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Venezuela Angry over Evangelist's Assassination Call
Financial Times ^ | August 23, 2005 | Hal Weitzman

Posted on 08/25/2005 7:01:52 AM PDT by minerboy

Venezuela's government reacted angrily on Tuesday to calls by Pat Robertson, the US televangelist, for President Hugo Chávez to be assassinated.

José Vicente Rangel, vice-president, said that how US authorities responded would demonstrate their commitment to fighting terrorism. “It's deeply hypocritical to talk about fighting terrorism while at the same time, within that country, there are obvious terrorist statements,” he said.

Mr Robertson made his comments on Monday on The 700 Club, a programme broadcast by his Christian Broadcasting Network. The preacher said killing Mr Chávez would prevent Venezuela becoming a “launching pad” for extremism.

“If he thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it,” Mr Robertson said in reference to a claim Mr Chávez made in June that he had evidence that the US wanted him dead. “This is a dangerous enemy to our south controlling a huge pool of oil.”

Sean McCormack, US State Department spokesman, said in Washington on Tuesday: “We don't share his view and his comments are inappropriate.

“Any allegations that we are planning to take hostile action against the Venezuela government are completely baseless and without fact.”

In Caracas, Desire Santos Amaral, a pro-Chávez politician, called Mr Robertson a “fascist” whose opinions were “part of the policies of aggression from the rightwing in the North”.

Bernardo Alvarez, Venezuela's ambassador to the US, urged the Bush administration to condemn Mr Robertson's comments “in the strongest terms”. “It's essential that the US government guarantee [Mr Chávez's] safety when he visits this country in the future, including his scheduled visits to the United Nations in New York,” Mr Alvarez said.

The US government has explicitly banned assassinations since 1976.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.ft.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS:

1 posted on 08/25/2005 7:01:52 AM PDT by minerboy
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To: minerboy

Wouldl they have been upset about the plot to kill Hitler?


2 posted on 08/25/2005 7:02:48 AM PDT by TBP
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To: minerboy

It was a dumb thing to say in public. Dumb.


3 posted on 08/25/2005 7:04:01 AM PDT by mad puppy ( "He's with me!" And I'm with W.)
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To: mad puppy

"It was a dumb thing to say in public. Dumb"

I only wish the media gave it this kind of attention and Americans got as angry when leftists call for Bush's assassination.


4 posted on 08/25/2005 7:09:16 AM PDT by L98Fiero
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To: mad puppy

It was extremely stupid of him.


5 posted on 08/25/2005 7:09:54 AM PDT by Paradox (Budweiser, fighting for the Right to Keep and Beer Arms.)
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To: minerboy

That's all we needed, more attention to that nutcase Chavez. He is just like Sheehan, craving attention at any price. What happened to not even knowing who Robertson is? He is going to use this 'till the cows come her.


6 posted on 08/25/2005 7:12:00 AM PDT by Quinotto (On matters of style swim with the current,on matters of principle stand like a rock-Thomas Jefferson)
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To: minerboy

Yes Robertson was just talking out his Arse but in Ven you would be probably found dead if you said this there. They are mad cause they cant do anything about his comments!


7 posted on 08/25/2005 7:15:06 AM PDT by partyrepub
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To: minerboy

I'm sure that Chavez is gleeful. Robertson handed him a huge propaganda coup on a silver platter.

What a boob. He should become a monk with a vow of silence.


8 posted on 08/25/2005 7:20:08 AM PDT by wingnutx (tanstaafl)
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Comment #9 Removed by Moderator

To: TBP

Robertson later claimed that "take out" also meant KIDNAPPING." He then admitted to using the “A” word.

So what??

Anybody remember Daniel Ortega? He STILL reposes in a federal slam after Bush 1 had him KIDNAPPED for alleged drug running to the US?

And how about the Shah of Iran who was deposed and sent into exile by Carter et al after the Ayatolla Khomeini was airlifted back into Iran ON A US CHOPPER?

And I wonder what might have happened in Vietnam if Ho had been snuffed some time before 1965?

And little Georgie Stepanfetchitopolous wrote a memo to Clinton about 8 years ago suggesting the assassination of Saddam. Nary a word in the media about THAT!

