I only read a few things about it now and then. I remember a report about broadcast satellites being jammed from somewhere in South America, and from that I learned that there may be terrorist groups operating in the tri-border region in South America. Obviously I know about the drug cartels in Colombia, Panama, Peru and Ecuador; as well as the violent clashes over oil resources in Venezuela and Ecuador. Also that S. America has a history of dictatorships and economic crises that might make organized crime and hate groups spread.

The new thing is operations of Hezbollah terrorists in S.America; the group is of course supported by Iran. A connection to the drug trade is possible in my opinion, just as Afghanistan was the base for Al Quaeda and at the same time was supplying 70 percent of the world's supply of opium. Farmers there find opium to be a profitable cash crop compared to legitimate crops like wheat, especially since they are so poor. Similarly, El Nino caused a depression of the agricultural industry along the western equatorial region of S. America in 1999, and farmers might turn to producing coca leaves to supplement their incomes.

If you look at how dangerous Al Quaeda became, I think conditions are the same to make Hezbollah just as dangerous: impoverished farmers and drug money, Iranian sponsorship, a hatred for anglo-saxons, international networking, and little interest from law enforcement agencies. All they need now are people willing to die for their cause, like Saudis who can't find work.

Who would they recruit for suicide missions? More Saudis? It's possible. Although governments could pull the rug out from under them by reducing unemployment in Saudi Arabia to normal levels, from 30 percent down to, say, 5-8 percent. Then Hezbollah and Al-Quaida would be reduced to the status of "just another hate group".