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Last update - 15:34 05/09/2009
Chavez: Iran won't end quest for peaceful nuclear energy
By The Associated Press
Tags: palestinians, venezuela 

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said in remarks broadcast Saturday that Iran will "not back down" in its quest for peaceful nuclear energy, French news agency AFP reported.

Chavez, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's main ally in Latin America, arrived in Iran Friday after visiting Syria, Libya and Algeria.

The visit comes one day after Ahmadinejad said that Iran will not bow to pressure in meeting any deadline set by world powers and is ready for more sanctions over its nuclear program.
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Chavez on Friday told the Israeli people not to support their government, which he described as genocidal, during the second day of his trip to Syria.

Chavez is on an 11-day trip to Libya, Algeria, Syria, Iran, Belarus, Russia and Spain in what he is describing as a bid to build a multipolar world and decrease U.S. influence in the region.

The Venezuelan president has singled out Israel for criticism during his visit to Syria, slamming it for mistreating the Palestinians and being an agent of U.S. imperialism.

"The state of Israel has become a murderous lackey at the service of imperialism," Chavez said. "It's a genocidal government. I condemn that Zionist government that persecutes the heroic Palestinian people."

Chavez, whose remarks were broadcast by state television in Venezuela, added that the people of Israel shouldn't support a genocidal government.

Chavez spoke in front of about 10,000 people who gathered at a football stadium in the city of Sweida, some 110 kilometers south of Damascus, near the Jordanian border.

More than 200,000 people from the Sweida area carry Venezuelan citizenship and most are members of Syria's Druse sect, who immigrated to Venezuela in the past century.

Chavez later inaugurated a public garden in the city, naming it after 19th century Latin American independence leader Simon Bolivar.

The firebrand Latin American leader has built close ties with Iran, Syria, Cuba and other countries while his relations have grown tense with Israel.

Chavez strongly criticized Israel's war against Gaza in December and January and said that Israel should return to Syria the strategic Golan Heights that it captured in 1967 Mideast war.

Chavez also called for Israel to "take its hands off Latin America also. Because there the U.S. empire is trying to turn Colombia... into the Israel of Latin America."

Venezuela and Colombia have been feuding for weeks over negotiations between the Colombian government and Washington that would allow the U.S. military to increase its presence at seven Colombian bases through a 10-year lease agreement.

Chavez calls the pending deal a threat to Venezuela. Colombia says it's necessary to more effectively help fight drug traffickers and leftist rebels.

Chavez arrived in Tehran Friday and praised Iran for standing up to he said were western forces attempts to destabilize it after the elections there.

The Iranian opposition alleges the country's June 12 election was rigged in Ahmadinejad's favor and that pro-reform challenger Mir Hossein Mousavi was the true winner.

After the election, Iranian security forces, including the Revolutionary Guard and pro-government Basij militia, crushed mass street protests against Ahmadinejad's re-election in a heavy crackdown that prompted heavy criticism from the West.

