Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is in Russia at the start of a tour that will also take him to Belarus and Iran. Speaking in Moscow Thursday, Chavez assailed U.S. policy in the Middle East.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez: “They should withdraw their troops from Iraq. They have to refuse to threaten Iran. Iran has all the rights. Why can they not develop their nuclear industry for peaceful purposes? Two days ago I read that Lula [Brazilian president] is going to reopen their nuclear project, and he has the right to do so. Argentina has the right to do the same, and so does Venezuela.”