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Why Iran Covets Brazil

(Weekly Standard) - Ilan Berman - High on Ahmadinejad's priority list is reinvigorating the once-robust ties between Tehran and Brasilia. For Iran, Brazil is a potential economic lifeline in the face of mounting international pressure. Brazil's new President Dilma Rousseff has made a point of distancing Brazil from Iran since taking office in January 2011, citing Iran's troubling human rights record. Trade ties between the two countries are still active. Indeed, Brazil represents Iran's largest trading partner in the region. Iran is also solidifying its presence in Brazil by other means. For instance, along with its terrorist proxy Hizbullah, which maintains a significant presence in the tri-border region where Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina intersect, Iran is involved in various activities, like drug smuggling and money laundering.
2012-06-22 00:00:00
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