the name of religion to cover naked greed.

      Christina Macpherson's avatar Comment by Christina MacPherson | October 10, 2010 | Reply

      • Christina the piece you posted is no different from the baseless allegations that the very same propagandists used to convince America to support the invasion of Iraq. We were supposed to fear the WMDs that those dark scary people were supposedly building.

        Haven’t you learned to use critical analysis when confronted with that kind of thing?

        My guess is that Robert Noriega, the author of the “chilling” article is the son of Roger Noriega. You may not recall the name. He was responsible for organizing the US financed Contra terror attacks on Nicaragua a quarter century ago.

        You might consider adjusting your focus to the reduction of the US and Israeli WMDs rather than fretting about the possibility that victims of US and Israeli aggression may be developing deterrents. That is where real progress on nuclear safety MUST start. You have been used. And yes Huffpo is supremacist and pro-war.

        aletho's avatar Comment by aletho | October 10, 2010

  2. We are opposed to the nuclear industry wherever it is set up, and that includes Venezuela.
    So – Robert Noriega might be related that very right wing Roger Noriega behind the attacks in Nicaragua, and of that very right wing American Enterprise Institute. We can still read what Robert says.

    As to the Huffington Post – I’ve found many anti-nuclear views on that site. Perhaps, as a true media source – it might be willing to air all opinions, not just mine or yours?

    It is laughable that you still presume nuclear weapons to be “deterrents”. In fact the whole nuclear setup is just setting up TARGETS.

    As to being victims of aggression – what I see is that the rich world, USA, France, Russia, Japan, South Korea – all are now busting their guts to SELL nuclear technology to other countries.
    I admit, that article has an anti-Chavez militaristic fervour. But I still will maintain that the rich world is now practising a form of colonialism – flogging off its too- expensive, dirty, nuclear technology to anyone who will buy it. That includes Iran, and will include Venezuela if it goes ahead. Victims again.

    Christina Macpherson's avatar Comment by Christina MacPherson | October 10, 2010 | Reply

    • Huffington Post publishes blatant lies that serve to demonize challengers of Israeli hegemony such as Ahmadinejad or Assad. An endless litany of propaganda has spewed from that site, none of which stands up to serious examination. The unsubstantiated claim that Venezuela exports uranium to Iran, which you have posted above, is one such lie. Iran does in fact have adequate local sources of uranium, making the allegation absurd on its face.

      We know for a fact that the US budgeted over $400 million in 2009 for ‘psychological operations’ designed to destabilize Iran. We also know that propaganda created for foreign dissemination does end up repeated in the US media. You may feel that these are “opinions”, in fact, if the message furthers the drive to war, it is far likelier to be a product.

      Your further dissemination of this type of fear-mongering propaganda fosters acquiescence to military adventurism. The results are only too plainly seen in the millions killed along with the DU contamination left behind to disfigure countless generations with mutations and cancers.

      War-mongering is no way to oppose the use of nuclear technology. If you want Iran or Venezuela to shun development of civilian nuclear energy you could always work toward the enforcement of the global nuclear disarmament that the US agreed to in the NPT treaty or you could safely oppose the ongoing investment in nuclear energy in YOUR OWN COUNTRY.

      aletho's avatar Comment by aletho | October 10, 2010 | Reply

  3. To aletho and Christina — as the author of this article, I feel I should clear up some points.

    In my writing, I do say that Venezuela’s potential for developing a nuclear weapons program is based on the yet-to-be-confirmed accuracy of the article written by Roger Noriega (not Robert — I mistyped the name in the original article, and then went back on the Huff Post site and corrected it, but in the meantime this website had already cross-posted it). It’s important that I reiterate, and that readers understand, that what Noriega says very well may be based on speculation, less-than-investigative journalism, and/or hearsay. It is of course wise to wait until more substantial evidence is presented to confirm Noriega’s report. Nonetheless, important questions are raised regarding the openness or lack thereof of Venezuela’s nuclear program.

    Moreover, I am emphasizing here more than anything the commitment of Venezuela to the Latin American nuclear weapons free zone. It is important for the countries of the region, from a nonproliferation framework perspective, that the integrity of this and identical NWFZs across the southern hemisphere be maintained, as such agreements do serve to strengthen the global nonproliferation regime.

    Finally, to be clear, I am neither a right-wing Chávez-basher nor tendentious to nuclear favoritism. I believe in the benefits of universal disarmament and the principles of the global nonproliferation regime, and I did not intend to convey the impression that I am engaging in fear-mongering or propagandizing. I hope this comment provides some much-needed clarification.

    Thanks for reading.

    Rizwan Ladha's avatar Comment by Rizwan Ladha | October 10, 2010 | Reply

    • Thanks, Rizwan Ladha, for your balnaced reply.
      To aletho, I can only say that I don’t quite get your perspective, in your criticisms of this website.
      Do you expect us to oppose all nuclear facilities except Venezuela’s or something like that?
      Sorry, but we view the entire nuclear industry as a dangerous blot on the whole planet. We’re not prepared to make exceptions in order to look politically correct.
      As for supporting Obama – well, we can’t really – but my thought is that someone with intelligence is better to deal with than people of obvious ignorance, such as the Tea Party crowd.

      Christina Macpherson's avatar Comment by Christina MacPherson | October 11, 2010 | Reply

      • Well Christina, I will judge you accordingly.

        Again, Shame on you. Even the author admits that these outrageous allegations that he has disseminated are “yet to be confirmed”.

        You can’t restrain yourself from participating in what is obviously war-mongering. Good riddance.

        aletho's avatar Comment by aletho | October 11, 2010

  4. Rizwan,

    How could you possibly be so oblivious to the consequences of your irresponsibility???

    It is as though you never heard of the forged Niger Yellow cake ‘documents’. It is as though the name Judith Miller draws a blank for you. Ditto the aluminum tubes propaganda and the ‘mobile bio-weapons labs’.

    Addressing your concerns about NPT and NWFZs I can simply re-state the obvious; focus on the US violation of its disarmament obligations. Why not advance the viability of NWFZs by challenging the US threats to use WMDs against NPT nations without nuclear deterrent capability (such as Iran).

    The US is now widely seen as destroying the NPT and the NWFZs by interjecting its own WMD threats into these regions.

    Your article is the height of hypocrisy and founded on supremacist perspective.

    Butt out of Latin America.

    aletho's avatar Comment by aletho | October 10, 2010 | Reply


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