Iran, Venezuela In “Axis Of Unity” Against U.S.
By Parisa Hafezi
Monday, July 2
ASSALOUYEH, Iran (Reuters) - The presidents of Iran and Venezuela launched construction of a joint petrochemical plant on Monday, strengthening an “axis of unity” between two oil-rich nations staunchly opposed to the United States.
Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez and Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who both often rail against Washington, also signed a series of other deals to expand economic cooperation, ranging from setting up a dairy factory in Venezuela to forming an oil company.
“The two countries will united defeat the imperialism of North America,” a beaming Chavez told a news conference during an official visit to the Islamic Republic, which the United States has labelled part of an “axis of evil”.
“When I come to Iran Washington gets upset,” he said.
The two presidents — whose countries are members of the OPEC oil producing cartel — earlier attended the ceremony to start building a methanol facility with an annual capacity of 1.65 million tonnes on the Islamic Republic’s Gulf coast.
“Iran and Venezuela — the axis of unity,” read one of many official posters at the site near the port town of Assalouyeh, showing the two leaders hugging each other and shaking hands.
Ahmadinejad — who came to power two years ago pledging to revive the values of the 1979 Islamic revolution — hailed the event as a step towards boosting “brotherly” ties of the two “revolutionary” nations. Iran is embroiled in a worsening nuclear standoff with Western powers.
WESTERN “BARBARIANS”
Chavez, who last week pushed two U.S. oil giants out of his country as part of his self-styled socialist revolution, said: “This is the unity of the Persian Gulf and the Caribbean Sea.”
Iranian officials said a second methanol plant would be set up in Venezuela. Each would cost about $650 million to $700 million and take four years to complete. Methanol is an alcohol which can be used as a solvent or an element in fuel.
That would help Iran to access the Latin American market, while Venezuela would get closer to buyers in India and Pakistan.
Chavez, who wants to forge an alliance of leftist states to counter U.S. policies, arrived in Tehran on Saturday after visiting Russia and Belarus.
In comments certain to please his hosts, who have often called on the United States to leave Iraq, Chavez branded those invading Iran’s neighbour as “barbarians”, drawing parallels with the European colonisation of Latin America centuries ago.
“Those who try to convince the world that in Iran there are a bunch of barbarians are barbarians themselves.”
Iran’s hardline Kayhan daily said the two countries were riding on a “global anti-imperialism wave.”
But both also face economic challenges.
Iran sits atop the world’s second-largest oil and gas reserves, but U.S.-led efforts to isolate it over its nuclear ambitions are hurting investment in the sector, analysts say.
The Islamic state rejects accusations it is seeking to build atom bombs, saying it only aims to generate electricity.
Chavez last week forced U.S. oil majors from Venezuela, seizing oilfields from Exxon Mobil and ConocoPhillips.
But economists caution his social spending, mainly paid for by state oil company PDVSA, could run into trouble as Venezuela battles to maintain oil output after the exit of the majors. The opposition complain his anti-Americanism scares off investors.
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Look, Laurel and Hardy!
July 2nd, 2007 at 1:05 pmIs that obey-won-kanobe with mookie?
July 2nd, 2007 at 1:05 pmTalking out of the left-side of my mouth: There is not, and never has been, and never would be, any sort of connection between Venezuela and Iran.
That will be all …
July 2nd, 2007 at 1:16 pmI personally like the moniker “Dumb and Dumber” but which one is which? I can only hope they “revolutionize” themselves to death.
July 2nd, 2007 at 1:28 pm[…] Iran, Venezuela In “Axis Of Unity” Against U.S. July 2nd, 2007 — budsimmons Iran, Venezuela In “Axis Of Unity” Against U.S. […]
July 2nd, 2007 at 1:30 pmAnyone interested (diff subject) Michael Yon is on the radio talking about his story right now. Go to hannity.com to listen.
July 2nd, 2007 at 1:40 pmI think Chavez will one day regret his decision to buddy up with Ahmadinajad. Will we see Venezuela becomes a part of the Islamic Umma. If Iran has its way it will. Poor blind Chavez…The Islamic Republic of Venezuela may not be too far off in the future.
July 2nd, 2007 at 1:53 pmHmmmm….I was thinking Boris Badanov and his sidekick Natasha. It still begs the question, though: which is which???
July 2nd, 2007 at 1:56 pmpoor blind Chavez? you been hanging out with Danny Glover?
July 2nd, 2007 at 2:07 pmI wonder if they looked into each other’s souls? Did they need flashlights?
July 2nd, 2007 at 2:36 pmIronic thing about it, these two probably communicate with one another in ENGLISH!
July 2nd, 2007 at 4:09 pmchavez doesnt realize it but many of the iranians he salutes actually hate his guts as much as they do their stupid dictator. Im glad he kicked american oil companies out. quite frankly i hope he continues to arm himself up and pisses off america to the point of war. their close proximity will be easy enough for us to create a 51st state in no time. perhaps we can take cuba along with them in the process.
chavez and imanutjob have one thing in common, they allow international disputes that they have caused to distract them from their failed duties at home and they are slowly building up walls within their own country.
likely the cia has and will continue to foment dissent and fund dissenters.
Chavez will only succeed in bringing more strife to his country than ever and incidentally the poverty in his country he seeks to eradicate will only worsen as investors continue to pull out of venezuela. stupid sap!
July 2nd, 2007 at 4:27 pmWhy is no one in the MSM asking Jimmy Carter if he’s proud of his two ’sons’? After all, he DID facilitate both of those wads’ rise to power, didn’t he? He ‘certified’ the “fair” election of Chavez and he single-handedly saw to the success of the Iranian Revolution against the shah. That first part was a rhetorical question.
July 3rd, 2007 at 6:38 pmHeHe and HeHeHe!
July 4th, 2007 at 6:57 amThese 2 can blow me
July 26th, 2007 at 7:47 amHell, if I were chavez and I had to deal with the idiot-Bush as much as he has, I would have done the same thing!!! You go Chavez!!!
October 25th, 2007 at 11:55 pm