Treasury Dep’t: Chavez’s government is funding and assisting Hezbollah
Bombshell in the Wash Times:
The Bush administration is accusing the government of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez of providing cash and refuge to the militant Islamist group Hezbollah of southern Lebanon.
An investigation by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) names Venezuelan diplomat Ghazi Nasr al Din and Venezuelan-Arab businessman Fawzi Kanan as key links between the two.
“It is extremely troubling to see the government of Venezuela employing and providing safe harbor for Hezbollah facilitators and fundraisers,” said Adam Szubin, political affairs director of OFAC.
Cautionary note: there’s a difference in saying members of Chavez’s government are helping terrorists, and that Chavez himself is. There’s no evidence of the latter, and (for what it’s worth) he denies it. On the other hand, he has to know what’s up, and he just promoted Ghazi Nasr al Din to a new position where he continues his Hezbollah liaison.
Here’s the OFAC report–it’s been out there since June 18th. Excerpt:
Ghazi Nasr al Din is a Venezuela-based Hizballah supporter who has utilized his position as a Venezuelan diplomat and the president of a Caracas-based Shi’a Islamic Center to provide financial support to Hizballah. Nasr al Din served until recently as Charge d’ Affaires at the Venezuelan Embassy in Damascus, Syria, and was subsequently appointed the Director of Political Aspects at the Venezuelan Embassy in Lebanon.
Nasr al Din has counseled Hizballah donors on fundraising efforts and has provided donors with specific information on bank accounts where the donors’ deposits would go directly to Hizballah.
Ghazi Nasr al Din has met with senior Hizballah officials in Lebanon to discuss operational issues, as well as facilitated the travel of Hizballah members to and from Venezuela. In late January 2006, Nasr al Din facilitated the travel of two Hizballah representatives to the Lebanese Parliament to Caracas to solicit donations for Hizballah and to announce the opening of a Hizballah-sponsored community center and office in Venezuela. The previous year, Nasr al Din arranged the travel of Hizballah members to attend a training course in Iran.
Here’s the other guy, who’s not a government employee but who’s sending money and helping with operations and travel (he runs two travel agencies):
Fawzi Kan’an is a Venezuela-based Hizballah supporter and a significant provider of financial support to Hizballah. Kan’an has facilitated travel for Hizballah members and sent money raised in Venezuela to Hizballah officials in Lebanon.
Kan’an has met with senior Hizballah officials in Lebanon to discuss operational issues, including possible kidnappings and terrorist attacks. Further, Kan’an has also traveled with other Hizballah members to Iran for training.
If you still buy your gas at Chavez-owned CITGO, may I ask why?
Big Hezbollah fan, are you?
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MORE: Chavez’s army is apparently getting tired of dealing with his issues.
I agree with DPUD: it’s time for a little tough love, Generals. You may need to stage an intervention.
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{Post by See-Dubya}
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Trackbacks
- Treasury Dep’t: Chavez’s government is funding and assisting Hezbollah « Thoughts Of A Conservative Christian
- Chavez Orders New Army Salute: “Fatherland, Socialism or Death” « The Political Page
- U.S. Treasury Department: Chavez Providing Funds to Hezbollah : Stop The ACLU
- Chavez and Hezbollah? « Harry Rock
- The Rude News » Blog Archive » Don’t Buy CITGO Gas!
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Chavez is too stupid to realize that funding hezbollah won’t him make less of an infadel. Islamic wackos have no loyalty! This will come back to bit him.
I haven’t bought gas at citgo since this little worm was at the UN and made the comments about President Bush. This does not surprise me one bit.
L
I don’t buy gas at citgo, though there are plenty of stations around. The only time I would buy their gas is if I’m on fumes, coasting into one of their stations. Then, I’d buy only enough to get me to the next non-citgo station. I realize that the owners are probably Americans, but I hope that if enough people don’t buy, they may switch, like one station did a couple of years ago….citgo to Texaco.
Dictators are supposed to have a firm grip on everything. If money is going to support a terrorist organization, he knows and approves.
