Poor old Pat Robertson! His suggestion that the Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez be “taken out” appears to have backfired. Whereas the tele-evangelist’s personal ethics and mores have come under the public microscope, his jolly target has been out there wowing the UN General Assembly, doling out 300,000 barrels of oil direct to Katrina victims and writing checks for the underprivileged in the hard-bitten Bronx.

The power of Hugo’s charisma was driven home to me by the width of Kofi Annan’s smile. There they were these men from different worlds chuckling along the UN corridors arm-in-arm like blood brothers. Anyone who can melt the secretary-general’s formal exterior so completely is a dangerous man indeed.

Needless to say, the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice failed to succumb. Perhaps it was something the rotund guerilla’s great-grandson atop a mountain of black gold said at the UN or during a whistle-stop round of media interviews.

Let’s take Hugo’s speech for starters. His desire to move the UN Headquarters out of New York to “an international city that would host the idea of unity...if the repeated violations to the international rule of law continue” would have been enough to see Bush’s appointed ambassador to the UN John Bolton stifle a few well-chosen expletives on its own.

But the fiery Latino didn’t stop there. After reminding the world that even though there never were any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq that country had been bombed and occupied, he urged the people of the United States to be rigorous in demanding the truth from their leaders.

“Let us not permit a few countries to reinterpret the principles of international law in order to impose new doctrines such as ‘pre-emptive warfare’”, said Chavez, adding with a flourish, “Oh do they threaten us with that pre-emptive war!

“Regardless of the conspiracies, the lies spread by powerful media outlets and the permanent threat from the empire and its allies, they even call for the assassination of a president. The only country where a person is able to call for the assassination of a head of state is the United States. Such was the case of a reverend called Pat Robertson, very close to the White House. He called for my assassination and he is a free person. That is international terrorism!”

The US delegation must surely have noticed that while the speeches of Bush and Blair were met with stony silence, Hugo’s controversial uttering received vigorous applause from delegates.

On the pre-emptive warfare point, the Venezuelan speaks from the heart. During an interview on ABC television’s “Nightline”, he announced the US has plans to invade his country and said he was willing to provide the network with documentary evidence to prove it.

The operation, involving aircraft carrier and planes, has even been designated a name, according to Chavez. It’s called “Balboa” and the US has already been practicing for the big event in Curacao, he said, warning such an attack could lead to a 100-year war and drive up gasoline prices. US officials have laughed off these accusations, saying American military personnel were on the island of Curacao purely for “rest and recreation”.

Last on his “hearts and minds winning” itinerary was a visit to the Bronx where he wooed the crowd with hugs and kisses, his fascination with baseball and displays of his maracas-shaking skills to the strains of a Dominican band. His audience was won over and cheered even as Chavez denounced the White House for its neo-imperialist ambitions.

Back on his own soil, the man with an uncanny common touch was lauded as a returning hero. “He made us proud to be Venezuelans,” said teacher Judith Liendo. His speech “was historic” and “no other president has ever done what he did: Stand up there and speak truths the powerful countries don’t want to hear.”

During a two-hour address to the nation, Chavez told his people that the UN is trying to legalize imperialism and “the imperialist” government of George W. Bush is still “trying to dominate the world”. The crowds lapped it up.

Over the past weeks the Bush administration has come in for a bashing not only from its own people over what is generally considered its slow response to the suffering caused by Hurricane Katrina, but also from a variety of world leaders.

Most notable among its critics was another leader of an oil-rich nation, the president of Iran. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad lambasted states that abused their power to engage in intimidation and threats of pre-emptive strikes during his address before the UN General Assembly.

But few could argue that the most vocal of all was the former Malaysian leader Dr. Mahathir Mohammed. His caustic words directed at the superpower and Britain resulted in both British and European diplomats walking out of a Malaysian human rights conference in protest.

Accusing the Western allies of state terrorism, Mahathir pulled no punches. “The British and American bomber pilots came, unopposed, safe and cozy in their state-of-the-art aircraft, pressing buttons to drop bombs, to kill and maim,” he said.

“And these murderers, for that is what they are, would go back to celebrate ‘Mission Accomplished’. Who are the terrorists? The people below, that were bombed, or the bombers?”

Dr. Mahathir’s definition of terrorism is unlikely to ever be accepted by the United Nations whose members did manage a single voice against terror but failed to agree on what constitutes terrorism.

There is one thing to come out of the UN’s 60th anniversary summit on which just about everyone can sign up to. The term “United Nations” has become a misnomer. World opinion has rarely been as divided and the planet has become a dangerous place where conflict is more of a norm than an exception.

What can be done? Chavez, Ahmadinejad and Dr. Mahathir might say all it needs are new tenants of the big house on Pennsylvania Avenue. Bush and his pals might put the blame on rogue states and their stubborn leaderships.

In the meantime, vendors are doing a brisk trade in Hugo mugs and T-shirts. Move over Che! Make way Fidel! There’s a new revolutionary in town and one whose grin is deadlier than the fastest draw in the West.