bacana você ler...o que nardin tem a dizer
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Bacana busca o jeito bacana de ser.
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02 setembro 2002
Artigo do Washington Times
>>----------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>BLOCKING A NEW AXIS OF EVIL
>>
>>Constantine C. Menges
>>-----------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>A new terrorist and nuclear weapons/ballistic missile threat
>>may well come from an axis including Cuba's Fidel Castro,
>>the Chavez regime in Venezuela and a newly elected radical
>>president of Brazil, all with links to Iraq, Iran and China.
>>Visiting Iran last year. Mr. Castro said: "Iran and Cuba can
>>bring America to its knees," while Chavez expressed his
>>admiration for Saddam Hussein during a visit to Iraq.
>>
>>The new axis is still preventable, but if the pro-Castro
>>candidate is elected president of Brazil, the results could
>>include a radical regime in Brazil re-establishing its
>>nuclear weapon and ballistic missile programs, developing
>>close links to state sponsors of terrorism such as Cuba,
>>Iraq and Iran, and participating in the destabilization of
>>fragile neighboring democracies. This could lead to 300
>>million people in six countries coming under the control of
>>radical anti-U.S. regimes and the possibility that thousands
>>of newly indoctrinated terrorists might try to attack the
>>United States from Latin America. Yet, the administration in
>>Washington seems to be paying little attention.
>>
>> Brazilians will hold presidential elections in October, and
>>if current polling is any guide the winner could be a
>>pro-Castro radical with extensive ties to international
>>terrorism. His name is Luis Inacio da Silva, the
>>presidential candidate of the Workers Party who is currently
>>at about 40 percent in the polls. The Communist candidate is
>>second with 25 percent and the pro-democratic contender is
>>at about 14 percent.
>>
>>Mr. da Silva makes no secret of his sympathies. He has been
>>an ally of Mr. Castro for more than 25 years. With Mr.
>>Castro's support, Mr.da Silva founded the Sao Paulo Forum in
>>1990 as an annual meeting of communist and other radical
>>terrorist and political organizations from Latin America,
>>Europe and the Middle East. This has been used to coordinate
>>and plan terrorist and political activities around the world
>>and against the United States. The last meeting was held in
>>Havana, Cuba in December 2001. It involved terrorists from
>>Latin America, Europe and the Middle East, and sharply
>>condemned the Bush administration and its actions against
>>international terrorism.
>>
>> Like Mr. Castro, Mr. da Silva blames the United States and
>>"neo-liberalism" for all the real social and economic
>>problems still facing Brazil and Latin America. Mr. Da Silva
>>has called the Free Trade Area of the Americas a plot by the
>>United States to "annex" Brazil, and he has said that the
>>international lenders who seek repayment of their $250
>>billion in loans are "economic terrorists." He has also said
>>that those who are moving their money out of Brazil because
>>they fear his regime are "economic terrorists." This gives a
>>hint about the kind of "war against terrorism" his regime
>>will conduct.
>>
>>Brazil is a vast, richly endowed country, nearly the size of
>>the United States with a population of about 180 million and
>>the world's eighth largest economy (with a GDP of more than
>>$1.1 trillion). It could soon become one of the world's
>>nuclear armed powers as well. Between 1965 and 1994, the
>>military actively worked to develop nuclear weapons, it
>>successfully designed two atomic bombs and was reportedly on
>>the verge of testing one nuclear device when a newly elected
>>democratic government and a Brazilian congressional
>>investigation caused the program to be shut down.
>>
>>That investigation revealed, however, that the military had
>>sold eight tons of uranium to Iraq in 1981. It is also
>>reported that after Brazil's successful ballistic missile
>>program was ended, the general and 24 of the scientists
>>working on it went to work for Iraq. There are reports that
>>with financing from Iraq, a nuclear weapons capability has
>>been covertly maintained contrary to directives from the
>>civilian democratic leaders.
>>
>>Mr. da Silva has said Brazil should have nuclear weapons and
>>move closer to China, which has been actively courting the
>>Brazilian military. China has sold Brazil enriched uranium
>>and has invested in the Brazilian aerospace industry,
>>resulting in a joint imagery/reconnaissance satellite.
>>
>>Brazil shares common borders with 10 other countries in
>>South America. This would help da Silva to emulate � as he
>>has said he would � the foreign policy of the pro-Castro and
>>pro-Iraq Chavez regime in Venezuela, which has provided
>>support to the communist narco-terrorist FARC in Colombia as
>>well as other anti-democratic groups in other South American
>>countries. Hugo Chavez worked with Mr. Castro to temporarily
>>destabilize the fragile democracy in Ecuador two years ago.
>>Now both support the radical socialist leader of the cocaine
>>growers, Evo Morales, who hopes to become president of
>>Bolivia this August.
>>
>>Along with helping the communist guerrillas take power in
>>the embattled democracy in Colombia, a da Silva regime in
>>Brazil would be well situated to aide communists,
>>narco-terrorists and other anti-democratic groups in
>>destabilizing the fragile democracies of Bolivia, Ecuador
>>and Peru, as well as to exploit the deep economic crisis in
>>Argentina and Paraguay.
>>
>>Further, a da Silva regime is likely to default on its debt,
>>causing a sharp economic downturn in all of Latin America,
>>thereby increasing the vulnerability of its democracies.
>>This could also trigger a second phase of economic downturn
>>in the United Staes as export markets contracted.
>>
>>A Castro-Chavez-da Silva axis would mean linking 43 years of
>>Fidel Castro's political warfare against the United States
>>with the oil wealth of Venezuela and the nuclear weapons/
>>ballistic missile and economic potential of Brazil.
>>
>>Come our own elections in November 2004, Americans may ask:
>>Who lost South America? The United States was politically
>>passive during the Clinton administration, when it ignored
>>the pleas of Venezuela's democratic leaders for help in
>>opposing the anti-constitutional and illegal actions of Mr.
>>Chavez and also ignored his public alliances with state
>>sponsors of terrorism. Why can't the Bush administration act
>>before 20 years of democratic gains in Latin America were
>>allowed to be reversed? Why can't anything be done before a
>>vast new southern flank is opened up in the terrorist threat
>>and our nation menaced by one more radical anti-American
>>regime intent on acquiring nuclear weapons and ballistic
>>missiles?
>>
>>This disaster for U.S. national security and for the people
>>of Latin America must and can be averted if our policy
>>makers act quickly and decisively, but they must do so now.
>>Timely political attention and actions by the United States
>>and other democracies should include encouragement for the
>>pro-democratic parties in Brazil to unify behind an honest,
>>capable political leader who can represent the hopes of the
>>majority of Brazilians for genuine democracy and who has the
>>resources to mount an effective national campaign.
>>
>>
>>
>>Constantine C. Menges, a senior fellow with the Hudson
>>Institute, is a former National Security Council member.
>>
>>
>>-----------------------------------------------------------
>>This article was mailed from The Washington Times
>>(http://www.washtimes.com/commentary/20020807-85262452.htm)
>>For more great articles, visit us at
>>http://www.washtimes.com
>>
>>Copyright (c) 2002 News World Communications, Inc. All
>>rights reserved.
>>
>
18:51
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