Here is a transcript of the video above, in which Pamela Geller and Islamic apologist Michael Ghouse debate the “war on terror” on the Hannity Show: “Does releasing Taliban fighters help or hurt US cause?,” Fox News, May 7 (thanks to Pamela Geller):
This is a rush transcript from “Hannity,” May 7, 2012. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
SEAN HANNITY, HOST: And this a Fox News alert. U.S. officials are confirming tonight that the CIA thwarted an Al Qaeda plot to bomb a U.S. bound jet to mark the one year anniversary of Usama bin Laden’s death. Now according to the FBI, the device designed to carry out the attack was ceased abroad and never presented a threat to public safety. But authorities are considering the plot a more advanced version of the underwear bomb that failed to detonate aboard a plane on Christmas of 2009. Now, the device did not contain any metal and early reports indicate that Ibrahim al-Asiri is the Saudi bomb-maker who could be the engineer of this device.
And tonight, Fox News has learned that this operation is ongoing and that other countries were in fact involved. A source also told Fox News that there is a second threat stream that is out in the Middle East involving surgically implanted body bombs.
Now, the White House has confirmed and the president was briefed about the foiled plot in April. And this news comes on the heels of a very disturbing news report from the Washington Post that revealed that the Obama White House is secretly releasing high level Taliban detainees from Gitmo in order to appease the Afghan government at the negotiating table. Now, these are the same Taliban members who harbored Al Qaeda in Afghanistan prior to the 9/11 attacks.
The president spoke about the U.S. government sit-downs with these terrorists last week and Afghanistan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, MAY 1)
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: In coordination with the Afghan government, my administration has been in direct discussions with the Taliban. We’ve made it clear that they can be a part of this future if they break with Al Qaeda, renounce violence and abide by Afghan laws. Many members of the Taliban from foot soldiers to leaders have indicated an interest in reconciliation. The path to peace is now set before them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: Now, as terrorists return to the battlefield thanks to the Obama administration, the head of the Senate Intelligence Committee is warning about the growing strength of the Taliban. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, “SOTU”/CNN)
SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN, D-CALIF.: President Karzai believes that the Taliban will not come back. I’m not so sure. The Taliban has a shadow system of governors in many provinces. They’ve gone up north, they’ve gone to the east, attacks are up.
I think we both say what we found is the Taliban is stronger.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: Joining me now with reaction, Pam Geller and also with us is from the America Together Foundation Michael Ghouse.
Michael, you know, you and I have been at odds on a lot of things here. I was right about the Muslim Brotherhood, I was right about them taking power, even the presidential candidates, the top candidates, teir candidates in the Muslim Brotherhood have all said that they want to destroy, not only Israel but be at war with the United States and support Al Qaeda.
You said that wasn’t going to happen. Obama said, that wasn’t going to happen. But we are negotiating with the Muslim Brotherhood, we are giving them taxpayer dollars. In this case, we’re releasing the enemies that we caught on the battlefield, thinking, what? That somehow, they are going to be nice to us? Do you think the Taliban is going to be nice to America because we’re releasing their enemy combatants back to them?
MIKE GHOUSE, AMERICA TOGETHER FOUNDATION: Sean, confrontation will never yield results. We’re almost done fighting and colliding with each other, we’ll never find peace. We have an advantage. We have an advantage. We can keep a tight leash on them.
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: Doesn’t sound tight to me. It sounds pretty loose. They are getting released by the American government. That sounds, you know, like a, you know, get-out-of-jail-free card.
GHOUSE: We still have the power over them. We can annihilate them any time they want. But what we need to give them a chance to make peace and work with us.
HANNITY: Give them a chance? Give the terrorists a chance?
GHOUSE: Of course.
HANNITY: And you think the terrorists, those committed to the jihad and holy war and wanted to kill Americans and kept women in bondage in Afghanistan, do you believe that they’re going to be all of a sudden be nice because we set them free.
PAMELA GELLER, “STOP THE ISLAMIZATION OF AMERICA”: You can avoid reality but you can’t avoid the consequences of avoiding reality. He has basically declared the War on Terror over.
HANNITY: Two weeks ago.
GELLER: Two weeks ago. And frankly, he is not just declared it over. He switched sides. The very idea that we’ve been releasing Jihadists for years is not an act of appeasement, an act of surrender. There is absolutely no proof in any way, shape or form that they are going to make peace. Why should they make peace?
HANNITY: Yes.
GELLER: We cannot end a war that we did not start….