And months ago as isis was in fallujah, obama calling the group jv. Today press secretary desperately trying to explain away the president s jv remark. The president was not singling out isil, he was talking about the very different threat that is posed by a range of extremists around the globe. Many of them do not have designs on attacking the west or attacking the United States. Former congressman allen west
joins us. Good evening, sir. Good evening, greta, how are you . Great. Lets talk about the wisdom of calling isis or isil or anyone else doing terrorism in january as jv. Well, when ive listened to those comments made by josh earnest, those were inane, incompetent and idiotic. Can you imagine if we had sat back in england and they said, look, lets allow Adolph Hitler to take Everything Else he wants, hes not really serious and well just wait until he drops bombs on us. Thats exactly what chamberlain did with Adolph Hitler. They gave him over to czechoslovakia. What josh earnest is doing, and the Obama Administration is doing, is trying to relegate and define isis, and in a term, or ideology that fits into their own National Security strategy. So they dont have to take an action. If i was our allies in the middle east such as israel, jordan, egypt, and also the uae,
i would be very nervous as well as the people in europe who are going to start seeing this terrorism exported. Id be very nervous about the statement that this Administration Just made. I think if the president were here, would he say in new york, that he was trying to make a distinction between a localized fight against the United States, but neglect to take into consideration that isis was gearing up, that theyre getting ready to take over the bank in iraq so they get the 1 billion, or half a billion dollars theyre gearing up to get seven oil fields and two refineries so they could sell 2 million a day for oil . It showed such a lack of understanding of what was going on. They had just taken fallujah. Its not so much much a lack of understanding, its a dismissal. Because they dont want to have to con tend with this enemy. Understand anytime youre going to deal with an enemy of threat, you want to do it in the infan tile stages. We also have reports that the al
qaeda in the peninsula are aligning itself with isis, and theyre going to make this into truly a global threat. And we know the type of bank roll that they have. Theyre pulling in recruits from europe, from the United States of america. So if were going to defeat isis, we have to do it now. We have to attack those Logistical Support bases, and we cant have a president telling the world what hes not going to do. We have to do the things that are necessary because the enemy has a vote. What do you make of the president speaking at the American Legion in North Carolina tomorrow . What kind of reception will he get . Well, it will be interesting, because this is what we know. The president of the United States of america has taken the army back to 1940 levels, prior to conscription. The United States marine corps postworld war i levels, the United States navy the same levels as 1917. We have the smallest and oldest fleet for the United States air force. And we have a United States marine still sitting in mexico. With thanning the back drop as well as the lives that this administration has told as far as the va scandal, i dont think he should get a warm reception. It takes a lot for him to go address the American Legion. Thank you, sir. Thank you so much, greta. After isis beheaded james foley, another journalist was released yesterday, held for two years by an al qaeda affiliate. Curtis was handed over to the u. N. Peacekeepers. The terms of his release remain unclear. Foleys killer, the one who beheaded him, we need to know who he is. Britains intelligence act si is getting closer to identifying the masked man. Te may be a british. Who is this guy . This is reporting what we
understand is theres a very small pool of suspects identified by the fbi and also british intelligence. When we look at that picture of the execution, we see that the jihadists went to Great Lengths to cover his face. But he did not cover his hands. According to our contacts, that may have been a critical error. Because there are distinguishing features on everyones hands, whether theyre moles or mapping of the veins which are as unique as your fingerprints. Having that kind of information coupled with the voice analysis can give investigators a high degree of certainty, over who it is in that small pool who was responsible for foleys death. As we look at this, people have said this is highdefinition camera. Hes got a microphone, mr. Foleys got a microphone on, a professional microphone. Its thought to be a twocamera shoot. And hes got the orange jumpsuit, which is synonymous with gitmo, yes. This was well planned. This is not just some sort of casual this was extremely well thoughtout. We had over the weekend another beheading video posted by isis. This would be the iraqi soldier. The message was in arabic. This is clearly designed for a western audience. The executioner being someone from great britain. And also, when you look at it, what you also notice is that it doesnt follow all the way through to the actual execution itse itself. Al qaeda and iraq learned a lesson a decade ago with the execution of other americans, including nick berg. When you show it in graphic detail, beyond what is posted on the web here, they were reprimanded by al qaeda senior leadership, specifically osama bin laden, that it was too much of a turnoff. Instead of gathering new recruits, they were driving people away. You see this is a group that learns from past millions takes. Although they do put a rather gruesome part in. Not the actual and the website. Do you know anything about the youtube i was able to confirm through my contacts that the person who first posted the execution video on the web, this twitter user has been identified. And this is a very important link in the electronic data trail. You know who originated that posting, youre able to move backwards in time, to see where that individual got the video. Because its very hard to erase that electronic trail. If you put that up there, you better run, because youre part of this. Correct. Thank you. This is a fox news alert. The u. S. Military now preparing for surveillance flights over syria, for the first time the pentagon getting ready to send surveillance aircraft, including drones to the syrian air space. They will gain intelligence on islamist targets. General Martin Dempsey seemingly having a change in view from last week, saying he would not recommend air strikes, at least
