For Terrorism Commentary, NY Times Looks To Inflammatory Fox Regular Michael Scheuer
Written by Jocelyn Fong
Published
In a February 27 news analysis about the potential impact on Al Qaeda of the popular uprisings in Arab nations, The New York Times quoted Michael Scheuer, a frequent Fox News guest with a history of extreme rhetoric.
NY Times Quotes Scheuer In News Analysis On Al Qaeda
From the February 27 New York Times article:
Michael Scheuer, author of a new biography of Mr. bin Laden and head of the C.I.A.'s bin Laden unit in the late 1990s, thinks such enthusiasm is more than wishful thinking.
Mr. Scheuer says he believes that Americans, including many experts, have wildly misjudged the uprisings by focusing on the secular, English-speaking, Westernized protesters who are a natural draw for television. Thousands of Islamists have been released from prisons in Egypt alone, and the ouster of Al Qaeda's enemy, Mr. Mubarak, will help revitalize every stripe of Islamism, including that of Al Qaeda and its allies, he said.
“The talent of an organization is not just leadership, but taking advantage of opportunities,” Mr. Scheuer said. In Al Qaeda and its allies, he said, “We're looking over all at a more geographically widespread, probably numerically bigger and certainly more influential movement than in 2001.” [New York Times, 2/27/11]
Scheuer Has A History Of Extreme Rhetoric
Scheuer: “The Only Chance We Have As A Country Right Now Is” For Bin Laden To “Detonate A Major Weapon” In U.S. In a June 30, 2009, appearance on Fox News' Glenn Beck, Scheuer stated:
SCHEUER: The only chance we have as a country right now is for Osama bin Laden to deploy and detonate a major weapon in the United States because it's going to take a grassroots, bottom up pressure because these politicians prize their office, prize the praise of the media and the Europeans. It's an absurd situation. Again, only Osama can execute an attack which will force Americans to demand that their government protect them effectively, consistently, and with as much violence as necessary. [Fox News' Glenn Beck, 6/30/09]
Scheuer: “We're Not Killing Enough People” In Afghanistan. In a February 7, 2010, appearance on Fox & Friends, Scheuer said of the capture of Taliban military commander Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar:
SCHEUER: My gut tells me is that the West is making too much out of the capture of an individual, as always. He's an important guy. It's a great tactical victory. Everybody should be complimented. But it won't, in the long run, affect the war. You win wars by killing people, not capturing people and unfortunately what's going on in Afghanistan is we're not killing enough people, we're simply apologizing. [Fox News' Fox & Friends, 2/17/10]
Scheuer: Democratic Administrations Are “Pro-Terrorist.” During an August 31, 2009, appearance on Fox News' The Live Desk, Scheuer said of Attorney General Eric Holder's decision to appoint a prosecutor to investigate past CIA interrogation tactics:
SCHEUER: I have to say that, you know, the CIA is pretty much an apolitical organization. You follow the instructions of the president. But on the issue of terrorism, especially on the issue of Islamic terrorism, the agency has grown pretty used to Democratic administrations who are both anti-agency and in many senses, pro-terrorist. Mr. Clinton could have ended this problem in 1997, 1998. He chose not to.
[...]
SCHEUER: Of course it makes us less safe. It's aid and comfort to the enemy. No matter how the investigation works out, Al Qaeda and its allies are now aware that the President of the United States is trying to neuter the intelligence service in the world that has done the most damage to Al Qaeda. I don't know if its permissible to do the happy dance in Islam, but once they heard Holder's announcement, those boys in the caves were doing the happy dance. [Fox News' The Live Desk, 8/31/09]
Scheuer: Obama “Obviously Does Not Care” About “Protecting Americans.” On the August 28, 2009, edition of Fox & Friends, Scheuer said:
SCHEUER: The real problem, Brian - is the morale is obviously bad but clearly, for the CIA now to be answering to a president, for the first time I think a sitting president who has given aid and comfort to the enemy, both psychologically and materially, it's a very distressing thing because ultimately the agency is responsible for protecting Americans. The President obviously does not care. [Fox News' Fox & Friends, 8/28/09]
Scheuer On Time Square Bombing Attempt: “The Federal Government Really Doesn't Take This Very Seriously.” Appearing on the Mary 4, 2010, edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends Scheuer stated of the attempted bombing:
SCHEUER: The New York Police Department, the Washington Police Department, are basically beaten in all directions. They work themselves to death, but the federal government really doesn't take this very seriously. Mr. Obama has ruled out the use of 'Islamist' and 'Islamic' and 'jihad' as if that's going to help the problem. The United States is at war with an increasing portion of the Muslim world. And until we accept that and figure out a way to defend ourselves, it's a downhill struggle no matter how good the police are.
BRIAN KILMEADE (CO-HOST): So that brings me to Walid Phares. Walid, if you're still there. We are at war but yet right now our approach is reaching out, learn more about us, we're not trying to fight you, we're not at war with Islam. Is that a different message than the reality? [Fox News' Fox & Friends, 5/4/10]
Scheuer: “Rahm Emanuel Wants An Attack” On The United States. From the August 28, 2009, edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends:
KILMEADE: Michael, I've seen you before on the show and you're always very direct but I've never seen you quite so angry and disenchanted. Do you believe that our country is closer than ever to being attacked again?
SCHEUER: Oh, sure we're going to be attacked, Brian and it doesn't care. You know, Rahm Emanuel wants an attack. He loves crisis. In crisis, the Democrats, he says, can get all of their programs through. These people simply do not care. [Fox News' Fox & Friends, 8/28/09]
Scheuer Implored U.S. To Act “Like A Superpower” And “Destroy” North Korean Navy. From the November 23, 2010, edition of Fox & Friends:
KILMEADE: Joining us now is the former head of the CIA's bin Laden unit, Michael Scheuer. Michael, first off, what message did North Korea send, and what message can we send back as the chief ally to South Korea, this morning after they sent fire into that island last night?
SCHEUER: I think the message they sent was they don't believe we're going to defend the South Koreans to any great extent. The message we should have sent when they sank that North Korean boat -- or South Korean boat -- several months ago was we should have destroyed as much of North Korean Navy as we could immediately. I also suspect that we should have destroyed -- had been ready to hit them again this morning because now the media and the politicians will talk their way out of defending South Korea and let the North Koreans get away with another act of war.
KILMEADE: So Michael, the heck with what China thinks, just go take them out because we are assigned -- we are an assigned defender of South Korea?
SCHEUER: I think that's right. I think we need to act as what we are. We are a superpower, we have interests of our own and the North Koreans can do without a navy for a while. They can rebuild it. Instead of spending money on nuclear stuff, they can build new boats.
KILMEADE: Yeah, let their people starve. [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 11/23/10]