海角大神

It's like that old country song: "Lookin' for love in all the wrong places. Lookin' for love." (Or as Eddie Murphy would say in his classic SNL skit, "wookin pa nub.")

That's what Venezuelan firebrand Hugo Ch谩vez appears to be doing this week on an 11-day trip that trip takes him to Russia, Belarus, Syria, Algeria, Libya, and Iran.

They may be the wrong places only as far as the US is concerned. (It was, after all, Mr. Chavez who joked that his trip would be to the "evil axis" countries.) But for Ch谩vez and his assortment of less-than-US-friendly hosts, the chemistry may be just right.

In fact, Ch谩vez gave Col. Muammar Qaddafi as he was welcomed as the guest of honor during festivities to ring in the 40th anniversary of the Libyan strongman's coup.

Ch谩vez also said he's "longing" to go to Damascus on Thursday to see his friend, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. There Ch谩vez should be sure to feel the love. Earlier this year, Ch谩vez was ranked as Arabs' top favorite world leader for his strong anti-Israel and anti-US stances, according to one respected survey.

What will he do in Syria?

"We will press ahead with strengthening relations according to the road map we put forward with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad," said Ch谩vez.

Ch谩vez then heads to Iran on Saturday to discuss bilateral energy agreements, among other things 鈥� including, perhaps, their shared disdain for US "hegemony." Ch谩vez and Mr. Ahmadinejad have visited each other's respective countries many times in the past few years. Ch谩vez was one of the first leaders to congratulate Ahmadinejad on his June election victory.

Among the handful of other nations to congratulate Ahmadinejad on winning an election that was, by most accounts, deeply flawed was tiny Belarus.

That nation is run by "Europe's last dictator," Alexander Lukashenko, who was for his crackdown on opposition leaders a few years ago.

It's also where Ch谩vez will wrap up his foreign tour.

Yeah, I think he'll feel the love.