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STRATFOR.com
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THE INTERNET SOURCE FOR GLOBAL INTELLIGENCE
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Latin America Unprepared for Islamic Threat
October 4, 2001
Summary
Latin American states including even Cuba pledged to help the U.S. war on terrorism. But budget constraints and local politics will limit how much help they can provide, and more important, will leave U.S. assets in Latin America, where Muslim militants allegedly have cells, vulnerable to terrorist attacks.
Analysis
Since the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States, numerous countries including France, Germany and the Philippines have arrested or detained people with alleged ties to extremist Islamic groups. Governments in Latin America, where such groups are believed to be operating in at least five countries, are also conducting investigations.
But budgetary and manpower deficiencies in Latin American law enforcement and intelligence agencies could allow extremists in some countries to attack U.S. targets, including businesses, military personnel and civilians. The psychological effect of Islamic terrorism striking in the U.S. backyard could be immense in Washington as well as across Latin America.
U.S. government anti-terrorism experts say there are Islamic extremist cells associated with militant groups Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad and Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network operating in Paraguay, Uruguay and Ecuador.
(Source)
(c) 2001 Stratfor, Inc.
Dan
Latin America Unprepared for Islamic Threat . . .