Accession Number:

ADA556758

Title:

Iran and Latin America: Strategic Security Issues

Descriptive Note:

Research paper

Corporate Author:

DEFENSE THREAT REDUCTION AGENCY FORT BELVOIR VA ADVANCED SYSTEMS AND CONCEPTS OFFICE

Personal Author(s):

• Farah, Doug

Report Date:

2011-05-01

Pagination or Media Count:

23.0

Abstract:

Under the Statement of Work for the Iran and Latin America Strategic Security Issues, IASC was tasked with looking at the reality, potential and probabilities for WMD --including weapons, materiel or precursors- development andor smuggling of WMD into and through Latin America. The task included looking at nation-states, non-state and transnational actors or third party nations, particularly Iran. IASC was asked to use primarily open source reporting, based on field trips to the region, but to also consider classified sources. Because the project ran for just half the time it was originally scheduled to, there are significant unanswered questions which will be outlined at the end of this document. This final report brings together the major findings from that field research and provides some overarching conclusions that can be drawn from those findings. The information was obtained through on the ground research and interviews with individuals in Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Bolivia and the United States open source literature review the acquisition and exploitation of grey literature the study of relevant websites the review of numerous unpublished and published studies in Latin America on topics of interest and a review of classified U.S. Government reports and cables. IASCs initial findings show multiple, little-explored areas potentially useful for the movement and production of WMD in which Iran is seeking to consolidate its relationships with governments of the Bolivarian Revolution, meaning Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia and Nicaragua. There is relatively little in the classified literature on this area in general, and what reporting exists is fragmented and piecemeal, with few attempts to connect the dots of activities across different countries, particularly actions by Iran and Venezuela, but also including actions of Cuba and Syria in the region. This project was a first step in filling this significant gap.

Descriptors:

• *IDEOLOGY
• *INTERNATIONAL POLITICS
• *IRAN
• *LATIN AMERICA
• DRUG SMUGGLING
• ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
• ECONOMIC SANCTIONS
• HOMELAND SECURITY
• NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION
• TERRORISTS
• THREAT EVALUATION

Subject Categories:

• Government and Political Science
• Civil Defense

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE