Nuclear Missiles in Venezuela?

This sounds like something that belongs in some conspiracy forum but the article is from a conservative German newspaper that has been in existence since the Second World War. I have translated the article using Google translate so if it doesn't make sense blame Google or my High School for not offering German as a foreign language

Iran plant Bau einer Raketenstellung in Venezuela
Iran plans to build a missile base in Venezuela

Both countries strengthen their relationship - at all levels. Ein Geheimvertrag sieht auch gemeinsame Boden-Boden-Raketen vor. A secret agreement also provides for common ground-ground missiles.

Iran wants on Venezuelan soil as a basis for medium-range missiles up and deepen the strategic cooperation with the regime of Hugo Chávez.  "World Online" learned from Western security sources, an agreement between the two countries during the last visit of the Venezuelan president in Tehran in October. The previously undisclosed contract provides for the establishment of a jointly operated military base in Venezuela and the joint development of ground-ground missiles.

The agreement follows a recommendation of the Supreme Security Council of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Ali Khamenei, religious leader a few months ago.  According to information of this newspaper, the Security Council had proposed a joint military facility on Venezuelan soil to increase the deterrent power of Iran against the West.  The cooperation would be a way for Iran, a strategic base in the South American continent to build - in the backyard of the United States.

Venezuela has agreed in the agreement, to allow Iran to establish a military base, which should be manned by Iranian missile officers, soldiers of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and Venezuelan missile officers. The base is mainly as a storage location for strategic Iranian weapons serve. In addition, Iran has given permission to be allowed in case of emergency missile shoot down of mobile bases. In return, it says in the agreement that Venezuela can use the basis for "national needs". This would increase the threat to neighbors like Colombia. Iran also pledged to help Venezuela to expertise in rocket technology, such as intensive training of officers.

Also planned is the development of a common ground-to-surface missile, based on the extensive experience of the Iranians. The agreement also provides for Iranian Shahab 3 (range 1300-1500 km), Scud-B missile (285-330 kilometers) and Scud-C missiles (300, 500 and 700 km) on the new base to relocate, and four mobile launchers.

Both sides want the end of 2011 but start building the infrastructure of the military establishment. The intensive training of Venezuelan officers to be held in the coming months in Tehran's Sharif University. There will be notified of the Venezuelan LNG drives rocket engines, navigation systems and on the analysis of missile performance.

Washington is monitoring these developments with growing distrust. Ever since he was nine times there - only three times in the past year and a half. Ahmadinedschad wiederum besuchte Venezuela vier Mal offiziell. Ahmadinejad visited Venezuela in turn four times officially. Several hundred cooperation agreements have been signed since then, including 250 in September and another 70 in October.  Between the two countries are developed close contacts at all levels, that one can confidently speak of an "axis of Caracas-Tehran.

Chavez has long been one of the main pillars for the Iranian nuclear program. He defended strongly and castigated the international word for sanctions against Iran. In September he gave for the first time publicly that his country had "preliminary studies" undertaken to establish its own nuclear program, which was to serve "exclusively peaceful goals." The close cooperation with Tehran, he did not deny it. Anyway is against Western intelligence agencies detailed evidence.

However, it came like a bomb, as Roger Noriega early October in the journal "Foreign Policy" some of them summarized in a paper to a wider public. In the paper, "Chávez's Secret Nuclear Program," said former Republican Vice-Foreign Minister and current adviser working at the conservative think tank American Enterprise Institute, Chávez for two years on systematically building its own nuclear program.

Basis is the secret agreement signed in November 2008 on scientific and technological cooperation with Tehran.  This is helping Iran to circumvent international sanctions and to get uranium. Facts on Empire shows Noriega, as Chávez understands disguise these preparations sent. So it is no secret that Venezuela has in the state of Bolivar, one of the largest uranium deposits in the world.  Iran is just now there is active, said in a gold mine. Since then, the air space around the unit is locked widely for civil aviation. In addition, a special unit was stationed there again in February this year, transport helicopters, Mi-17V-5 - equipped with rockets and machine guns.

 

Control are also deprived of any direct flights between the two countries. You can not book it, takeoffs and landings take place on a military part of the airport Caracas.  Is Venezuela for Tehran to become major suppliers of uranium? There are already a jointly operated shipping transport company, will provide Venezuela with the alleged oil to Europe. The complete management of the Venezuelan ports is also in the hands of Cuban security forces as that of the airports. Cuba provided military personnel with Chavez - he trusts his own armed forces since the failed coup attempt no more in 2002.

Recently, the first Venezuelan-Iranian Energy Committee met for the eighth time to discuss an even closer cooperation. Supposedly, the bilateral trade volume between the two countries has reached five billion dollars. Iran has built companies in Venezuela for the production of such diverse products such as milk, bicycles, cement or tractors. However, should the past year have left only six machines, the tractor factory, cement production is a significant neither.

Is this deal to front companies to the sanctions and to launder money?  has taken a long time there is a joint Venezuelan-Iranian Bank, chaired the recently retired head of Central Bank Tahmasb Mazaheri. The controversial Iranian Saderat Bank of Iran is active in Venezuela. Noriega notes that the Inter-American Development Bank is concerned with the financial settlement of Iranian businesses in Venezuela - a violation of UN resolutions. This should also be in Berlin set off alarm bells, Germany is finally associate since 1979 Member of the Institute, the largest multilateral donor to Latin America and the Caribbean.

The Venezuelan-Iranian friendship can be the last of arms purchases by Chavez in Russia in a new light.  In September, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev halted because of UN sanctions, Tehran agreed with the 2007 sale of S-300 air defense missiles. Venezuela has bought Russian weapons since 2005, worth some five billion dollars, including 24 Sukhoi Su-30 fighter planes, 50 combat helicopters and 100,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles.

Last month, Chavez has forced the Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA to sell its 50 percent stake in Germany's Ruhr Oel - to the Russian oil group Rosneft, said to significantly lower price. He has also signed an agreement with Moscow on the construction of a Venezuelan nuclear power plant.

The Americans can not the unholy alliance between Tehran and Caracas indifferent. Iranian missiles at a Venezuelan military base that could meet the medium term, the United States may awaken memories of the Cuban missile crisis of 1962.