Clinton: I could have killed bin Laden. Michael Scheuer responds; goes ballistic on Geraldo

[Deborah K]

Michael Scheuer blasts Geraldo Rivera on Fox and Friends this morning:

After-the-brawl video included in the first link. Surprisingly, Brian Kilmeade defends Mike.

On Fox News Friday, Geraldo Rivera got into it with former CIA official Michael Scheuer over newly surfaced recordings of former president Bill Clinton, in which he claims the day before 9/11 that he could have killed Osama bin Laden.

In the tapes, Clinton says the reason he didn’t go in for the kill is that he would have had to “destroy a little town called Kandahar in Afghanistan and kill 300 innocent women and children, and then I would have been no better than him (bin Laden).”

Scheuer, identified as head of CIA’s bin Laden unit 1995-1999, disputed Clinton’s recollection. He said the attack on bin Laden “would have occurred in the middle of the night” and “it would have killed no one but Taliban people and Osama bin Laden and his crew.”

Scheuer took a shot at Clinton, saying, “if you looked up the word ‘lie’ his face (Clinton’s) would be right next to it.” He also claimed that he was fired from CBS after he bad mouthed Clinton.

Rivera was then brought in to discuss. He said Scheuer is “mixing and conflating intelligence with his own ideological spin.”

“So, what you have here with this gentleman who was dismissed by CBS by his own admission,” Rivera said, “is an analysis on the military action. And then No. 2, he is spinning it for his own purposes.”

What followed was a series of insults from Scheuer, who disparagingly called Rivera “a magazine guy,” “a dummy” and a “clown.”

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/former-ci...n-laden-tapes/



Edit: Interview found at this link: http://foxnewsinsider.com/2014/08/01...onumental-liar

[Ronin Truth]

Sure, Bubba just in your spare time between screwing with the interns.

[Deborah K]

Here's an article about Clinton bragging about it. The DAY before 911, btw. Clip included.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/bi...ma-bin-n170111

[Deborah K]

Here's a really good clip on Scheuer from 2011. This one spells out how brilliant he is. AND, it covers his lack of ability to suffer the ignorance of others.

[Deborah K]

Here he is a couple of years ago stating the same thing - that Clinton had many chances and blew it.

[ravedown]

"listen clown" ha great stuff...also, geraldo rocking new balance sneakers and a suit? thought that was odd.

[surf]

Scheuer to Geraldo (best part starts around 5:55): "listen clown... when Clinton bombed Sudan, dummy, Osama bin laden was in Afghanistan."

[HOLLYWOOD]

2 words

Sandy Berger

[Deborah K]

2 words

Sandy Berger

You caught that. I guess we all know now what papers Mike thinks Berger sneaked out....

[enhanced_deficit]

Granted he had military skills and likely CIA training but Killing one OBL matters much when there are probably every minute new OBLs being born ( Blowback risks: Caution, very graphic images of USTF bombing aftermath ) in gaza/mideast now?

[Deborah K]

Granted he had military skills and likely CIA training but Killing one OBL matters much when there are probably every minute new OBLs being born ( Blowback risks: Caution, very graphic images of USTF bombing aftermath ) in gaza/mideast now?

Do you know who Osama bin Laden was? Because he wasn't just your average suicide bomber/terrorist.

[Deborah K]

Granted he had military skills and likely CIA training but Killing one OBL matters much when there are probably every minute new OBLs being born ( Blowback risks: Caution, very graphic images of USTF bombing aftermath ) in gaza/mideast now?

Mike wrote an excellent book about bin Laden. A few weeks after it was published, the Obama administration took bin Laden out. Coincidence? Maybe. In one of bin Laden's speeches, he mentions Mike by name. Here is some info on the book if anyone is interested:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9...ama-bin-laden:

9/11 almost instantaneously remade American politics and foreign policy. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Patriot Act, water boarding and Guantanamo are examples of its profound and far-reaching effects. But despite its monumental impact--and a deluge of books about al-Qaeda and Islamist terrorism--no one has written a serious assessment of the man who planned it, Osama bin Laden. Available biographies depict bin Laden as an historical figure, the mastermind behind 9/11, but no longer relevant to the world it created. These accounts, Michael Scheuer strongly believes, have contributed to a widespread and dangerous denial of his continuing significance and power.
In this book, Scheuer provides a much-needed corrective--a hard-headed, closely reasoned portrait of bin Laden, showing him to be a figure of remarkable leadership skills, strategic genius, and considerable rhetorical abilities. The first head of the CIA's bin Laden Unit, where he led the effort to track down bin Laden, Scheuer draws from a wealth of information about bin Laden and his evolution from peaceful Saudi dissident to America's Most Wanted. Shedding light on his development as a theologian, media manipulator, and paramilitary commander, Scheuer makes use of all the speeches and interviews bin Laden has given as well as lengthy interviews, testimony, and previously untranslated documents written by those who grew up with bin Laden in Saudi Arabia, served as his bodyguards and drivers, and fought alongside him against the Soviets. The bin Laden who emerges from these accounts is devout, talented, patient, and ruthless; in other words, a truly formidable and implacable enemy of the West.

