If you watch us often, you know the one thing that sets me off is when a guest comes on the program and says stuff that isn't true. Sometimes they do it to deceive, to lie. But other times, they just buy the propaganda that props up their political positions.
Now that's what's going on with this so-called torture deal. The far eft believes the Bush administration wants to torture people for sport and asserts that making terror suspects uncomfortable is actually torture.
In addition, they claim tough interrogation methods never lead to valid information.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATHERINE NEWELL BERMAN, COUNTER-TERRORISM COUNCIL: From day one through year five, the U.S. military and the FBI have been saying coercive interrogation techniques get you garbage.
O'REILLY: OK.
BERMAN: And they come at a high cost.
O'REILLY: And I don't believe that for a second. And I based my belief on.
BERMAN: General Kimmet just said that at the Pentagon.
O'REILLY: I base my belief on I talked to the interrogators at Guantanamo. You may have seen that, I went down there.
BERMAN: I did.
O'REILLY: I talked to head interrogator at Baghram in Afghanistan. These are the hands-on guys that do it every day.
BERMAN: Bill, so you're saying the interrogators...
O'REILLY: All of them say that...
BERMAN: ...torture is an effective technique to get good information.
O'REILLY: I'm telling you that coerced interrogation, you ask any police department in the United States, works on most, not all, but most.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Now today, the Senate continues to debate the coerced interrogation issue. The White House wanting the CIA to have some latitude. The opposition saying only Geneva Convention techniques — name, rank, and jihad number — should apply to captured terrorists.
"Talking Points" believes there will be a compromise that the CIA will be allowed to use some so-called "coercive interrogation" methods. And that's a good thing, because they do work on some bad people. In just a moment, we'll prove that.
But it's important for you to know that in most policy debates, a lot of what you hear is simply false. Both the right and the left engage in propaganda. And that hurts you.
The truth is American interrogators did rough up some captured Al Qaeda terrorists. And those men did give up vital information that badly damaged terror operations. That is the truth.
And that is "The Memo."
Most Ridiculous Item of the Day
The chairman of the board of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation has been forced to resign.
As you know, that operation has harshly criticized the FOX News Channel and me. And now the boss, Guy Fournier, is out, apparently because of a theory he has that Lebanese men are allowed to have sex with female animals. -- That's Guy Fournier's theory, the head of the CBC.
Now, we don't really want to know any more details, but we're relieved that Mr. Fournier is not in charge of the CBC, an organization that may be ridiculous.
But, of course, I could be wrong. I don't think so...but I could be.
—You can catch Bill O'Reilly's "Talking Points Memo" and "Most Ridiculous Item" weeknights at 8 and 11 p.m. ET on the FOX News Channel and any time on foxnews.com/oreilly. Send your comments to: oreilly@foxnews.com
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