Terror Attack?

" Meanwhile as investigators dig deeper into the tragedy at Fort Hood the shooters ties to al-Qaeda are looking stronger by the day so why is -- administration. Still hesitant to call it an act of terror here with some law. Opinions is the former attorney general under president George W. Bush. Michael Mukasey who weren't you -- I understand you say that in what happened out of Fort Hood. The worst terrorist act on American soil since nine elevenths yes. --"

" on this point. Well. You have an avowed terrorists somebody who says that he believes that Americans. That. Infill should be killed two somebody who believes that and we are troops on the opposed. And somebody was in the army for cancer news today. Somebody who. And gets up and shouts -- who are far before he starts mowing down members of the military is owned. You've got as many --"

" Clearly a terrorist thank you prove what they did say it now is gonna criminal court."

" Well he's going to easily human there's more military via court -- continent which is where was for the peaceful."

" Yeah so you agree with the -- of that case ended up with that case that case because they because the military is not put anyone to death since 1961 -- believe do you believe he'll actually. Face the death penalty number one and will it follow through on."

" He should. We'll tell you that in a military case in order for him to get the death penalty the president has signed -- health. Home and it remains to be seen what little they don't."

" Let me ask you this because the president apparently this morning and some of the breaking news that we reporting. Has said that he wanted to hold off. On these hearings on Capitol Hill that senator Lieberman and senator Collins have called force to look into the force that shouldn't. He said let's wait till the whole military investigation is over what it. It appears that members of congress on Capitol Hill I'm not gonna listen to that why would he want a delay. In the hearing."

" I think that questions were properly addressed to him but I think that people ought to be aware of how laws. That somebody like that was permitted to continue in the military. Not only to continue to be promoted put in a very sensitive position and put in the position to do what he did. That is something wholly apart from the question of how you evaluate the underlying -- and how you try so I don't see anything wrong with commerce proceeding with the investigation and why. It is an important general to cool -- terroristic act. Terrorism. Then and why are we not hearing that from the president or the attorney general. George Orwell was right when he wrote that words influence people's attitudes toward politics and people's behavior. On this is a war with terrorists understand very well it's a war they understood that before September 11. If we keep calling -- things like a foreign contingency operation or man made disaster. We may fool some of the American people some of the people who say that may even fool themselves because it seemed to have a great capacity for self delusion. But the people who won't be fools are terrorists we know very well that there war. As you keep calling it something other than that. And to keep calling it something other than terrorism simply. Weakens our stumbles what's the interest in deluding ourselves how does that help our country. It doesn't help our country at all. The I don't I don't know what the rationale is for other than to try to portray us as -- peaceful people which we don't have to be portrayed as we all."

" would be a political decision mr. attorney general. Because wouldn't it be if you had to guess that the Obama administration might want to disavow itself from anything that George W. Bush had anything to do it."

" Well I said during my confirmation hearings that I'm not political corruption even trying not to be political person -- so you can ask the question of whether it's a political decision. To the political folks."

" If it and you know people say well you'll we've been look at -- we can't really tie him to al-Qaeda although he has. He did email that he mom over in Yemen and he's got some connection. Where is sympathizers only that but you don't necessarily have to have the membership to al-Qaeda it to beat. Self radicalized in fact Osama bin Laden and Ayman Al zawahri have both said. That what they even look forward to the realization of their drain -- as -- were. He is self propelled. Self motivated. Leaderless Jihad they believe that if somebody can be induced to conduct Jihad on struggle against infidels. Without leadership that that is what they were trying to achieve this -- the fulfillment of their drinks."

" And what about the fact that there's been some reporting now that some of the governmental agencies were not connecting the dots with one another so for example. The son allegedly emailing. This al-Qaeda. A recruiter overseas in Yemen. And yet some of that information does not get back to when he can purchase a --"

" Well that's something obviously that'll have to be investigated and we've heard the phrase. Not connecting the dots before we heard it after September 11 right which is why -- asking the question now. Well that's -- you have to. Get the dots in order to connect them but you have to also be willing to make the connection. And you can stare at the dots and if he won't make the connection then all the cars dot."

" Let's just talk about the law officer because she won the preeminent legal authorities in the country chief judge of the district court in New York. Attorney general teacher in Columbia Law School we've heard a lot of that what I -- picked it is nonsense about post traumatic stress. Disorder with regard to major a son hypothetically. Winner in the federal district court arguing a military court. How we use your whole hearted -- it is it to prove. Post traumatic stress disorder for someone who's never had the battle experience."

" I'm not clinically trained. A psychologist I can't testify whether this man had or hadn't. -- posttraumatic stress disorder although I don't know what's what trauma. He underwent season never went to a theater of operations. It is difficult to prove that one is operating under the influence of of something that would that would. Undercut any finding of responsibility I don't think that's I think that's a dry hole."

" When it judges you know there's still gathering evidence is stuff like that but it it is pretty clear that one wing evade FBI knew that he was. Communicating with his team on the other wing -- it was trying to buy guns and all these dots were never connected for somebody in your field. Considering the fact and and for all of us consider we spend billions and billions of dollars to try to connect the dots and then forward to failed so miserably for."

" It's heartbreaking. I think we need to analyze why it happened and how it happened whether this was a question of a failure of communication. Where there's a question of failure of attitude will do that is question to be innocent."

" That's what's most startling to me your comments today is that you actually believe that the information may have been there but that people willfully didn't put the dots together."

" I believe that the information was there only on the basis of news reports I don't have an independent knowledge -- make it very explicit. Publish the information was there are people declined to connect the dots and you really have to ask yourself. How com should the attorney general's office either open up an investigation -- should that -- a special prosecutor. -- pointed to conduct such investigate how fast special prosecutors I think the Justice Department to investigate. Conduct we in the department itself -- done -- many times. If that's what's called for the and that's what should be done. Congress obviously has an oversight role here. They can conduct eight it's. Reasonable and and and sensible investigation. And the person is doing -- Joe Lieberman who went to law school where you can it was a superb lawyer. -- I think a superb American I think is ideally suited to -- for a judge ordered continue to come."