I’m not buying his denial.
Not suprised.
We need to cross reference Chavez’s friends with Obama’s…just to see which ones have been thrown under the bus. Twice.
Considering Hugo’s close ties with FARC I would not doubt this little tin pan dictator is reaching out to Hezbollah too. After all he has been pretty buddy-buddy with Iran’s figure head leader Aminthemoodforjihad in the past.
Just for those who have them in their area, Kangaroo Stations and Golden Gallon stations are also under the same umbrella as Citgo.
I wouldnt doubt for a second that Chavez is funding terrorist. Not in the least.
Dictators and terrorists are a lot alike. The former achieves their desired outcomes in the open while the latter are more covert in their methods. Actually, they’re not that different.
I wish I could say that this information is a surprise but I can’t.
Nope. Not a drop of my fuel is purchased at Venezuelen government operated station (i.e. Hugo Chavez).
Why worry about some third world thug, when our own State Department allows so many Satan worshipers in Hizbollah, and Hamas into our country?
What, you are not aware they worship Satan, or that they are inside our country?
Carter approves this support, in my opinion. If Carter approves, you know it’s evil.
Pay back to Iran for driving up oil prices by renting and idling VLCCs. It’s as much a transport shortage as it is a crude shortage. Iran has 11 VLCCs sitting off the beach of Iran full, just idling around. Since they sit and don’t deliver, the shortage shows up as ability to transport, not crude oil. That way everyone can say “we pump all that is needed… Just no way to get the oil to market.
Energy independence, it’s right under your feet. Coal to liquids technology, developed in the 1920s becomes profitable when crude oil costs more than $40. Sasol says they can do it for #30 equivalent. why don’t we give it a try, the USA has about 30% of the world’s coal.
tarpon, re: “Energy independence, it’s right under your feet. Coal to liquids technology,…”
Sounds, good to me. I heard on the radio the other day (Bob Grant or Mark Levin?, can’t remember…) that Hitler’s armies were able to do what they did using this technology, & the technology is even better today.
Isn’t Valero also a Hugo enterprise? Lots of these stations in the Austin area.
No, Valero’s okay.
Bottom line, we need to secure the border. From Gangs to drugs the illegals are taking over our cities.
Hezbollah kidnapped and executed a very good friend of my family in 1988. This incident laid down a lot of hurt on many of my loved ones. Hezbollah even videotaped it for all the world to see.
I would like to see every last member of Hezbollah, and their supporters, die a slow and very painful death. I can honestly say that it would give me sense of quiet satisfaction.
If Hugo Chavez is indeed supporting them, I would like to see him drop too. Slow or quick…either way.
BrianNY I agree the murder of Lt Col Higgins USMC still gets my blood up. I vividly remember the video of his lifeless body hanging shown by the propagandist of the MSM which seem to have always been in collusion with these medieval savages as long as I can remember.
Proud to be Citgo free.
Chavez can chove it up his ……
Man, I’m on fire tonight! Ha ha ha!
I was in Aruba last week on vacation. It sits maybe 20 miles off the Venezula coast. While eating dinner one night I overheard 2 couples from Venezula discussing Chavez. Any one from the middle class on up hate him with a passion. Crime & inflation are rampant. The oil industry is beginning to feel the pinch of no new outside capital, his cronies being put in power & making a mess of everything they touch. The military is being purged of anyone of high rank who does not support him completely. He will not give up power without a fight.
Chavez is the irritation one experiences when one’s shorts bind in one’s butt.
Interesting that Barack Obama has nothing to say about Hugo Chavez other than the one Obama statement about meeting any foreign leaders any time any place. No reporters will ask him: “Will you invite Hugo Chavez to Washington?” or “would you accept an offer from Hugo Chavez to meet him at the UN or in Caracus or in Washington?” Since Chavez is a left wing icon and the darling of the leftwing of the Democratic Party (Joe Kennedy just loves Chavez) , Obama will not criticize him.
Time to take him out and grab their oil.
Time to take him out and grab their oil.