During a September 29 interview on Fox News' Your World with Neil Cavuto, Focus on the Family founder James Dobson falsely claimed that while addressing the United Nations, Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez “said they're working on nuclear weapons and they want to take us down.” In fact, Chávez did not broach the subject of nuclear weapons in delivering controversial remarks before the United Nations General Assembly on September 20. Dobson might have been distorting remarks Chávez reportedly made the day after his U.N. speech, in which he discussed nuclear energy and asserted that the United States should “stop building its own atomic weapons.”

Chávez's September 20 comments were strongly critical of President Bush, whom Chávez equated with “the devil,” and of U.S. foreign policies in general, which he repeatedly characterized as “imperialistic.” The speech prompted broad criticism from both sides of the congressional aisle. One such critic, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-California), responded to Chávez's remarks by stating, “Hugo Chavez abused the privilege that he had speaking at the United Nations. In doing so, in the manner which he characterized the president, he demeaned himself and demeaned Venezuela.”

Although the day after delivering his U.N. speech Chávez reportedly threatened to “halt oil shipments if the U.S. tries to oust him,” Colorado Media Matters could find no reports -- other than Dobson's assertion -- suggesting that during his U.S. visit, Chávez issued nuclear threats against the United States. According to a CNN transcript of video taken of Chávez speaking before “an audience of hundreds in Harlem” the day after addressing the U.N. General Assembly, Chávez discussed possible nuclear cooperation with Iran, which he said “has a right ... to develop atomic energy for peaceful means”:

ZAIN VERJEE (anchor): Chavez also plays up his tight relationship with Iran and doesn't rule out a nuclear deal.

CHAVEZ (through translator): There is no commitment on the transfer of technology and the handling of nuclear energy for the time being but there could be in the future. Iran has a right just like all countries of the world to develop atomic energy for peaceful means.

VERJEE: Despite his vitriolic anti-U.S. tirades, Chavez is holding out hope for better relations.

CHAVEZ (through translator): In two years, when the elections come to the U.S., I hope that the president is a serious man; it doesn't matter if he comes from the right. I'll be the first person to raise my hand in order to re-establish a serious relationship of respect between governments and between people.

According to a September 22 AP story, while in Harlem, Chávez “used the word 'devil' to refer to examples of barbarism in the world, mentioning nuclear weapons, the Iraq war and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.” Newsday reporter Letta Tayler further conveyed that Chávez “said that, instead of thwarting other countries' aspirations to develop nuclear power, the United States should stop building its own atomic weapons.”

The Washington Times has cited “U.S. officials” as expressing concern that Chávez “might be taking the first steps” in what has been described as a “long road to develop nuclear weaponry.” However, the Times report, published October 17, 2005, paraphrased one Bush administration official as saying that “there is no clear evidence that Mr. Chavez wants to develop nuclear weapons.”

From the September 29 edition of Fox News' Your World with Neil Cavuto:

DAVID ASMAN (guest host): Zawahiri releasing a new tape just about an hour and a half ago, making new threats against America -- this time slamming Pope Benedict for his remarks on Islam, calling the pontiff a charlatan. Reaction now from Dr. James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family Action and author of Bringing Up Boys. Dr. Dobson, great to see you; thanks for coming in. First of all, your reaction to the Zawahiri tape?

DOBSON: Well, thank you, David, it's a pleasure to be on your program. When are we going to recognize that we are at war with an enemy that wants to destroy us? I mean, if you just listen to their rhetoric -- this video and the other things that have been said -- there can't be any doubt. I mean, Ahmadinejad said recently that, imagine a world with no United States; it's possible in our lifetime. And, of course, he wants to destroy Israel, and the spokesman for Al Qaeda said recently they want to slit our throats. And then we have this nut that comes up here to the United Nations from Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, and he said they're working on nuclear weapons and they want to take us down. I mean, the Democrats hear this, and people like Jimmy Carter and Hillary Clinton hear it, and they look at each other and say, what did he mean? Well, we know what they mean; they want to destroy us, and we've got to recognize that.