US worried about Venezuelan arms buildup, nuclear aspirations

September 25th, 2009 China urging Iran to cooperate on nuclear facilityPITTSBURGH — China is urging Iran to cooperate with the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency looking into a secret Iranian nuclear facility.

September 18th, 2009 Brazil's Lula defends South America arms buildupBRASILIA, Brazil — Major military weapons purchases by Brazil and Venezuela won't spur an arms race in South America and are necessary to protect borders and natural resources, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Friday. Silva also downplayed concerns raised this week from U.S.

September 15th, 2009 Venezuela's Chavez aims to tap nuclear energyCARACAS, Venezuela — Hugo Chavez wants to join the nuclear energy club and is looking to Russia for help in getting started. The Venezuelan leader is already dismissing critics' concerns over his nuclear ambitions, offering assurances his aims are peaceful and that Venezuela will simply be following in the footsteps of other South American nations using atomic energy.

July 6th, 2009 US and Russia agree to negotiate new arms dealMOSCOW — President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev have signed what they call a "joint understanding" to negotiate a new arms control treaty that would set substantially lower levels of nuclear warheads for both countries. The deal would replace a nuclear arms treaty that expires in December.

June 28th, 2009 Chavez to US general: You're the threat, not usCARACAS, Venezuela — President Hugo Chavez says a U.S. general shouldn't be raising concerns that Venezuela is buying arms, and the American commander is wrong to argue there isn't a "conventional military threat in the region." Chavez says the U.S.

June 27th, 2009 Venezuelan ambassador arrives in WashingtonCARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's ambassador returned to Washington on Friday as the nations moved to repair strained diplomatic ties, but the sides are not completely ready to bury the hatchet. Upon arriving in the United States, Venezuelan Ambassador Bernardo Alvarez called the countries' decision to restore top-level diplomatic envoys the "first step in normalizing relations." U.S.

June 22nd, 2009 US, Russia to discuss nuclear arms reduction pactGENEVA — The United States and Russia will hold two days of talks in Geneva this week on replacing the expiring Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. The 1991 START treaty significantly cut American and Russian nuclear arsenals.

June 18th, 2009 Russia-US talks on nuclear arms 'constructive'MOSCOW — Russia says talks with the United States on nuclear arms reductions have been constructive, but suggests a summit next month may not bring a new deal. Talks on an arms reduction deal to replace the 1991 START treaty are a keystone of efforts to improve troubled Russian-American ties.

June 4th, 2009 CAIRO - In a much-anticipated speech to the Muslim world from Cairo Thursday, US President Barack Obama urged Iran and other countries to abandon their nuclear weapons programmes. He acknowledged the US role in "overthrowing a democratically elected government" in Iran.

May 30th, 2009 Obama cheers step toward new nuclear arms pactWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is welcoming an agreement by the 65-nation Conference on Disarmament to open the way to negotiate a new nuclear arms control treaty. He says the decision signals a commitment to work together on what he calls a fundamental challenge.

May 29th, 2009 Disarmament body steps toward nuclear talksGENEVA — The 65-nation Conference on Disarmament has taken a step toward negotiating a new nuclear arms control treaty after a dozen years of deadlock. Diplomats in Geneva welcomed the adoption of a "program of work" as a breakthrough for the conference.

April 22nd, 2009 Court orders capture of anti-Chavez leaderCARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuelan prosecutors say a court has asked Interpol to detain a leading opponent of President Hugo Chavez who is seeking political asylum in Peru. Prosecutors say in a statement that the Venezuelan court on Wednesday ordered the capture of Manuel Rosales because he "has shown he isn't willing to present himself" in court.

February 3rd, 2009 LONDON - US President Barack Obama is to convene ambitious arms reduction talks with Russia that could see both countries slash 80 percent of their nuclear weapons, a newspaper reported Wednesday. The radical treaty would cut the number of nuclear warheads to 1,000 each, The Times newspaper reported.

January 27th, 2009 JERUSALEM - Israel has expelled all diplomatic staff from the Venezuelan embassy in response to a similar action by the South American state earlier this month, the Jerusalem Post reported Wednesday. The expulsion order was issued Tuesday, and the Venezuelan diplomats have to leave the Jewish state by Friday, the report quoted foreign ministry spokesman Yossi Levy as saying.

January 11th, 2009 WASHINGTON - US president-elect Barack Obama indicated that his administration would move 'swiftly' with new tactics in its approach to Iran to head off the impending nuclear crisis and block Tehran's support of terrorism. Speaking Sunday in an interview with ABC news, Obama said he expected Iran to be 'one of our biggest challenges' when he takes office Jan 20.