The Triple Frontier (Spanish: La Triple Frontera , Portuguese: TrÃÆ'plice Fronteira ) is a tri-boundary area along the junction of Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil, where IguazÃÆ'º and ParanÃÆ'¡ Rivers meet. Near meetings are the cities of Ciudad del Este (Paraguay); Puerto IguazÃÆ'º (Argentina) and Foz do IguaÃÆ'§u (Brazil). This area is near IguazÃÆ'º Falls and ItaipÃÆ'º hydroelectric plant.
Video Triple Frontier
Population
The population at Triple Frontier is concentrated in three border towns. Of these, the largest is Ciudad del Este in Paraguay, which in 2010 had a population of 390,000, while the smallest with a population of 82,000 was Puerto IguazÃÆ'º, Argentina. The tourist-focused Brazilian city of Foz do IguaÃÆ'§u has a population of 300,000. Other Arab and Asian immigrant communities, which are an important part of the urban population in the Tri-Border Area, are estimated to number around 50,000.
Maps Triple Frontier
Tourism
The Triple Frontier is an important tourist area, within a tourist subregional of RegiÃÆ'³n de las Aguas Grandes. Visitors can see the bridge Tancredo Neves, which connects the city of Argentina Puerto IguazÃÆ'º and its Brazilian neighbor, Foz do IguaÃÆ'§u. At the border convergence, each of the three adjacent states has set up an obelisk, painted in the national color of the country in which it is located. The three countries can be seen from each obelisk.
The Guarani Aquifer is arguably the largest reservoir of freshwater, drinking in the world - just underground Triple Border (Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay). The majority (71%) of the 1.2 million square kilometers are located in Brazil.
Security worries
The George W. Bush Administration cited "clear examples" of Islamic groups in the tri-border region in 2002 that "finance terrorist activities." Groups including al-Gama'ah al-Islamiyyah Egypt, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, and Al-Qaeda were believed at the time to withdraw some of their funds from activities at the Triple Frontier.
Special geography of the border region, rampant political corruption and a weak judicial system make it extremely difficult to monitor organized crime and its associated illicit activities. Furthermore, Paraguay's side of the three border is a desirable place for terrorist operations because it does not have anti-terrorism laws. According to US law and law enforcement officials familiar with the region, "Iran-backed Hezbollah militia has encouraged a good radical Islamist force in the region".
An anti-terrorism expert with the Pentagon National Security Studies Group described the Tri-frontiers in 2007 as "the most important base for Hezbollah outside Lebanon itself, home to a dangerous fanatical community that is sending their money to support Hezbollah financially." Of the 25,000 Lebanese Arabs living in the region, not all support terrorism, but many publicly acknowledge that they are sending money to Hezbollah and that the Shia mosque has "the obligation to finance it".
The Paraguayan authorities say they have evidence that money is being sent to organizations with terrorist connections because of the amount of money that leaves Paraguay for the Middle East, said Carlos Altemburger, head of the Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Department in Paraguay. In response to this situation, Paraguay approved the entry of 400 US troops "for joint military exercises, such as urban terrorist fighting programs, public security and humanitarian aid", according to The Washington Post. However, in October 2006 Paraguay decided not to renew the defense cooperation agreement.
Foz do IguaÃÆ'§ÃÆ'º tourist groups denied reports of terrorist activity in the region, such as the US State Department.
Since 1996, Triple-Triple Command of Triple Frontier, which coordinates monitoring tasks among three adjacent countries, has operated from Foz do IguaÃÆ'§u. Group 3 1 was made between Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and the United States ("1"), in 2002 to further strengthen security in the region. In 2005, the governments of the three countries declared that they would establish a common intelligence center in Foz do IguaÃÆ'§ÃÆ'º specifically to monitor the situation.
In popular culture
- The Triple Frontier (or here referenced as Tri-Border Area) is shown as the background for the episode of "NCIS" An Eye for an Eye, as NCIS Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo and Caitlin Todd had to travel to this southern Paraguay area to investigate a professor involved in a case where a pair of blue eyeballs were sent to murder victims.
- Triple Frontier is also featured as the location for The Kill Zone's The Unit episode, in which Unit operators must rescue a member of their partner team, Tim Charlie, during hostage situations.
- In Vince Flynn's novel Extreme Measures , a terrorist group funded by Al-Qaeda train and plans to execute a terrorist attack on America while living in Triple Frontier.
- In the 2006 Miami Vice film Sonny Crockett and Rico Tubbs first met the drug cartels they were trying to infiltrate in the Tri-Border Area.
- Displayed in the episode of Target Man "The Return of Baptiste", as the location where a kidnapped reporter is held by a criminal ruler. The accents and geography featured in this episode are not accurate for this region.
- Included as the location's primary setting for the novel Sebastian Rotella Triple Crossing .
- Season 1, episode 7 ("Outline") of the SEAL Team revolves around the mission to the Tri-Border Area.
See also
- Universidade Federal da IntegraÃÆ'§ÃÆ'  £ o Latino-Americana
References
External links
- CNBC Trish-Regan Diary From Hazardous Places
- CNBC In Paraguayan Piracy Boosts US Profits Helping Terrorists
- Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reports Upper Clouds of IguaÃÆ'§u (Video)
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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