Bush 'the greatest terrorist'

2006-01-10 07:27

United Nations - The United Nations'children's agency said singer Harry Belafonte was speaking as a private citizen, not a Unicef goodwill ambassador, when he called United States President George W Bush "the greatest terrorist in the world."

The 79-year-old Belafonte, famous for his calypso-inspired music, made headlines during a trip to Venezuela when he spoke out against Bush and said millions of Americans support the socialist revolution of Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez.

Belafonte was a close collaborator of the Reverend Martin Luther King jun and has been a Unicef goodwill ambassador since 1987. He also has been an outspoken critic of the US embargo of communist Cuba.

The US Fund for Unicef said in a statement that Belafonte made the comments about Bush and Chavez "as a private citizen and was not speaking as a Unicef ambassador, nor acting in an official capacity on behalf of the organisation."

Calls to Unicef offices

As a goodwill ambassador, Unicef said, Belafonte has travelled to Senegal, Rwanda and South Africa and has worked diligently to promote the organisation's programmes and the rights of children. He also has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Unicef.

Belafonte led a delegation of Americans including actor Danny Glover, Princeton University scholar Cornel West and farmworker advocate Dolores Huerta that met Chavez for more than six hours late Saturday. Several members, including Belafonte, attended the president's television and radio broadcast on Sunday.

During the broadcast, Belafonte told Chavez, "No matter what the greatest tyrant in the world, the greatest terrorist in the world, George W Bush says, we're here to tell you: Not hundreds, not thousands, but millions of the American people ... support your revolution."

"We respect you, admire you, and we are expressing our full solidarity with the Venezuelan people and your revolution," Belafonte added.

The US Fund for Unicef put out the statement in response to calls to its office and Unicef headquarters.

It urged donors to continue to provide children with life-saving medicine, better nutrition, clean water and sanitation, basic education and emergency relief, noting that its programs are funded entirely by voluntary contributions.

- AP