Chavez, Ahmadinejad Chuckle About Nukes

(Newser) – Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez shared a laugh about a nuclear bomb and Washington during a jovial meeting yesterday in Caracas. Chavez joked that a nuke was ready under a grassy knoll in front of his Miraflores palace steps. "That hill will open up and a big atomic bomb will come out," he said as the two laughed. "The imperialist spokesmen say Ahmadinejad and I are going into the Miraflores basement now to set our sights on Washington and launch cannons and missiles," Chavez added. "It's laughable."

The two made a big show of friendship as they met outside the palace, hugging each other and smiling, reports Reuters. "Despite those arrogant people who do not wish us to be together, we will unite forever," declared Ahmadinejad. His Venezuela visit starts a tour aimed at shoring up support as he grapples with expanded Western sanctions aimed at penalizing his suspected goal of developing nuclear weapons. Ahmadinejad also plans to visit Nicaragua, Cuba, and Ecuador.