Peres, regally received in Brazil
Photo: Moshe Milner, GPO
Nasrallah, planning attacks?
Photo: AFP
Peres: Hezbollah operating in South America
During Brazil visit, President Peres warns local defense minister of Iran, Shiite terror group trading drugs, diamonds, weapons in Brazil-Argentina-Paraguay triangle to finance terror cells planning attacks against Jewish targets
Iran and Hezbollah are working in South America to make money to be put toward terror activity, Israeli intelligence presented to Brazil says.
During President Shimon Peres' visit to South America, he presented Brazilian Defense Minister Nelson Jobim with intelligence according to which Iran and Hezbollah are operating in the between Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay.
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According to the intelligence, Hezbollah terror cells in this area trade in weapons and drugs, launder money and smuggle diamonds in order to finance terror activity.
Israel warned Brazil as well as other South American countries of Hezbollah's plans to strike Jewish and Israeli targets on the continent.
Peres arrived in Brazil on Tuesday, and after an official welcoming reception, he held a long meeting with Defense Minister Jobim, who is considered one of the strongest men in government.
Joining Peres in the meeting were three heads of Israel's defense industries – CEO of the Israel Aerospace Industries, CEO of Elbit Systems and a Rafael representative, in hopes of promoting multi-million dollar defense deals between the two countries.
The Brazilian military is undergoing modernization, and Israel's defense industries would like to have a hand in this process.
During the meeting, Jobim said he would promote the signing of an agreement according to which Brazil commits that it will not transfer Israeli knowledge to enemy states. Israel is offering Brazil knowledge in the fileds of satellites, remote-piloted-vehicles, aerospace, rocket defense, upgrading fighter jets, electronic warfare and more.
Another subject that came up in the meeting was increasing Israeli-Brazilian cooperation in the fileds of intelligence and the war on terror.