not yet on isis in syria. He said that is because there is no evidence that isis is actively plotting against our homeland or europe. But then just hours later, press secretary josh earnest warning the biggest threat is westerners fighting for isis, and returning to the west to carry out attacks. We continue to be concerned about those socalled foreign fighters returning to the west and carrying out acts of violence or acts of terror here in the United States, or among our western allies. So should the u. S. Launch air strikes in syria to stop isis or not . Good evening, sir. Hi, greta. Is there any way to eliminate isis without striking in syria . Short answer, no. The reason is that while we get a lot of press coverage about isis and kyrgyzstan and around baghdad, the center of gravity, the heartland, if you will, for isis is in syria, around the city of racka. Thats where they send troops to rest, thats where they do the pay master, thats where they do the edited tapings from. Thats their headquarters. If you cant strike isis in their homeland and where theyre protected, then the idea of taking them down over time is virtually impossible. This is what is so extraordinarily complicated or difficult, is that president assad of syria, who we have who president obama said would be leaving office soon, that hasnt happened. He used chemicals against his people, and condemned by the world, condemned by us as well. He hates hes fighting with isis. To the extent we fight isis in syria, we would suddenly be aligned with a guy dropping chemical weapons on his own people. Absolutely. But we have to stop and think whats important here. And the strategic end state is to protect not assad, or even
the new government in iraq, its to protect the American People. And ultimately, if we cant strike isis, and maybe get an understanding from syria, not to shoot down our own airplanes, if we can attack isis in their homeland, then ultimately that may interrupt their ability to visit our homeland. The news broke a few seconds ago that the pentagon is doing drone surveillance over syria. I would have felt we were doing that. Why havent we been doing that . This is the beginning of the process. Weve been looking at syria from across the border, with highaltitude observation for a long time. Now hes given permission to fly drones over syria. This is a step process of increasing surveillance and reconnaissance over time, gather the information, find the targets and eventually ill guarantee you well start bombing them. Why havent we done surveillance earlier . Because its an international boundary, and the administration
agreed that for the sake of optics, they werent going to violate the syrian border. Now they changed their minds. Which is most peculiar in light of the fact that we have to ask syria permission to do everything. Well, anyway, its a crazy world. It is the middle east. General, thank you. Thank you, greta. Also today, syria warning us, syrias foreign minister telling the United States not to conduct air strikes inside this country without the consent of the syrian government. Good evening, sir. So now syria says we need permission if were going to bomb isis. Obama Administration Says has not said it would, but if we decide to, we need permission. That seems odd. I think they have a good sense of humor in damascus. It is inconceivable that any sensible American Government would ask permission or coordinate with assad at all. We have to decide what our objective is with the islamic state. If its to destroy the islamic state, which is what i think it should be, not necessarily where
the Obama Administration is, then we do whats necessary. And that does not include asking assads permission. What about the fact that if we did do that, if we did go to the next step and do air strikes against isis in syria, suddenly we are palling up with president assad of syria, the very person that in some way started a lot of this, because he was dropping chemical weapons on innocent civilians. Well, obviously i cant speak for what the Obama Administration would do. But i think we have to recognize that in the middle east, were not playing regular checkers, were playing chinese checkers. There are five or six sides here. And in particular, i think we have to recognize that there are two main enemies. One is still iran. And the other is the islamic state. I still believe iran is the bigger enemy. Why . Who is closer to Nuclear Weapons . Obviously iran is. So i think weve got to try and destroy the islamic state. Weve got to try to eliminate
