Small item today in Amy's headlines: Gates Warns of Iran Role in Latin America

Gates Warns of Iran Role in Latin America

Defense Secretary Robert Gates is warning of what he calls Iran’s “subversive activity” in Latin America. Gates spoke Tuesday before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates: ”I’m concerned about the level of, frankly, subversive activity that the Iranians are carrying on in a number of places, in Latin America, particularly South America and Central America. They’re opening a lot of offices and a lot of fronts, behind which they interfere in what is going on in some of these countries. To be honest, I’m more concerned about Iranian meddling in the region than I am the Russians.”

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Left-wing governments in Venezuela, Cuba, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Bolivia have all become allies of Iran in recent years, and other Latin American countries have diplomatic ties with the Islamic republic.

The United States is at loggerheads with Iran on a range of issues, above all Tehran's nuclear programme.

Iran says it only wants to generate power while the Washington and its allies accuse Tehran of trying to build a nuclear bomb, and former President George W. Bush branded Iran part of an "axis of evil".

President Barack Obama has promised dialogue with Tehran but Secretary of State Hillary Clinton suggested on Tuesday it may be up to the Iranians to make the first move.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/22/20090127/tpl-uk-usa-iran-latinamerica-sb-19346ad.html

Maybe he should take the time to inform people of all the countries Iran has invaded in the last century, or governments overthrown and replaced with puppet dictators. That should be instructional.

For once, he had a look on his face of visceral dislike instead of his usual studied calm. I couldn't figure out who it was for, though, Venezuela or Iran. Something is going on there, imho.