In Venezuela, a US navy attache has been expelled for allegedly spying for the US government. President Hugo Chavez identified the attach?as Commander John Correa. Chavez accused Correa of setting the stage for a "Panama-type operation", a reference to the 1989 US invasion that led to the arrest of Panama leader Manuel Noriega and thousands of deaths. The US government denied its military officials had engaged in espionage.

Rumsfeld Compares Chavez"s Election To Hitler"s
As Chavez was announcing the expulsion, two top US cabinet members were criticizing him in Washington. At a press luncheon, US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said: "You"ve got Chavez in Venezuela with a lot of oil money. He"s a person who was elected legally just as Adolf Hitler was elected legally." On Capitol Hill, US National Intelligence Director John Negroponte warned against Chavez"s reelection, and said the Venezuelan leader is seeking closer economic, military and diplomatic ties with Iran and North Korea."

World Can"s Wait Activist Interrupts Rumsfeld Speech

And at the same press event where Rumsfeld spoke, an anti-war activist interrupted his speech.

World Can"t Wait"s Heather Hurwitz: "You have committed crimes against humanity and BushCommission.org and thousands are coming this weekend to drive you out of office, You and you whole administration. Step down Mr. Rumsfeld, Bush administration step down and take these programs with you. You are torturing people signing off on torture. It"s happening. This world needs to wake up, stop this war, this criminal war."

Hurwitz is a member of the group World Can"t Wait. The group is convening a protest in Washington Saturday calling on the Bush administration to step down. Thousands of people are expected to attend.