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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Ahmadinejad to tour Latin America | Ahmadinejad to tour Latin America |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is arriving in Latin America this weekend for a four-day visit that is likely to alarm Washington. | Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is arriving in Latin America this weekend for a four-day visit that is likely to alarm Washington. |
| Mr Ahmadinejad will meet various leaders including President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and Rafael Correa of Ecuador - both fiercely anti-American. | Mr Ahmadinejad will meet various leaders including President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and Rafael Correa of Ecuador - both fiercely anti-American. |
| Venezuela has been a strong ally of Iran in its controversial pursuit of a nuclear power programme. | Venezuela has been a strong ally of Iran in its controversial pursuit of a nuclear power programme. |
| The trip will also include visits to Bolivia and Nicaragua. | The trip will also include visits to Bolivia and Nicaragua. |
| With his eyes fixed firmly on the Middle East, the last thing President Bush wants is another hostile diplomatic front opening up in his own backyard. | With his eyes fixed firmly on the Middle East, the last thing President Bush wants is another hostile diplomatic front opening up in his own backyard. |
| But with the arrival of the Iranian president in the region, that is exactly what some commentators are predicting. | But with the arrival of the Iranian president in the region, that is exactly what some commentators are predicting. |
| 'Alliance forged' | 'Alliance forged' |
| President Ahmadinejad's four-day visit will take in some of the area's most vocal anti-American critics. | President Ahmadinejad's four-day visit will take in some of the area's most vocal anti-American critics. |
| Iran insists that it nuclear programme aims to provide energyThey include President Hugo Chavez, newly sworn-in as leader of Venezuela, and Rafael Correa, about to be sworn in as president of Ecuador. | Iran insists that it nuclear programme aims to provide energyThey include President Hugo Chavez, newly sworn-in as leader of Venezuela, and Rafael Correa, about to be sworn in as president of Ecuador. |
| The Iranian leader will also meet President Evo Morales of Bolivia and President Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua, himself inaugurated into office this week and another one-time enemy of the United States. | |
| The most worrying alliance for Washington is that being forged between Iran and Venezuela. | The most worrying alliance for Washington is that being forged between Iran and Venezuela. |
| Both countries are rich in oil and both are in agreement on Teheran's plan to build a nuclear power programme. President Ahmadinejad has previously referred to President Chavez as "my brother". | Both countries are rich in oil and both are in agreement on Teheran's plan to build a nuclear power programme. President Ahmadinejad has previously referred to President Chavez as "my brother". |
| Although Washington may withstand any rhetorical onslaught dished out by this collective of opposition heads of state, it will be watching closely for any concrete measures or policies that develop - chief among them, any sign of Venezuela pursuing its own nuclear programme in conjunction with Iran. | Although Washington may withstand any rhetorical onslaught dished out by this collective of opposition heads of state, it will be watching closely for any concrete measures or policies that develop - chief among them, any sign of Venezuela pursuing its own nuclear programme in conjunction with Iran. |
| That will be unacceptable to Washington and would turn what are now uneasy relations between the two states into something much more serious. | That will be unacceptable to Washington and would turn what are now uneasy relations between the two states into something much more serious. |