I must say, he's a much slicker operator than washington gives him credit. However, much like how Gaddafi had a similarly good appeal, his army is probably similarly useless; and turning the place into a failed state is actually the plan, rather than a Vietnam or Afghan style occupation. Keeping their resources off the market is basically the "Operation Grand Slam" going on here, but to be fair, Chavez-style Socialism has very nearly accomplished that anyways.