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Chavez tells UN Bush is 'devil' Chavez tells UN Bush is 'devil'
(about 1 hour later)
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has referred to US President George W Bush as "the devil" in a speech at the United Nations General Assembly. Venezuela's leader Hugo Chavez has called US President George W Bush as "the devil" in a speech at the United Nations General Assembly.
"The devil came here yesterday," he said. "He came here talking as if he were the owner of the world." "The devil came here yesterday," he said, referring to Mr Bush's speech on Tuesday. "It still smells of sulphur today," he added.
Mr Bush addressed the General Assembly on Tuesday, its opening day. US state department spokesman Tom Casey said that it was disappointing to see a head of state speak in such a way.
John Bolton, Washington's ambassador to the UN, later told journalists he would not dignify the Venezuelan leader's remarks with a response. Mr Chavez went on to criticise the UN system which was "worthless".
It still smells of sulphur today Hugo ChavezVenezuelan president href="/1/hi/world/5362884.stm" class="">UN session at a glance The left-wing Venesuelan leader - allied to Cuba's Fidel Castro and with growing ties to fellow oil-producer Iran - has long had tense relations with the US.
Mr Chavez, a leftist leader allied to Cuba's Fidel Castro and with growing ties to fellow oil-producer Iran, has long had tense relations with the US. UN 'worthless'
"It still smells of sulphur today," he added in his speech. On Tuesday, Mr Bush had defended his policies on the Middle East and said democracy was gaining ground as terrorists were marginalised.
He attacked US "hegemony" in the world and called for drastic reform of the UN to reduce what he called US influence. The UN system born after World War II collapsed. It's worthless Hugo ChavezVenezuelan President href="/1/hi/world/5362884.stm" class="">UN session at a glance
In his speech, Mr Bush had defended his policies on the Middle East and said democracy was gaining ground as terrorists were marginalised. Mr Chavez, who brandished a copy of American leftist writer Noam Chomsky's Hegemony or Survival: America's Quest for Global Dominance, said Mr Bush promoted "a false democracy of the elite" and a "democracy of bombs".
Other business at the UN on Wednesday includes a meeting of the Middle East quartet - the diplomatic steering group comprising the US, Russia, the European Union and the UN. "He came here talking as if he were the owner of the world," the Venezuelan leader said.
And the UN will hold a special meeting to discuss the four-year-old crisis in Ivory Coast, divided since its civil war. He called for drastic reform of the UN to reduce what he called US influence.
The UN in its current form "doesn't work", he said.
"I don't think anybody in this room could defend the system," the Venezuelan leader added.
The UN General Assembly is holding its 61st session
"Let's be honest. The UN system born after World War II collapsed. It's worthless."
Mr Chavez's criticism of the UN echoed Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's speech to the assembly late on Tuesday, BBC diplomatic correspondent Bridget Kendall reports from New York.
"As long as the UN Security Council is unable to act on behalf of the entire international community in a transparent, just and democratic manner, it will neither be legitimate nor effective," Mr Ahmadinejad said in a speech delivered a few hours after Mr Bush's appearance.
'Horrific acts''Horrific acts'
Wednesday's session opened with a speech by Afghan President Hamid Karzai who argued military action alone would not stop terrorism in his country.Wednesday's session opened with a speech by Afghan President Hamid Karzai who argued military action alone would not stop terrorism in his country.
The UN General Assembly is holding its 61st session They decapitate elderly women, blow up mosques full of worshipers and kill school-going children in indiscriminate bombings of civilian areas Hamid KarzaiAfghan president href="/1/hi/world/south_asia/5364838.stm" class="">Karzai addresses UN
He called for the destruction of safe havens and elaborate networks operating in the region to recruit, train, finance, arm and deploy terrorists.He called for the destruction of safe havens and elaborate networks operating in the region to recruit, train, finance, arm and deploy terrorists.
"Terrorists are prepared to cross any boundaries and commit horrific acts of violence to try to derail Afghanistan from its path to success," he said. And he said the answer to defeating the drugs trade lay in international support for providing a "meaningful alternative livelihood to our farmers".
"They decapitate elderly women, blow up mosques full of worshipers and kill school-going children in indiscriminate bombings of civilian areas. Other business at the UN on Wednesday includes a meeting of the Middle East quartet - the diplomatic steering group comprising the US, Russia, the European Union and the UN.
"And that is why they are killing international soldiers and civilians who have come to Afghanistan to help the Afghan people." And the UN will hold a special meeting to discuss the four-year-old crisis in Ivory Coast, divided since its civil war.
Talking about terror bases, Mr Karzai did not mention any other country by name but a BBC correspondent says that, in the past, Afghan leaders including Mr Karzai have criticised Pakistan for harbouring Taleban militants and not doing enough to stop cross-border attacks.
The Afghan leader also linked Afghanistan's surging narcotics production to terrorism, saying the menace of drugs threatened the foundation of the Afghan economy.
Mr Karzai said the answer to defeating terrorism lay in "the prosperity of the Afghan people".
"And through a combination of law enforcement and economic measures we expect that the international community will continue to support us in this fight by enabling us to provide meaningful alternative livelihood to our farmers," he added.