WASHINGTON - Iran is increasing its presence in Latin America, and Hezbollah, a terrorist organization it sponsors, is making inroads in drug trafficking in Colombia, the commander of U.S. Southern Command told Congress today. Navy Adm. James G. Stavridis told the House Armed Services Committee he shares concerns expressed by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates about Iranian activity in Central and South America. Iran has opened six embassies in the region during the past five years and is...

The commander of U.S. forces in Latin America says the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah is involved in drug trafficking in Colombia. The admiral is worried about increased Iranian and Hezbollah activities throughout the region. At Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Tuesday Admiral James Stavridis accused Hezbollah of involvement in the drug trade. "We have seen in Colombia a direct connection between Hezbollah activity and the narco-trafficking activity," he...

WASHINGTON - Iran is increasing its activity in Latin America and the Caribbean, including actions aimed at supporting the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, a top U.S. military commander said on Tuesday. Navy Admiral James Stavridis, who oversees U.S. military interests in the region as head of U.S. Southern Command, also said Hezbollah was linked to drug-trafficking in Colombia. "We have seen... an increase in a wide level of activity by the Iranian government in this...

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, the Cabinet holdover from the Bush years, is in the news regarding two major issues, and in each case is challenged to demonstrate that he remains in charge of the enormous Pentagon. In one case, he has disagreed sharply with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff regarding Iran's nuclear weapons capacity. In the other, he appears to disagree with himself, at least in institutional terms, regarding Mexico's enormous expanding drug traffic. The problems...

MADRID - A Spanish court official says 14 people have gone on trial charged with involvement with Islamic terrorist groups and recruiting extremists to fight in Iraq. Some of the 14 are also accused of helping suspects in the March 11, 2004 train bombings in Madrid to flee Spain. The 14 suspects, mainly from Morocco, were arrested in a series of raids over recent years, mostly in the northeastern region of Catalonia. They are charged with belonging to or collaborating with Islamic terrorism...

Police say they have arrested a Spanish soldier and his girlfriend for making and distributing videos promoting 'jihad,' or holy war, and calling for attacks in Spain. A police statement said the couple detained Tuesday in the southern city of Granada have placed at least 11 videos on the Internet. The clips have been viewed some 2,000 times. The statement identified the man as Christian Peso Ruiz Coello and his Russian girlfriend as Maria Choubina, both aged 24. The statement added that...

The United States is stepping up scrutiny of Iranian security and military personnel in the Lebanese communities of Latin America, even as its proxy, Hezbollah, gains new momentum and strength there, U.S. officials said. Part of Hezbollah's alarming expansion is being fueled by narco-dollars coming from Latin American drug cartels, and American concern stems from the possibility that al-Qaida and Hezbollah, both of which have contacts with wealthy and powerful Latin American drug...

Madrid - The Spanish police have arrested at least 11 people in Barcelona and Valencia suspected of forging documents for al Qaeda, the Spanish media reported on Tuesday, citing police sources. The investigation was still open and could be extended to other parts of Spain, although it was still unclear whether all of the detainees were connected to the Islamic militant group, the media said. Police in Barcelona were not immediately able to confirm the reports. Spain suffered Europe`s...

The Iranian effort, which has been joined by Venezuela in a joint effort to establish a strong terror base in the region, is especially palpable in countries ruled by anti-American left wing regimes such as Cuba, Nicaragua, Ecuador and Bolivia. Nonetheless, Iran has also increased its presence in Mexico and Colombia, which are considered more U.S. friendly. The rate of the increase of Iranian personnel in Mexican and Colombian embassies were described by the New York sources as...

This course exposes and illustrates the nexus between Foreign Terrorists, other terrorists and narcotics trafficking. It also covers narcoterrorists, Islamic fundamentalists and radicalization targeting America, as well as a proactive approach to combat the problem. Also illustrated will be The Current Islamic Terrorist Threat within the Borders of the US, Al Qaeda: The Current Threat, Jihad in America: An Expose of American Centers for Islamic Radical Activity, Developing Intelligence within...