Televangelist Pat Robetson has called for the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on his program 'The 700 Club.'
Robertson announced that it was up to the United States to prevent Chavez from making Venezuela a 'launching pad for communist infiltration and Muslim extremism.'
Chavez has accused the United States of trying to overthrow his government and at times of even trying to assassinate him. The United States, which technically has a policy against assassinating foreign leaders, has vehemently denied the accusations.
'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.'
Venezuela is the fifth largest oil exporting nation and is a major supplier of oil to the United States. Chavez has been very critical of the Bush administration and has accused the U.S. of supporting Cuban and Venezuelan groups that seek the overthrow of Chavez and Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.
'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 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.'
Robertson, a former Republican candidate for president of the United States and founder of the Christian Coalition of America, could not be reached for comment.
