[NYTr] Cheney in Geography 101: Hugo Chavez of Peru?

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

sent by Steven Robinson -activ-l

Baltimore Sun blogs - Nov 2, 2007
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/politics/blog/2007/11/cheney_in_geography_101_hugo_c.html

Cheney in Geography 101: Hugo Chavez of Peru?

by Matthew Hay Brown
The Swamp

Quick: Of which major South American country is Hugo Chavez president?

If you answered "Venezuela," the score is now You 1, Dick Cheney 0.

Asked today how concerned he was about the influence of the Bush-baiting
Bolivarian, the vice president appeared to install Chavez as the leader
of Peru.

Or perhaps he was trying to show how little he cared.

"We have refrained from making public pronouncements about Mr. Chavez -
I think, for good and legitimate reasons," Cheney said today during an
appearance before the World Affairs Council of Dallas. "He's a -
obviously, an individual with his own agenda. And he spends a great
deal of his time worrying about us and criticizing the United States.

"My own personal view is that he does not represent the future of Latin
America. And the people of Peru, I think, deserve better in their
leadership. But that's obviously a matter they've got to resolve for
themselves."

For the record, the people of Peru have resolved that they deserve Alan
Garcma in their leadership. They elected Garcma president last year in
part out of fear that rival Ollanta Humala, the choice backed by
Chavez, would turn the country into a Venezuelan satellite. Chavez has
been president of Venezuela since 1999.

Earlier, the vice president had allowed the Dallas audience a glimpse
of his map of the world. Asked why the United States calls China and
Russia allies when they oppose U.S. efforts in Iran and Iraq, he said
he would reserve the word for such traditional friends as NATO partners
Britain, Germany, Italy and Poland.

"I define those as allies," he said. "We're committed to come to one
another's cause in the event any of us should be attacked.

"And when I look at the situation with respect to China and Russia, I
would use a different term, in terms of describing those relationships.
I don't believe they're allies in the traditional sense. I also don't
believe they're enemies in the traditional sense."

"We're at a state with respect to both nations where we have very
important relationships, where it's important those relationships be
well managed, going forward."

The challenge ahead, he said, is that the United States does
"everything we can to see to it that those relationships work out to
our national interest.

"And part of that test, obviously, is whether or not they're willing to
step up and be counted in the effort to get Iran to give up its
aspirations to be able to enrich uranium to produce nuclear weapons."