CARACAS, Venezuela -- Venezuela's No. 2 man is branding the Rev. Pat Robertson's comments about the country's president "terrorist statements." Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel said the response to the religious broadcaster's suggestion that the United States kill Hugo Chavez would be a test of American anti-terrorist policy.
Robertson said Chavez should be taken out to stop the world's fifth-largest oil exporter from becoming, in his words, a "launching pad for communist influence and Muslim extremism."
Rangel said it's hypocritical for the United States to speak out against terrorism but do nothing about what Robertson said. The Bush administration has distanced itself from Robertson's words, with State Department spokesman Sean McCormack calling them "inappropriate." Although State Department officials and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Robertson's remarks were inappropriate, they stopped short of condemning them.
Rumsfeld said the United States doesn't assassinate foreign leaders. Rumsfeld said he knew of no consideration ever being given to the idea of assassinating Chavez. He noted that Robertson is a private citizen, and private citizens say all kinds of things.
Then-President Ford signed an executive order in the mid-1970s that declared political assassination off-limits.
Meanwhile, the general secretary of the National Council of Churches said Robertson might want to review the commandment, "Thou shalt not kill."
The Rev. Bob Edgar said he's shocked by the televangelist's call on Monday's broadcast of "The 700 Club" for the U.S. assassination of Chavez.
Edgar said "it defies logic that a clergyman could so casually dismiss thousands of years of Judeo-Christian law."
Focus Shifts From Assassination To Terror’s Biblical Roots
A day after calling for the U.S, assassination of Chavez, Robertson speculated about biblical roots for Islamic terrorism.
Arabs and Muslims view themselves as descendants of Abraham's son Ishmael.
On Tuesday's broadcast of "The 700 Club," Robertson said, "The Bible talks about Ishmael as being 'a wild ass.' He's just uncontrollable, and it's almost like this seed of rebellion and uncontrolled anger has, you know, filtered into these people."
The founder of the Christian Broadcasting Network added that Islamic terrorists seem to be motivated by "a spirit of murder."
Robertson didn't mention the controversy caused by his call Monday for assassination. But CBN said he stands by his statement.
Chavez Mild In Response To Robertson
Hugo Chavez said he doesn't know who Pat Robertson is. Chavez, wrapping up a trip to Cuba, said he hasn't read anything about the religious broadcaster's call for American agents to assassinate him.
The United States quickly distanced itself from Robertson's extreme comments.
Poster Comment:
Robertson to say the least is a radical cleric ..