The UN remarks of two other leaders, both moderate muslims, who are still our nominal allies in the war on terror, are food for thought as much or more so than Chavez:
Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharraf:
While we confront terrorism, our strategy must seek to eliminate this phenomenon comprehensively. We cannot do so unless we understand and address the root causes of terrorism today. How are terrorists able to find willing recruits even among educated youth and democratic societies? The reasons are clear. Across the Muslim world, old conflicts and new campaigns of military intervention have spawned a deep sense of desperation and injustice. Each new battleground involving an Islamic state has served as a new breeding ground for extremists and terrorists. Indiscriminate bombings, civilian casualties, torture, human rights abuses, racial slurs and discrimination only add to the challenge of defeating terrorism.
Jordan’s King Abdullah:
There can be no just global order when aggression and occupation are permitted to take the place of international law. When these occur in a region as strategic as the Middle East the shockwaves run worldwide. Our youth are asking, where is the justice, where is the will of the global community? We must answer them by establishing a lasting peace, based on the international legality we have pledged to uphold.
These are only snips...I havent seen the full text of the speeches to see the context of the above, but it should be far imporant to Bush and the American people that we understand the concerns of our allies rather than worry about the rantings of a paper tiger enemy.