You're watching...
Former CIA Officer Michael Scheuer on the successful and unsuccessful aspects of the country’s war on terror.
Also in this playlist...
Auto-advance: ON
Auto-advance
This transcript is automatically generated
This Sunday marks the tenth anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
At that time the country vowed to -- couch destroy terrorists around the world.
So how we've done in accomplishing that goal.
In the decade since September -- -- the United States and its allies have killed or captured more than forty -- -- leaders including.
September 11 mastermind Osama bin -- Khalid Sheikh Mohamed and Abu Ireland.
How Wall Street and at least forty terrorist plots have been foiled.
Terrorist plots against the United States US forces have also capture or kill Saddam Hussein.
His son answered -- say and Baghdad Bob.
Joining me now for more on the fight against.
Radical Islamist terror as the former head of CIA's bin Laden unit Michael sure Michael thank you for being with us.
Thank you Lou for having me I asked that we kind of catalog if you will what had been accomplished in the in the years since.
September 11 rather then we will leave it to others to commemorate memorial lies.
But our direct response as a nation.
To this tragedy into this attack on offs as a nation and as -- people.
It seems that we have if I may say this.
Ambiguous results to our efforts to bring both.
The the leaders of the plot to justice their supporters to justice.
Into.
To change significantly.
And convincingly.
The direction.
Of our relationship with that part of the world your thoughts.
I would agree with that Lou I think -- -- some things we've done well most things we have not done well.
We have the head to American field armies for example with there are NATO allies.
I've quit war is without winning and that's going to have a galvanizing effect on young Muslims around the world when when we retreat.
In essence in defeat.
We have also.
Not yet come to grips with.
Or at least our political -- as I've come to grips with the fact.
That we're being attacked from the Islamic world not because we have elections or.
Because we have women in the work place or because we have freedoms but because of what the United States government and most western governments do in the Muslim world.
Whether it's unquestioning support for Israel our support for the Saudi police state.
-- -- military presence in Arab countries.
Debts the core of this war and and yet.
The American people are told repeatedly by Republicans and Democrats that they hate you they hate you the American people for how you live.
Which is it which is not true.
Not true and at the same time.
It is -- matter of sovereignty and national right that this United States will choose its allies will choose its friends and -- also its enemies.
No question -- and the idea.
That any part of our rights would be abrogated.
By terrorists -- rich and by the way to administration successively have.
Declined to name them as enemies and they are radical Islamist which I still do not comprehend.
We cannot -- -- we can't even Begin to have irrelevant discussion it seems to me about who the enemy is until we have the guts to name the enemy.
It doesn't seem -- -- we can prosecute a war if we are ambiguous in our goals in uncertain in the direction we want to go as a nation.
I think that's right Lou and I think that what one thing that's becoming clear is America's generals can can talk a lot about wars but they certainly can't win them.
We haven't really want -- war since 1945.
And we have people like General Petraeus and McChrystal talking about hearts and minds rather than killing the enemy.
I and I agree with you we cannot let anyone compromise our sovereignty I guess unless China calls in our debt.
But what's important here is not to change policies or not.
It -- lose sovereignty but to realize what motivates the enemy.
And then prepare to fight the war based on that knowledge.
And until we do that -- we underestimate the size of the Islamist enemy and that's what it is as you said.
And we also underestimate the appeal of their message to the coming generation of young -- long males.
Not only in the Muslim world but in Britain and in Canada and in Germany and especially in the United States.
And what steps should the -- and and were.
Obviously over time here but.
It -- -- -- the United -- be taking right now what should the Obama administration be doing right now.
To a surely no further attack to assure that we prevail in this in this.
Battle well the first thing they have to do serious talk about the other about Islam is and as it as motivation not our enemy as its theology just be honest with the American people.
And then lay out the issue for Americans.
Are foreign policy motivates our enemy.
If we -- to maintain the same policy we're in for all long and bloody war is that what we want and then -- ultimately it's up to the voter to decide.
But until we have that discussion amongst ourselves.
We're gonna slowly be losing this war and the violence in our own streets and towns is going to significantly increase.
Thank you very much my -- per share.
Thank you -- are.