irans Nuclear Weapons program. And we need to do it in ways that minimize the upside effects that that has on the assad regime in syria, and the whats left of the baghdad government in iraq. Its a complicated area. The other tricky part about it is iran, if iran is pals with the Iraqi Government against isis, so once again, if we sort of step in to take out isis in any form, whether its in syria, or we do the air strikes in iraq, is that suddenly were cozying up, or our new pals are iran and a common enemy against isis. The way i would do it, recognizing that if you weaken or destroy isis, you are freeing the baghdad government and assad regime from two of their biggest threats, we should go after isis to the maximum extent possible in ways that minimize the upside effect for assad and the baghdad government. That means not cooperating with them, not sharing intelligence, not providing them with weapons or assistance of any kind, and
remembering at all times as were going after the islamic state, that its irans Nuclear Weapons program thats the existential threat for israel and our arab allies in the region. Ambassador, always nice to talk to you. Thank you very much, sir. Thank you. The vacation is over. President obamas back at the white house. The white house already playing defense. In todays press briefing at least. Rick kline, susan, and john mccormack. Rick, todays press briefing by josh earnest, do you have thoughts . This is the first one back at the white house. He came back from paternity leave so he missed a lot of the daytoday. I dont think the press corps was willing to let him forget that the images that came back from the white house were of golf at Marthas Vineyard. It upset even a lot of democrats in washington. No suggestion that he wasnt able to do something, because he was out there on the golf course. But the optics is the word you heard over and over again. It was contentious today talking about the last couple of pretty extraordinary weeks. It didnt look like the president was particularly moved by it. He got on the front page of the new york times. A lot of liberals hit him for golf. Senator mccaskill made some remark he doesnt like to schmooze with politicians. Well, hes not running for anything again. It doesnt matter what the public things, to some degree. For him personally. Now, for democrats, obviously its a bigger deal. Im already picturing the campaign ads, showing the president golfing while the middle east is burning. Its a bad image for the party. Although the president may not care himself what the press or public thinks of his golf, hell have to start caring because its a big deal for democrats. He has the advantage of a short news cycle. Will people be talking about his golf two months from now . Probably not, unless he still remains disengaged. With everything going on in the middle east and domestic issues, this may be quickly forgotten. You mentioned an ad. I mean, the campaign. Im going to post an ad at the end of the show which brings all this stuff to light. But ill wait and save it for the viewers. John, he was asked about the 36 hours that he came back. Or josh, about the president coming back for 36 hours. And someone said, was it his daughters schedule that brought him back to town, pretty pricey, meaning for the taxpayers. Thats always one of the weakest answers. I still dont get why did the president come back . We know it wasnt a plan to come up and attack isis. They took another airfield in syria today. If the president had been planning for this, we should have these surveillance flights going on months ago. Plus he said he can do his work remotely. Exactly. The president can golf as much as if he had a plan in place to attack isis, deal with this, if he wanted to take a vacation
with world events, the world isnt playing along. Why did he come back . There was a Wedding Party he attended in Dupont Circle in washington, d. C. For the white house chef, and a friend of his. He was there for several hours. He said he had josh earnest said he had meetings, phone calls for a couple days. But he said people phoned into the meeting. They had discussions with but had could have phoned in to Marthas Vineyard. The president doesnt have the same advantages in Marthas Vineyard managing it at the white house where he has more resources. Theres that argument. Rick, does he indicate to you that, you know, that things are going to change now that hes back . I would be shocked if they change now. Hes not going to run again. The way its described to me, the president thinks about this as, is there some compelling reason that anything i could do to pull me off of my schedule, fundraising or golfing. If the answer is no, hes going
to go ahead and do it. Its infuriating even to democrats. But it is what it is. If people are talking to him after he gave his speech after james foley, the grieving parents having a conversation about their son, and we had to click to the president of the United States because he had to get to the golf course. This president , above all others, all other predecessors, really took seriously what the public thought of him in the first term, this is really a turnaround. Is this just in the beltway or we talk about the optics. This is bad. Its bad with the moments after you talk about a man whos been beheaded to go out on the golf course. Its been called jarring by a number of people. The president hasnt come to terms with the fact that his Foreign Policy has failed. Panel, stay with us. Lets go off the record for a minute. In january president obama called isis jv. It was naive. When he made that comment, isis had already fought the Iraqi Military and captured fallujah, january 3rd. Anything but jv. They were fierce and wellarmed militants. The president should have known before. A little history might help. In 2004, fallujah was a twopart battle for us, 146 of our troops died. Winning at fallujah in january, mr. President , its not jv. Thats a big deal. Theyre a big deal. I tell you, though, what is jv, sending a team into syria to rescue our journalists only to find out hes not there. Thats our cia, very jv intelligence gathering. It doesnt stop there. Chairman of the joint chiefs of staff dempsey said this just last week. This is an o that has an apocalyptic end of days strategic vis