I was often rebuffed when I expressed my concerns about terrorist organizations in the Middle East and their activities in, and connections with criminal organizations in Latin America. Many well-known Latin Americanists told me there was no reason for concern; Latin Americans had more pressing things to worry about.
Lo and behold! Here it is: In a posting on a Web site used by Islamists this week, Al Qaeda/Saudi Arabia indicated “it is necessary to hit oil interests in all regions which serve the United States, not just in the Middle East. The goal is to cut its supplies or reduce them through any means.” Venezuela, Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru are all oil suppliers to the USA. Porous borders and the often ineffective hold that local governments have over security make this a serous threat that should not be discarded or ignored because Latin America has lost some of its relevance to the US government due to its pressing commitments in the Middle East.
Those interested in an in-depth analysis of the oil industry in Latin America and the possibility of terrorist activities against it are referred to our Notice This© update of 31 January 2007 and Regional Focus© update of 31 January 2007.
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