Venezuela To Seek Legal Action Against Robertson

[JFN1]

Okay, this is both gratifying and frightening:

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said on Sunday his government would take legal action against Pat Robertson and potentially seek his extradition after the U.S. evangelist called for Washington to assassinate the South American leader.

Robertson, who later apologized for the remark, said he was expressing his frustration with Chavez's constant accusations against the administration of President George W. Bush.

"I announce that my government is going to take legal action in the United States ... to call for the assassination of a head of state is an act of terrorism." Chavez said in a televised speech.

The fiery left-wing critic of Bush's foreign policy who frequently charges the U.S. government is plotting to kill him, called Robertson "crazy" and a "public menace."

It is interesting that the FCC, Homeland Security, and other government agencies have not issued even a single remark (that I've been able to find) about Robertson's call for assassination. But Chavez doesn't have any problem calling Robertson exactly what he is:

He said Venezuela could seek Robertson's extradition under international treaties and take its claim to the United Nations if the Bush administration did not act.

Robertson, the founder of the Christian Coalition and a leader of the Christian right that has backed Bush, said on Monday that if Chavez "thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it."

U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said political assassination was against the law and was not U.S. policy.

Relations between Chavez and the United States, the top buyer of the OPEC nation's oil, have deteriorated since Chavez survived a brief 2002 coup he says was backed by U.S. authorities. Washington says it is not plotting to kill Chavez and denies involvement in the coup.

Chavez said on Friday Bush would be to blame if anything happened to him. In the past, he has said Venezuela, the world's fifth-largest oil exporter, would cut sales to the United States if he was assassinated.

The US gets something like 20-25% of our oil from Venezuala. Watch as the Bush administration begins to paint this as a threat to national security, and an excuse for pre-emptive invasion. I wonder - will Americans stand for it?

More here: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N2886425.htm

[wli]

1. the SCO will strike if Reichsmarschall Rumsfeld does it

And oh boy, that's going to be a major draft with huge numbers of casualties a la WWII if they do, much like Iran. Also, it's likely that surrounding countries will all converge on the invasion force.

[JFN1]

2. I agree

And after they deal with our invasion force, they may decide to turn their eyes to the north, to deal with the invaders themselves...man, it sure seems like Bush is doing everything he can to bring about his armeggeddon...