CARACAS, Venezuela - (AP) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Friday accused the U.S. government and its allies of provoking violence in Syria in an effort to topple its government.
Chavez said he spoke by phone earlier in the day with his ally Syrian President Bashar Assad, who told him the security situation in his country is improving and he hopes the violence will ease soon.
"He told me there have been more than 2,000 soldier martyrs and a larger number of innocent people who have died as a result of the terrorist plan to remove him from power," Chavez said in a phone call broadcast live on Venezuela's state television...
http://www.newsday.com/news/nation/chavez-accuses-us-of-trying-to-topple-syria-leader-1.3647332