BRASIL/IRAN: Why Are Lula And Ahmadinejad BFFs?

GLOBAL POST/    At the recent nuclear security summit in Washington, President Lula da Silva urged President Barack Obama to hold back on more sanctions against Iran. Meanwhile his Minister of Development Miguel Jorge was in Tehran gifting Ahmadinejad with a Brasil soccer jersey. One commentator wrote: “But what is not tolerable is to cozy up with those who capture, torture and mistreat the opposition, who brutally limit public liberties … . The Brasilian government’s gesture covered the green-and-yellow team jersey with blood.” It seems that Brasil is Iran’s best remaining friend in the Western world. The question is...Why?

BRASIL: Iran's Ahmadinejad Visits Lula Despite Critics And Protests.

LATIMES/
Critics in Brasil and elsewhere say that President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is hurting his newfound global influence by receiving Iran's controversial President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and some 200 businessmen.
Nearly 2,000 protested Sunday in Rio. Protests in May forced Ahmadinejad to cancel a visit.
Ahmadinejad and Lula are expected to sign agreements in biotechnology, energy and agriculture. Iran hopes to expand trade with Brasil to $15 billion from $2 billion in the petrochemical, energy, agricultural and medical fields.