Hugo Chavez Receives Iran's Highest Honor
Julie Farby - All Headline News Staff Writer Tehran, Iran (AHN)-Iran awarded Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez its highest state medal on Sunday for supporting Tehran in its nuclear standoff with the international community, while Chavez urged the world to rise up and defeat the U.S. Venezuelan state television reports the leftist Venezuelan leader also condemned Israel for what he called the "terrorism" and "madness" of its attacks in Lebanon. After Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad presented Chavez with the Islamic Republic Medal in a ceremony at Tehran University, Chavez reportedly said, "Let's save the human race, let's finish off the U.S. empire. This (task) must be assumed with strength by the majority of the peoples of the world." Iranian state-run television reports the award was to show Iran's gratitude for his "support for Iran's stance on the international scene, especially its opposition to a resolution by the International Atomic Energy Agency," with Ahmadinejad quoted as saying, "He is the one who has resisted imperialism for years and has defended the interests of his and other Latin American countries." In February, Venezuela opposed an IAEA decision to report Iran to the U.N. Security Council over its disputed nuclear program, while a draft proposal Friday by permanent members of the U.N. Security Council gives Iran until the end of August to suspend uranium enrichment or face the threat of economic |
