Dick Morris: Convenience Is A Big Factor When You're A Terrorist
Reported by Ellen - May 8, 2007 -
Only on FOX News would a terrorist tape be discussed as a political story, rather than one of national security, international relations or even military strategy. So instead of getting a guest with real terrorism credentials to discuss Al Qaeda's Ayman al-Zawahiri's recently-released remarks about the war in Iraq, Hannity & Colmes put on Dick Morris Monday night (5/7/07) to offer his unsubstantiated "insights" into Al Qaeda's political tactics. With video.
The segment began with Alan Colmes reading an introduction that just happened to include the terminology of Republican strategists. "Al Qaeda's second in command, Ayman al-Zawahiri says that the Democrat plan to withdraw from Iraq is evidence of America's failure and frustration. He also laments that a withdrawal will mean fewer opportunities to kill Americans."
Colmes noted that while "some conservatives" thought that the tape showed that Al Qaeda loves the Democratic plan, "I say it's just the opposite. They're saying 'Keep Americans in Iraq. Keep more troops in Iraq. We want to kill more.'"
"I think you're both right," Morris said, in his usual superficial attempt to appear bi-partisan. Then he launched his advocacy for Republicans. Morris claimed that withdrawing from Iraq "obviously gives Al Qaeda a huge victory."
During most of the discussion, a banner on the screen read, "Al Qaeda video praises Democratic plan for withdrawal from Iraq."
Staying in Iraq, Morris continued, "gives (Al Qaeda) the opportunity to kill more Americans which they really like." Morris made the dubious assertion that it's better to have Americans stay in Iraq because it's easier for terrorists to kill them there. "They don't have to come to Wall Street to kill Americans… And convenience is a big factor when you're a terrorist."
How would Morris know? Has he been doing oppo research on Al Qaeda's political strategist? He didn't bother to say. Nor, unfortunately, did Colmes ask. After all, the 9/11 hijackers went to great lengths to carry out their plan. It obviously was not chosen for its convenience and simplicity. Furthermore, if convenience is so important to Al Qaeda, then why would they be pleased Democrats want to withdraw from Iraq?
Colmes did, however, dispute Morris' claim that so long as Americans are in Iraq, Al Qaeda won't try to attack us here.
"Two reasons," Morris countered. "First, we have them dodging from doorway to doorway in Baghdad and from cave to cave in Afghanistan and it takes a lot to mount an offensive operation and they aren't able to do it while they're on defense." Once again, Morris provided no evidence to support his assertion and none was asked for.
Morris offered as a certainty his view that since the terrorists' goal is to kill Americans, they can do it "around the corner" without having to go to the trouble of coming here.
"That doesn't make any sense," Colmes said. He pointed out that if the terrorists really wanted to inflict terror on the United States they would and could come here. In fact, anti-Americanism is on the rise, as this excellent report by the BBC documents. Even if Morris is correct that Al Qaeda is tied up with our wars, we are handing them a jackpot of potential allies.
"Their goal is not to hurt the United States," Morris maintained, in direct contravention to what al-Zawahiri's tape said. "Their goal is to help themselves… Their goal is to grow and they feed on American blood."
"So staying there helps feed them," Colmes pointed out.
"You are correct that they would hurt us more to hit us here. But they help themselves more to hit us there," Morris declared.
Sean Hannity cared not a fig about the state of Al Qaeda, the war on terror, nor progress in Iraq . Instead, he wore his most sincere face as he used the tape as an excuse to attack Democrats. "(Al-Zawahiri's) touting the bill of the Democrats… What Harry Reid and this bill has done, it has emboldened our enemies. It's become a propaganda tool now for him." Comment: Just the same way Hannity used the tape as a propaganda tool for Republicans. "It undermines our troops," Hannity alleged for at least the hundredth or maybe the thousandth time without a lick of proof.
From there, Hannity turned to bashing MoveOn. Referring to a New York Times article over the weekend, Hannity said, "Every morning, representatives from anti-war groups are on conference calls with the Democratic leadership," as though that were some kind of scandal and nothing of the sort ever happened with Republicans. Note: Hannity has been on a tear against MoveOn ever since Robert Greenwald and News Hounds caught him on video revealing his bigotry. You can see the video, Fox Attacks: African Americans, which features Hannity in a starring role, here.
"Well, that cozy relationship is about to blow up," Morris stated, because Reid and Pelosi are about to "cave in" to Bush by offering money without requiring a withdrawal. "And the left wing, MoveOn.org, is going to crucify Pelosi and Reid over that. It's going to become a jihad."
"They are so beholden," Hannity said. He claimed that Pelosi and Reid are "being warned by these extremists, the MoveOn.org'ers, that if they don't toe the line, and don't do everything they want, then they're going to withdraw their support. And they're scared to death that's going to happen."
From there, Hannity changed the topic to the "huge deal" election in France. Then, having already dispatched Pelosi, Reid and MoveOn and since it's not a Morris segment without bashing Hillary Clinton, Morris and Hannity interpreted the election "as a big warning flag for Hillary Clinton." Why? Because the loser, Royal, "began really strong …and then people began to say she's not well informed, she's emotional, she's impulsive." Morris noted that "These wouldn't be the negatives on Hillary but a woman acquires these negatives pretty quickly in politics and the big negative on her was her husband." Morris said that because Royal's husband nominated her, "Everybody's gonna say he's the puppeteer and that could be a Bill and Hillary."
