Hugo Chavez: The Threat Close to Home

" On if you can now to another rat -- below Chavez our next guest says Chavez has the means and the motivation -- the United States in a way that few other countries -- he's written this book the threat closer to home democratic strategist and co author of the book. Doug Schoen who joins us now so. -- he has a connection to Iran and explain how. This kind of move overran a take over UNDP might make him out worst reference well there's a regular shuttle between Caracas and -- around three or four times a week. Plenty of seats available if you're a terrorist or arms trafficker and what fat joke really means is that there isn't. Ongoing economic and indeed military relations. Between Iran and Venezuela for the sole purpose of undermining the United States and naked now use the UNDP is a cover for their connection had absolutely that was sending last week cut. Some truck parts from. Tehran to Caracas they were explosives interdicted in Turkey this new and -- UND. -- chairmanship gives Iran a wide berth to make mischief and Chavis has said very clearly. That he is going to do everything within his power. To work with Iran Hezbollah which has training cells. In Venezuela and Hamas who he is called his heroes he said what Israel's doing as a holocaust. So rest assured this is bad news for the United States at a challenge for Barack Obama absolutely it could it goes so far as we saw during Cuban missile crisis where if Iran develops nukes. They plant some of those -- perhaps even on missiles in Venezuela aimed at the US well it certainly within the realm of reason that we can have a confrontation. With Iran through Venezuela as a proxy and you know. That the Russians sent the nuclear -- Peter the great. For nuclear exercises. In the hemisphere last month and the State Department said well it's a -- are right joining us now on the phone is former ambassador to the United Nations from the united from the United States. John Bolton ambassador this is kind of the perfect storm that we're all afraid of right."

" Well if it demonstrates I think beyond debate at this point why the United Nations does not going to impose significant sanctions on Iran and its nuclear weapons program when it can get elected to the chairmanship of the governing board of such a significant UN agency that this tells you everything you need to know about the culture in New York."

" Ambassador exactly what if anything I mean we we certainly voted against this move to put Iran in charge but what can we do now that they are in charge of the UNDP."

" But I think we have to watch very carefully what they're up to help program decisions are made health funds are allocated in. And where it goes. But I tell you it's it's very difficult once they've got the position and and this just shows how much. The UN system is really beyond our effective breach."

" Claudia rosette Jagger still let us I want to ask exactly what we can't do. We know what we can it was journalist to try to monitor what happens but what we do was a country to try to prevent these things that dug in you've been to describe it."

" Well one thing would be real transparency. And which the UNDP has never provided not remotely and that would be something where they actually. Public and -- in public they're full budgets they're real budgets what they've spent -- went to. And it in incomplete detail. Allow us to see these programs which are after all supposed to promote development. There's no reason they should be secret. But they are. And in the secrecy that's how in fact UN programs broadly often lend themselves. Two things like undermining UN sanctions to proliferation. So the more transparency. You can get the better. -- that battle has been thought again and again and it tends to the UN intends to defeat it just because the UN doesn't have to answer. In any court of law for most of what it does and does so."

" Explain please forgive me buddy Doug explain for us exactly how somebody like Hugo Chavez takes advantage. Of these systems takes advantage of the United Nations obviously he goes and makes -- anti US which is there but how might he now use the Iran head of the UNDP he uses every means at his disposal. To foment. Terror in the insurrection against the US. He's off funded the Farc. In a -- Columbia and allowed them to do mistress. -- mischief he will undeniably continue his economic political and military ties with the -- and this UNDP chairmanship. Allows him cut other avenues. To promote weapons of -- ask her -- if you don't know and you probably do because -- politically savvy as well as diplomatically savvy Doug Schoen is a Democrat. Who worked hard to get -- of Barack Obama elected when are well I had a -- is a Democrat so. There are a lot of Democrats that are on board and monitoring this threat as well do you think that the new Obama administration. Will do enough. To prevent this thing from going any further an already --"

" I think it's hard to predict but I think what dug his bank shows the terror is a broad majority in the United States that wants tough steps taken internationally against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction -- the support for terrorism like. I've by countries like Iran and Venezuela but I think if president elect Obama demonstrates the tough line he'll have a lot of support."

" Ambassador John Bolton Doug Schoen and -- thank you so much. When an expert crew on this subject --"