(AP-Washington Post) Bassem Mroue - On the Mideast leg of an international tour, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Thursday in Damascus that he and his Syrian counterpart are "on the offensive" against Western imperialism. Despite U.S. outreach, Syria has remained close to Iran and the militant groups Hamas and Hizbullah, while building ties with Venezuela. In Damascus, Chavez said that he and Syrian President Bashar Assad are building ties "to accelerate the fall of (U.S.) imperialist hegemony." "We're on the offensive....We're building an alternative." President Barack Obama has made repeated overtures to Damascus this year, but Syria has only strengthened ties with outspoken critics of Washington, such as Venezuela.
2010-10-22 09:24:08Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive