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Last update - 16:27 28/08/2008
Report: West fears Hezbollah setting up cells in Venezuela
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent, Haaretz Service, and Agencies
Tags: Venezuela, Hezbollah, Iran 

The budding strategic partnership between Venezuela and Iran has prompted fears from Western governments that Hezbollah is establishing a growing number of operational cells in the South American country, the Los Angeles Times reported on its Web site on Thursday.

The Lebanon-based Shi'ite organization is believed to be one of a number of anti-Western terrorist and non-state actors that have moved "people and things" into South America, an anti-terrorism expert told the Times.

Officials in the Bush administration and Jerusalem have expressed concern that Hezbollah is taking advantage of the close relationship between its Iranian patrons and Venezuela's anti-American president, Hugo Chavez, the LA Times said.
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Iran is long believed to have undertaken covert activity in South America in concert with Hezbollah. The LA Times reported that the U.S. State Department believes Iranian operatives were behind two terrorist attacks in Buenos Aires - the 1992 bombing of the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires and the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center building. Both attacks killed dozens of civilians and wounded scores more.

New intelligence on Hezbollah's intentions to abduct Israelis abroad prompted the government's counterterrorism unit last week to issue a warning to travelers, who were advised to take special precautions.

In its warning last Wednesday, the Prime Minister's Office Counterterrorism Bureau explained that intelligence reports suggested Hezbollah is planning abductions as its revenge for the assassination of Imad Mughniyeh, the militia's operations chief, who was killed in a Damascus car bombing in February.

Israel has denied any involvement in the bombing. But the Sunday Times in London quoted "informed Israeli sources" that the Mossad spy agency carried out the car bombing that killed Mughniyeh.

Hezbollah has vowed to avenge Mughniyeh's death by attacking Israel or Israelis abroad. The travel advisory was a general warning, applicable to the entire world, not any specific travel destinations. According to people within the intelligence community, Israel does possess specific information regarding the location where Hezbollah plans to attack. But the Counterterrorism Bureau's warning says it applies to all countries.

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      1.   Try cities in the limits, they are in Ciudad del Este, Paraguay 14:24  |  Alain 28/08/08
      2.   the web of terror 14:38  |  K 28/08/08
      3.   why fear 14:53  |  Imad Ataoui 28/08/08
      4.   Sooner or later the US will have to face Iran 15:01  |  ottomatik 28/08/08
      5.   Actually, did the West lost its bearings? 15:09  |  Ben Afriat 28/08/08
      6.   Chavez and Nasarallah 15:09  |  Avrum 28/08/08
      7.   No need to worry 15:10  |  Arie 28/08/08
      8.   Western governments? 15:22  |  Paulo 28/08/08
      9.   Hezbollah in my basement 15:30  |  Jim Holstun 28/08/08
      10.   Hezbollah, Chavez and Venezuela 15:35  |  Ephraim 28/08/08
      11.   #2..Is Montreal full of Mosques? 15:56  |  Edithann, USA 28/08/08
      12.   The "Sunday Times" and its articles. 16:11  |  Stephen 28/08/08
      13.   Propaganda to justify an attack on Venezuela 16:46  |  Latin American 28/08/08
      14.   The biggest mosque in the western world is in Buenos Aires 16:50  |  observer 28/08/08
      15.   Hezbollah Cells 16:54  |  allen 28/08/08
      16.   Ephraim - What? Forced conversion in Latin America? 17:26  |  WHA? 28/08/08
      17.   Maybe I need to rethink this thing 17:29  |  Bitin Dawgt 28/08/08
      18.   mosque 17:47  |  a 28/08/08
      19.   Gas 17:50  |  A 28/08/08
      20.   observer - actually the biggest one is being built in the UK 17:55  |  American 28/08/08
      21.   #10 Ephraim...not to worry 18:06  |  Lynn 28/08/08
      22.   easy solution 18:20  |  dave 28/08/08
      23.   That`s Obama`s problem. 18:30  |  S 28/08/08
      24.   To Bitin Dawgt 18:39  |  Fred 28/08/08
      25.   #13, Latin America...funny stuff! 18:44  |  DR 28/08/08
      26.   LA on Iraq 18:49  |  zengeos 28/08/08
      27.   #24 19:10  |  RepublicanStones 28/08/08
      28.   #24 and your values 19:21  |  White Russian 28/08/08
      29.   latin american,the us doesn`t need this propaganda to justify an 19:27  |  terrornator 28/08/08
      30.   Latin American 19:32  |  David Israel 28/08/08
      31.   Why so afraid? What you did? 20:29  |  Redwan 28/08/08
      32.   David Israel - 21:01  |  Latin American 28/08/08
      33.   DR - What proof do you have? 21:05  |  Latin American 28/08/08
      34.   Iran Is Just A Tiny Little Country! 22:35  |  C.A. Fulghum 28/08/08
      35.   American 20 (yeah right) 23:41  |  ChanahS 28/08/08
      36.   "West fears..." what West? 23:47  |  Maureen Ann 28/08/08
      37.   Support for Islamiist terror from the left is nothing new 00:34  |  PETER SM 29/08/08
      38.   The Crime Syndicate and its junior partner in crime are jumping 03:40  |  lakshmi 29/08/08
      39.   PULLING PLUG ON TEHRAN`S MULLAHS = NO MORE HEZBOLLAH SUPPORT 03:47  |  David P 29/08/08
      40.   AMERICAN Speaking for yourself and neo nazis 04:40  |  PETER SM 29/08/08
      41.   Hezbollah 07:19  |  Victor` 29/08/08
      42.   SAMPSON OPTION 07:51  |  MICK 29/08/08
      43.   Hezbollah 09:07  |  mark 29/08/08
      44.   It turns out there are at least two Jonah Goldbergs, then 14:28  |  Pssd Off American 29/08/08
      45.   laksmi#38 - We from Latin America are against an terrorist gang 17:00  |  JP 29/08/08
      46.   venezuela will to up in smoke. 17:33  |  frenz 29/08/08
      47.   Tell me another 17:33  |  Gordon 29/08/08
      48.   To #14 observor 17:39  |  Gordon 29/08/08
      49.   PETER SM - What are you talking about? 17:46  |  American 29/08/08
      50.   ChanahS - I agree 17:49  |  American 29/08/08
      51.   Venezuela could be considered a target 19:39  |  JP 29/08/08
      52.   Brazil is on the sight for Iranian movement and more 21:27  |  JP 29/08/08
      53.   Brazil`s Frigate Greenhalgh dispatched to participate in US War G 21:28  |  JP 29/08/08
      54.   Not only Venezuela: Ecuador, Cuba, Nicaragua, Bolivia too. 06:28  |  Amundsen 01/09/08
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