Posted on 08/23/2005 11:54:53 AM PDT by kddid
Venezuela's vice president accused religious broadcaster Pat Robertson on Tuesday of making "terrorist statements" by suggesting that American agents assassinate President Hugo Chavez.
Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel said Venezuela was studying its legal options, adding that how Washington responds to Robertson's comments would put its anti-terrorism policy to the test.
"The ball is in the U.S. court, after this criminal statement by a citizen of that country," Rangel told reporters. "It's huge hypocrisy to maintain this discourse against terrorism and at the same time, in the heart of that country, there are entirely terrorist statements like those." The State Department distanced itself from Robertson's comments.
"We do not share his view, and his comments are inappropriate," spokesman Sean McCormack said.
There was no immediate comment from Chavez, who was winding up an official visit to Cuba on Tuesday. Scores of journalists awaited Chavez at the airport, where he was to board a plane for a trip to Jamaica to discuss a Venezuela initiative to supply petroleum to Caribbean countries under favorable financial terms.
On Monday, Robertson said on the Christian Broadcast Network's "The 700 Club": "We have the ability to take him out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability."
"We don't need another $200 billion war to get rid of one, you know, strong-arm dictator," he continued. "It's a whole lot easier to have some of the covert operatives do the job and then get it over with."
Chavez has emerged as one of the most outspoken critics of President Bush, accusing the United States of conspiring to topple his government and possibly backing plots to assassinate him. U.S. officials have called the accusations ridiculous.
"You know, I don't know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it," Robertson said. "It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war ... and I don't think any oil shipments will stop."
Rangel called Robertson "a man who seems to have quite a bit of influence in that country," adding sarcastically that his words were "very Christian."
The comments "reveal that religious fundamentalism is one of the great problems facing humanity in these times," Rangel said.
Robertson's remarks appear likely to further stoke tensions between Washington and Caracas. Chavez has repeatedly claimed that American officials are plotting to oust or kill him _ charges U.S. officials have denied.
The United States is the top buyer of Venezuelan crude, but Chavez has made it clear he wants to decrease the country's dependence on the U.S. market by finding other buyers.
Chavez has survived a brief 2002 coup, a devastating two-month strike that ended in early 2003 and recall referendum in 2004. The former army paratroop commander, a close ally of Cuban leader Fidel Castro, is up for re-election next year, and polls suggest he is the favorite.
"If Chavez has him whacked, there will be a whole lot of folk calling for the head of Hugo."
Somehow I don't see Pat as the martyr type.
>>Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel said Venezuela was studying its legal options, adding that how Washington responds to Robertson's comments would put its anti-terrorism policy to the test.<<
Uhmm, you have no legal options and Robertson is protected by the First Amendment.
Dumbass.
Me neither, but FWIW before today I didn't see him as the advocating-assasination type.
good point..
Pat Robertson said to assassinate the Venezuelan president, not kill the people of Venezuela. There is a huge difference between the assassination of an evil leader and indiscriminant terror attacks upon civilians. Your comment sounds more like an accusation made by someone on DU; using false comparisons in order to evoke emotion rather than debating with facts.
In August 2005, Robertson, a christian, incites followers to kill people of other cultures..
I am not incited to kill other people, Old Pat can say what he wants, I don't believe it was said from the pulpit was it
Add Crazy Mullah Robertson to the daily terrorist round-up.
:)
I'm hardly an apologist for Chavez by saying that Robertson, who is a religious leader, should not be recommending that the US assassinate a world leader. #1. It's against the law. #2. Robertson doesn't think this conflicts just a tad with his Christian believes?
This is the #1 story on CNN. Wolfie is hyping it constantly!
Interesting how they'll spend all day on off-the-wall comments from the right, but totally cover for the ravings of "Mother Sheehan."
By the way, LittleGreenFootballs noted that MediaMatters.org hyped this story yesterday and the MSM is taking their cue from there.
http://mediamatters.org/items/200508220006
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=17181_Hard_Left_Advocacy_Group_Sets_MSM_Agenda#comments
The enemies of America are not Pat Robertson, Tom Tancredo or George W.Bush. The enemies of America are dictators like Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro, and terrorists like Osama Bin Laden, Ayman Al-Zawahiri and Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi.
Pat Robertson may not be a saint, but he spoke the truth.
And in this age of terrorism and the WOT, the law that makes assassination illegal should be overturned.
Can I pull the trigger?
Pat has let us all down. The entire world sees America as the great IMPERIALIST. So WHAT if Venezuela wants to have a mad man for President? Is it THEIR petroleum after all, or does everything belong to the financial interests of only Americans?
OK, I just figured it out.
Karl Rove told Robertson to say it, to take Mother Sheehan off the front page. Pat is taking one for the team!
That Rove is a genius!
We'll have to agree to disagree about the wisdom of Robertson's outburst.
Pardon me ... Meant to say hundreds. But tomorrow it may be thousands of news reports.
"You've got Lefties on the air talking about assassination of the US President, the media yawns. "
But the Secret Service ain't yawnin'.
Pat Robertson's a jackass.
Who do you think calculates the "approval rating"? Try running against Chavez without your own army.
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