Televangelist Calls for Chavez' Death

Aug 22 11:06 PM US/Eastern

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Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson called on Monday f= or the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, calling him a "terr= ific danger" to the = United States.

Robertson, founder of the Christian Coalition of America and a former presidential candidat= e, said on "The 700 Club" it was the United States' duty to stop Chavez from making Venezuela a "launching pad for communist infiltration and Muslim extremism."<= o:p>

Chavez has emerged as one of the most outspoken critic= s of President Bush, accusing the United States of conspiring to topple his government and possibly backing plots to assassinate him. U.S. of= ficials 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 th= at we really ought to go ahead and do it," Robertson said. "It's a w= hole lot cheaper than starting a war ... and I don't think any oil shipments will stop."

Electronic pages and a message to a Robertson spokeswo= man were not immediately returned Monday evening.

Venezuela is the fifth largest oil exporter and a major supplier of oil to the United States. The CIA estimates that U.S. markets absorb almost 59 percent of Venezuela's total exports.

Venezuela's government has demanded in the past that the United States crack down on Cuban and Venezuelan "terrorists" in Flo= rida who they say are conspiring against Chavez.

Robertson accused the = United States of failing to a= ct when Chavez was briefly overthrown in 2002.

"We have the ability to take him out, and I think= the time has come that we exercise that ability," Robertson said.

"We don't need another $200 billion war to get ri= d 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."