Chavez turns to Iran on military, uranium
Chavez turns to Iran on military, uranium
By Rowan Scarborough
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
April 10, 2006
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is seeking to deepen ties with Iran, with discussions on holding joint military exercises and obtaining uranium, according to Bush administration officials.
Hamas also is talking to Caracas about sending representatives to Venezuela to raise money for the militant group's newly elected Palestinian government.
But relations with another ally, Russia, have soured over a deal in which Moscow is selling 100,000 AK-47s to Venezuela. The South American country was counting on receiving new rifles, but Russia has shipped a number of refurbished models, prompting Caracas to halt the deal, the U.S. sources said.
Mr. Chavez's continuing efforts to cozy up to Iran are of increasing concern inside the Pentagon and State Department.
balance of Washington Times article
This partly answers the question why it is not okay for Iran to have nuclear technology and enriched uranium. You get fruitcake dictators allying with each other, allowing nuclear proliferation to spread like a disease.
Venezuela is the fourth largest crude oil supplier to the US, surpassed by Canada, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia. Search on [US oil suppliers] and look for a recently compiled listing. I think this would signal that it is time to replace Venezuela as a major supplier.