The reviews for 'Osama bin Laden' are pretty interesting as well. Scroll down: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9...sama-bin-laden

Acclaim for Mike's book: Imperial Hubris: Why the West is Losing the War on Terrorism

"Pulls few punches...a fascinating window on America's war with Al Qaeda."
--Michiko Kakutani, New York Times
"No serious observer of the war on terrorism can ignore this scathing critique."
--Peter Bergen, author of Holy War, Inc.
"A powerful, persuasive analysis of the terrorist threat and the Bush administration's failed efforts to fight it."
--Richard A. Clarke, Washington Post Book World
"A fire-breathing denunciation of U.S. counterterrorism policy."
--Julian Borger, The Guardian
"Presents overwhelmingly persuasive evidence to buttress a host of significant and controversial arguments."
--Benjamin Schwarz, Atlantic Monthly
"Destined to become a classic in the field of counterterrorism analysis."
--Bruce Hoffman, author of Inside Terrorism(less)

[Pericles]

No one has made a greater contribution to stupidity in journalism than Jerry Rivers.

[Ender]

Mike wrote an excellent book about bin Laden. A few weeks after it was published, the Obama administration took bin Laden out. Coincidence? Maybe. In one of bin Laden's speeches, he mentions Mike by name. Here is some info on the book if anyone is interested:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9...ama-bin-laden:

The reviews for 'Osama bin Laden' are pretty interesting as well. Scroll down: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9...sama-bin-laden

OBL died in Dec 2001- AND he had nothing to do with 911.

[pcosmar]

And all the Federals say,, "we could have had him any day"
"We only let him slip away,," out of kindness I suppose.

[Deborah K]

OBL died in Dec 2001- AND he had nothing to do with 911.

Evidence?

[enhanced_deficit]

Mike wrote an excellent book about bin Laden. A few weeks after it was published, the Obama administration took bin Laden out. Coincidence? Maybe. In one of bin Laden's speeches, he mentions Mike by name. Here is some info on the book if anyone is interested:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9...ama-bin-laden:


The reviews for 'Osama bin Laden' are pretty interesting as well. Scroll down: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9...sama-bin-laden

Good info and would read up more on this.

My point was that we cannot kill our way out of this blowback problem as long as we continue to fund/arm dictators/oppressors/occupiers/terrorists abroad. With current policies, Americans could be facing TSA type gropes even 5000 years from today.

[Deborah K]

Good info and would read up more on this.

My point was that we cannot kill our way out of this blowback problem as long as we continue to fund/arm dictators/oppressors/occupiers/terrorists abroad.

Yep. And Scheuer attempts to make that very point, every chance he gets.

[amy31416]

I can't watch the video, but I have to admit that I would have an enormous problem bombing a lot of children just to get one guy who might do something terrible--obviously he did, but we need more defense, not offense.

[Ender]

Evidence?

Shall we start here?

http://www.foxnews.com/story/2001/12...-already-dead/

[presence]

Evidence?

It was claimed by Pakistan Observer, here's the piece:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/2001/12...-already-dead/

[Danke]

I can't watch the video, but I have to admit that I would have an enormous problem bombing a lot of children just to get one guy who might do something terrible--obviously he did, but we need more defense, not offense.

Where do you think terrorist come from? Women and children.

[Deborah K]

Shall we start here?

http://www.foxnews.com/story/2001/12...-already-dead/

You're citing some obscure article with no author.

[Deborah K]

I can't watch the video, but I have to admit that I would have an enormous problem bombing a lot of children just to get one guy who might do something terrible--obviously he did, but we need more defense, not offense.

Clinton lied. The attack would have taken place at 3 a.m. and only Taliban would have been targeted, besides bin Laden.

[Deborah K]

It was claimed by Pakistan Observer, here's the piece:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/2001/12...-already-dead/

meh....maybe to try and throw the scent off his trail? Is there anything else, or just this one article with no author listed?

[HOLLYWOOD]

You caught that. I guess we all know now what papers Mike thinks Berger sneaked out....

Yah Caught that... Very Sharp +++ but Berger didn't sneak them out... he destroyed them at the Nat Arch, then flushed the shreds down the toilets. (confirmed by Nat Arch staff)

I can't stand Geraldo Rivera and never forget the POS sensationalist will do anything for ratings/controversy... but this is plain tasteless and stupidity by Rivera. For starters, Mike Scheuer is privy to incredible amounts of highly classified compartmented information and involved directly with OBL during the Clinton presidency years, which Geraldo doesn't have a $#@!ing clue about. Clinton has been confirmed to be a pathological liar, yet "Mr. Al Capone Vaults" and "Break My Nose KKK" clown goofing off on his "Jerry Springer wantabe show" from 1987 through 1998, has the gall to challenge Mike? I $#@!ing despise these idiot media egotistical celebrities.

PS: I had to sit next to Geraldo on a flight for over 3 hours... he's a condescending egotistical primadona. Here's a little tid bit trivia about GR... he has a homemade 'star of David' tattoo between his thumb and index finger.

[amy31416]

Where do you think terrorist come from? Women and children.

Oh. I forgot that I'm a terrorist and I make terrorists.

Clinton lied. The attack would have taken place at 3 a.m. and only Taliban would have been targeted, besides bin Laden.

I have absolutely no doubt that most everything out of his mouth is a lie, but I still wouldn't bomb a village full of innocent people even if I knew it would thwart the events on 9/11.

And I fully understand those who might think I'm an $#@! for it. I just couldn't do it.

[JK/SEA]

buried at sea, no pictures or video...just their 'word'...

ok...

next.

[DFF]

Schueuer is an outspoken, no nonsense tough guy who doesn't take $#@! from anybody.

We need kick-ass-and-take-names leaders like him in Washington.

[dillo]

LOL is Geraldo really trying to argue that he has more information than the former operator of the Bin Laden task force?