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      1.   He is a fool and knows nothing. 21:16  |  Jo 04/09/09
      2.   Who is responsible for the plight of the Palestinians 21:17  |  Anonymous 04/09/09
      3.   Israelis can tell Chaves where to put his opinions 21:17  |  judith 04/09/09
      4.   Chavez against Israel 21:46  |  norman a blumberg 04/09/09
      5.   Israelis support the people of Venezuela 22:20  |  DISRAELI 04/09/09
      6.   Replace the world "genocidal" with "thuggish"..... 22:34  |  Swiss (Dino) 04/09/09
      7.   CHAVEZ 22:35  |  Brant 04/09/09
      8.   Pompous Dictator of the Bolivarian Republic 22:43  |  Martin 04/09/09
      9.   chavez 23:07  |  johnson 04/09/09
      10.   I prefer Madona 23:08  |  Israeli citizen 04/09/09
      11.   Chavez` anti-semitism on his radio show in Venezuela 23:56  |  Peace Games 04/09/09
      12.   Chavez... 00:10  |  Quebec observer 05/09/09
      13.   chavez, how does your garden grow? 00:22  |  peter rouget 05/09/09
      14.   Chavez` Appeal To The Israeli People... 00:24  |  Jeff Northridge 05/09/09
      15.   Teplace (Dino) with (anti-Semite) # 2 00:49  |  Fortuna Benmayor 05/09/09
      16.   DINO`S REWRITES 00:56  |  Brant 05/09/09
      17.   Guess we can now interfer in Venezuela`s internal affairs 01:06  |  Gee 05/09/09
      18.   Frick and Frack two dummies looking for power. 01:17  |  Petra 05/09/09
      19.   As an arms exporter, Israel should send arms to Columbia 01:20  |  Conroy 05/09/09
      20.   # 10 Brant, you see, that`s the difference between us..... 01:25  |  Swiss (Dino) 05/09/09
      21.   Ya whatever Stalin 01:39  |  Eli 05/09/09
      22.   Willl the King of Spain 01:40  |  utagawa 05/09/09
      23.   Chavez 01:43  |  Leeguy 05/09/09
      24.   For Chavez & Much of the World, Genocide = 01:44  |  Brad 05/09/09
      25.   Dino: Your So Balanced: Replace With "Meek" 01:49  |  Brad 05/09/09
      26.   # 16 Brant, it`s a pity that I`m not your neighbour...... 02:09  |  Swiss (Dino) 05/09/09
      27.   Swiss (Dino), the `neutral bigot` 02:09  |  flyingdoc57 05/09/09
      28.   #21 02:33  |  Chance 05/09/09
      29.   what? there are still pals? 02:55  |  gino 05/09/09
      30.   down with chavez 03:04  |  Jose 05/09/09
      31.   The Dictators Club 03:05  |  Dan 05/09/09
      32.   # 13 Gee 03:07  |  maoriboy 05/09/09
      33.   NO DINO THAT IS not THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN US 03:18  |  Brant 05/09/09
      34.   I Prefer Shakira... 03:45  |  Yosemite 05/09/09
      35.   Jeff Northridge 04:10  |  Peter Williams 05/09/09
      36.   oh come on now; give the man a break... 06:18  |  eric 05/09/09
      37.   #33, Brant 06:24  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 05/09/09
      38.   #29 Palestinian Problem??? 06:33  |  Adie Stubbs 05/09/09
      39.   So 1967 08:23  |  Ori 05/09/09
      40.   #31 Dan. Ever been a fly... 08:38  |  Maureen Ann 05/09/09
      41.   In Defence of Chavez 08:51  |  Myles 05/09/09
      42.   Dino: what needs to replace is "Chavez", by "next" 11:01  |  Israeli citizen 05/09/09
      43.   israel enjoing a honeymoon 11:03  |  imad 05/09/09
      44.   Sorry Peter 12:36  |  carlo 05/09/09
      45.   Carlo #44 - Sorry Carlo 16:55  |  Jason 05/09/09
      46.   President Hugo Chavez. 17:25  |  Stephen. 05/09/09
      47.   #22 utagawa Willl the King of Spain... 17:25  |  Lou Medel 05/09/09
      48.   hey oh ```` 17:35  |  jc 05/09/09
      49.   Sorry Jason 17:51  |  carlo 05/09/09
      50.   to Judith 19:04  |  Larissa 05/09/09
      51.   to Gee 19:09  |  Larissa 05/09/09
      52.   That is the sixty thousand dollar question. 19:12  |  Larissa 05/09/09
      53.   Larissa et al 50 20:29  |  ChanahS 05/09/09
      54.   Whorver The Israelis And US Right-Wingers Detest So Much... 20:57  |  chet 05/09/09
      55.   Carlo open your eyes 23:09  |  Peter Williams 05/09/09
      56.   We know Iran won`t end quest for peaceful nuclear weapons 06:05  |  Dan 06/09/09
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