The Dutch government has denied Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's claims that it is allowing the United States to use Caribbean islands to prepare a possible military attack against his country.
A spokesman says Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen has asked Venezuela's ambassador to clarify the claims made by Chavez in a speech Thursday at the climate summit in Copenhagen.
Spokesman Bart Rijs told The Associated Press on Friday that "none of the countries in the (Dutch) kingdom recognize themselves in the comments of the president."
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Rijs says the United States uses civilian air fields on the self-governing islands of Curacao and Aruba to combat narcotic trafficking and use unarmed aircraft.
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