Venezuela President Calls Bush 'Mr. Danger', Says He Has Reason to Worry CARACAS, Venezuela - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez lashed out at President George W. Bush, calling him Mr. Danger and saying wars from Iraq to Colombia show the U.S. government is a menace to the world.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez holds up a U.S. dollar bill and challenges U.S. President George W. Bush to bet which of them will remain in power longer at a rally in Caracas, Venezuela, in this Jan. 23, 2005 file photo. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano) Chavez paused during a televised speech Friday to read aloud Bush's comments to reporters at the White House a day earlier, when he said Venezuela's plans to buy 100,000 assault rifles from Russia raise concerns the guns could fall into the hands of Colombian rebels. "The rifles are defensive weapons," Chavez said, adding Kalashnikovs are nothing to the array of weapons wielded by U.S. forces, such as "transatlantic missiles." "If I were buying one of those devices, with which we press a button to travel, arrive at the White House, then they could worry," he said. "They have thousands of those devices." Chavez, a close ally of Cuban President Fidel Castro, has accused the United States of plotting behind the scenes to overthrow him. Venezuela is a major supplier of U.S. oil but Chavez has said he would halt shipments if the Americans try to attack Venezuela. "We do have reasons to be worried, Mr. Danger, about the U.S. arms buildup, about U.S. threats, about the presence of U.S. soldiers in Colombia," Chavez said. He accused the U.S. government of having "an interest in having war in Colombia" and providing large amounts of weapons. "That's a reality, as it was in Central America, as it was in the Middle East. Who armed Saddam Hussein? Who gave Saddam Hussein weapons, ammunition, military technology? The U.S. government," said Chavez, a fierce critic of the U.S. war in Iraq. "Who armed Osama bin Laden, and gave al-Qaida the great power it has? The United States," he said, apparently referring to U.S. support for Afghan forces in their war against Soviet troops in the 1980s. Chavez said he wouldn't be surprised if the United States were supplying guns to Colombian guerrillas, their paramilitary enemies and the Colombian army at the same time "to justify their Plan Patriot and at the same time establish military bases in Colombia." "It's the perfect excuse for them to have a military presence in Colombia, and from there to threaten Venezuela and threaten any other country that begins changes they don't like," Chavez said. "The Lords of War, you can call them." Chavez said he hopes the United States will "leave me in peace so that I can work." C Copyright 2005 Associated Press http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0507-06.htm Serbian News Network - SNN [email protected] http://www.antic.org/