If I dug a bit deeper, I'm sure I could find MANY, MANY more examples.

And while on the subject, years ago, author John Toland uncovered documentary proof that FDR knew in advance that the Japanese were going to attack Pearl Harbor. It has now been widely accepted that he did, indeed, know and subsequently hung Admiral Kimmel and a number of others out to dry for it. But, you say, those dead and wounded at Pearl were small sacrifices to get the American people to lust after revenge against the Axis powers?

I join Pat Robertson in believing that kidnapping or KILLING one tin-horn South American dictator and Castro wannabe is a small sacrifice to keep us from sending our youngsters down there for full scale war to secure the 15% of the US oil we get from them (and that’s what Iraq is all about, isn’t it?) Yeah, that’s the ticket. Instead of one quiet snuff squad, let’s send our kids down there with guns and get lots of them killed or horribly maimed for life.

Unless, of course, somebody gains something by letting this guy LIVE so as to precipitate a war down there... Que bono? is the question I want answered.

And relative to the current mess in Iraq, why do you suppose Bush 1 instructed the US Ambassador to Iraq, one April Glaspie, to tell Saddam essentially that we'd stay the hell out of it if he invaded Kuwait. Read it for yourself at

http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/ARTICLE5/april.htmlt


10 posted on 08/25/2005 7:34:12 AM PDT by Dick Bachert
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To: minerboy
"“It's essential that the US government guarantee [Mr Chávez's] safety when he visits this country in the future, including his scheduled visits to the United Nations in New York,” Mr Alvarez said."

This is ridiculous. We can't allow Chavez into this country. He is a communist tyrant.
11 posted on 08/25/2005 8:49:48 AM PDT by monday
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To: minerboy

>>>José Vicente Rangel, vice-president, said that how US authorities responded would demonstrate their commitment to fighting terrorism. >>>

Guess what buddy, we have something that might be foreign to you, but it's called Freedom of Speech. No matter how stupid the speech might be.


12 posted on 08/25/2005 9:13:39 AM PDT by sandbar
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To: Dick Bachert
Surely you mean Manuel Noriega, and not the child molesting "Daniel"??
13 posted on 08/25/2005 9:15:43 AM PDT by AmericanInTokyo (**AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT IS NOT SO MUCH "WHO" WE STAND FOR, BUT RATHER "WHAT" WE STAND FOR**)
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To: minerboy

Oh, Venezuala can get over it.

Who freaking cares, except the MSM twits?


14 posted on 08/25/2005 9:17:11 AM PDT by Skooz ("Political Correctness is the handmaiden of terrorism" - Michelle Malkin)
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To: AmericanInTokyo

Of course. Thanks for the correction.


15 posted on 08/25/2005 9:52:56 AM PDT by Dick Bachert
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To: Dick Bachert
"I join Pat Robertson in believing that kidnapping or KILLING one tin-horn South American dictator and Castro wannabe is a small sacrifice to keep us from sending our youngsters down there for full scale war ..."

I don't think you'll find many that disagree with the above. However, "believing" it and saying it to a national audience as a representative of the 700 club (or what ever it is) are two ENTIRELY another things.
16 posted on 08/25/2005 12:22:34 PM PDT by mad puppy ( "He's with me!" And I'm with W.)
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To: Dick Bachert

Do you have a link you can give me regarding George Stephanapolous's comments?

I've read them but now can't find them and want to write a letter to the editor about this matter.

Our local paper said that the Bush administration has close ties to Robertson. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think the president has ever even met with Robertson.

I want to write a letter but I want the facts at my disposal when I write it.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.


17 posted on 08/26/2005 8:08:58 AM PDT by Peach (The Clintons pardoned more terrorists than they ever captured or killed.)
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To: Dick Bachert

Update: I've found the info about Stephanapolous thinking we should assassinate Saddam in the 90's and even writing an article in Newsweek about it.

What I still don't know is whether Robertson has ANY ties to the president.


18 posted on 08/26/2005 8:15:29 AM PDT by Peach (The Clintons pardoned more terrorists than they ever captured or killed.)
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