Chavez warns of war with Colombia

Venezuela and Ecuador have ordered troops to their borders with Colombia, raising concerns of a broader conflict after Colombia killed a top rebel leader on Ecuadorean soil.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Sunday promised Venezuela would respond militarily if Colombia violates its border, where he ordered tanks as well as thousands of troops. He also ordered closed Venezuela's embassy in Bogota.
Ecuador's president, Rafael Correa, called for the troop deployment while also withdrawing his government's ambassador from Bogota and expelling Colombia's top diplomat.
"There is no justification," Correa said Sunday night, snubbing an earlier announcement from Colombia that it would apologise for the incursion by its military.
Chavez called the killing of rebel leader and spokesman Raul Reyes and 16 other rebels on Saturday an attack by a "terrorist state."
"Mr. Defence Minister, move 10 battalions to the border with Colombia for me, immediately tank battalions. Deploy the air force," Chavez said during his weekly TV and radio programme. "We don't want war, but we aren't going to permit the US empire, which is the master (of Colombia) ... to come divide us.”