US
brushes off Chavez barbs to Rice
AFP
WASHINGTON
Petroleumworld.com
02 22 06
The United States on Tuesday brushed off Venezuelan President
Hugo Chavez's latest taunts to US Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice and his new threat to cut off oil supplies.
Deputy State Department spokesman Adam Ereli declined to comment
on Chavez's television show Sunday where the fiery leftist leader
blew a screen kiss to Rice and told her, "Don't mess with
me, girl."
"I just think that responding to the remarks dignifies them
in a way that I don't want to do," Ereli told reporters at
the department's daily briefing.
Chavez matched his barbs against Rice, who last week called his
regime a "challenge to democracy" in Latin America,
with a renewed threat to cut off oil exports to the United States
if Washington forced his hand.
Venezuela is the fourth-largest supplier of crude oil to its northern
neighbor, selling it about 1.5 million barrels daily. But Ereli
expressed little concern about Chavez's statements.
"At this point, it's rhetorical," the US spokesman said.
"And I haven't seen any moves that would lead us to believe
that there's any action that's being prepared to be taken."
Petroleumworld
02 22 06
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