Venezuela's Chavez: Syria's leader a 'humanist'

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez expressed support for Syria's president on Saturday, calling him a "humanist" and a "brother" facing a wave of violent protests backed by the United States and its allies.

Chavez's support for President Bashar Assad follows his defense of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, who is fighting rebels backed by international airstrikes.

Venezuela's socialist leader accused Washington of fomenting the protests in Syria as a pretext for Libya-style airstrikes.

"Now some supposed political protest movements have begun (in Syria), a few deaths ... and now they are accusing the president of killing his people and later the Yankees will come to bomb the people to save them," Chavez said in a televised speech.

The anti-government protests erupted nationwide in Syria on Friday, and follow unrest in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain and Libya in what has been called the Arab Spring.

[look at this "leftist" clown ,  "a few deaths" what is an acceptable number of deaths Mr Chavez ? is that not the American attitude of "acceptable # of casualties". What a dirsgrace. All the Chavez apologists go watch all the youtube videos we have been posting of the "few deaths"]