The world now has three Guevaras -- Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Hugo Chavez, and Evo Morales. Cuba’s leadership, who installed Chavez and Morales in the first place, should apologize.

First, Cuba should withdraw all military advisors from Bolivia and Venezuela. Second, Cuba should consult with Brazil and Colombia on planning for the immediate liberation of Bolivia and Venezuela. If necessary, Cuba should be prepared to support full political self-determination of western Bolivia. Third, Cuba should strongly encourage Russia not to supply advanced weapons to Venezuela as long Hugo Chavez is president. Fourth, Cuba should inform Iran that unless Ahmadnejad is removed as Iran’s President, Cuba will back Argentina’s efforts to investigate via Interpol former Iranian president Rafsanjani’s involvement in Hezbollah terrorism in Buenos Aires in the mid-1990’s. Fifth, Cuba shall prepare for the OAS a detailed report on Iran’s buildup of terrorist forces in South America since the Hezbollah bombings in Buenos Aires in the 1990’s.

In short, while Iran is increasing its terrorist activities in South America, Cuba should step forward with full US and Russian support as the defender of South American equities against Iran. Cuba could initiate several additional campaigns to deter Iran in South America and to carry the anti-terrorist fight into Iran itself.

First, Cuba could rally South America’s communists into a Red Front against Iranian terrorism. Cuba shall place special emphasis on recruiting South American Arabs against Iran. Cuba’s goal would be to eradicate the Hezbollah presence in South America.

Second, Cuba shall revive mechanisms for coordinating Arab and Palestinian terrorism against Iran. Cuba’s goal is to place Cuban troops fighting Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Third, Cuba will cooperate with the Iraqi resistance to Iran including Muqtada al-Sadr to liberate Iraq from Iranian-Kurdish occupation. Cuba will call upon Syria and Russian support for Iraq’s resistance against Iran.

The initial increase in Iran’s terrorist presence in South America came under president Rafsanjani in the 1990s. Hezbollah carried out a spectacular bombing campaign in Buenos Aires. The Argentine government believes Rafsanjani ordered and planned the bombing. At one point, Argentina’s government issued a warrant for Rafsanjani’s arrest.

The goal of Rafsanjani, Ahmadinejad, Chavez and Morales is to make Iran the dominant power in South America. Ahmadinjad wants to expand the scope of Iranian terrorism in South America at the expense of communist forces in South America. Iran would then declare war on the communists.

Thanks to the US war in Iraq, Iran is on the path to dominating the Middle East. If Iran can dominate South American terrorism, Iran will be well placed to dictate terms to the US on many international issues.

Iran plans to significantly increase its terrorist support infrastructure on South America with the opening of seven new embassies in the region. Iranian President Ahmadinejad is the perfect man for the job of displacing US influence in South America while destroying South America’s communists. Ahmadinejad was Ayatollah Khomeini’s Himmler during the 1970’s in breaking the back of pro-Soviet forces in Iran’s student movement. Thousands of Iranian communists were murdered under Ahmadinejad’s direct orders.

It is an absurd notion that a few thousand Islamists could displace South America’s communists as the leading force on terrorism and other issues. South America has substantial indigenous left wing forces, while Russia and China – both are communist states -- have important equities here. Iran’s Islamists have prospered in South America for two reasons. First, the US by and large has ignored the Iranian threat in South America. Second, South America’s communists have not pushed back against Iran.

Now is a good time for South America’s communists led by Cuba to push Iranian forces from South America, beginning with Bolivia and Venezuela. Cuba can use this crisis to mobilize South American resistance to Iran. The outcome of today’s crisis is certain. Chavez and Morales are finished (a subsequent op-ed will establish this fact in detail). In sum, now that the Middle East is fallijg to Iran, the final and decisive battle for US security will take place in South America, where Iran is gaining the upper hand and the US, aside from its programs in Colombia, is not fighting back. In short, the thin blue line for hemispheric defense and US security is now painted red for the communists and Cuba!