Agent who helped find Bin Laden passed over for promotion?

Report: Unidentified operative argued with colleagues

This is a rush transcript from "The Five," December 11, 2012. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

ANDREA TANTAROS, CO-HOST: We still haven't stopped debating from the A block during the commercial break. But we're going to go into another topic any way.

The new bin Laden raid movie "Zero Dark Thirty" premiered last night in Los Angeles. Now, the drama is based on the story of a real-life CIA agent who successfully tracked down the world's most wanted terrorist.

And there appears to be drama about the same spy off-screen as well. According to The Washington Post, the unidentified operative was passed over for a big promotion after the raid and has allegedly argued with her colleagues over credit for the mission.

So, Dana, the movie premiers next week. But this woman is supposedly the central figure and she's hailed as the central figure because she's the one that pushed over and over for a year saying it's the courier that's going to lead us for bin Laden. And she's causing a bit of a stir because I guess she didn't get this promotion and then she hit replay all to e-mail announcement of the awards that everyone is getting, she got one, saying, "You tried to obstruct me, you fought me, only I deserve the award."

Maybe not good to shoot inside the tent in this one?

BOB BECKEL, CO-HOST: I thought the courier thing was a George Bush intelligence operation.

TANTAROS: Is your name Dana?

BECKEL: Sorry.

TANTAROS: OK.

DANA PERINO, CO-HOST: It's OK.

So, when I read about this today was the first time I heard about her. I think -- it's hard for me to understand or to know, I don't know the facts of where the blurring of the lines between Hollywood and fiction and making up a good story and reality mix. I suppose that because of the attention to the movie that we're going to find out a lot more.

And also, but it's fascinating to think that it would be, if it was, if it's true, it was her effort to be able to say, no, we've got -- this way, go this way, go this way. And she's determined.

It's a little bit like one of our favorite programs we watch on here and the heroin in "Homeland". It sounds like. I mean, it sounds like it could be fictional character or it actually could be true. I'm interested to find out more.

TANTAROS: What do you think of this?

ERIC BOLLING, CO-HOST: I think it's very interesting that everyone -- especially on the left -- was saying, oh here's a Bigelow movie. She's got great information, she's got great intel from the FBI, got inside the FBI building. And then when she makes an accurate portrayal of the movie where waterboarding actually takes place, where the information gleaned from water -- from an enhanced interrogation leads to the courier, which leads to Osama bin Laden, all of a sudden, wait a minute, don't glorify waterboarding, don't glorify torture. They want something different.

The liberals in Hollywood and outside Hollywood wanted a different depiction of how the info was obtained.

TANTAROS: She's come under fire because I guess she's worked very -- she's accused of working very closely with Hollywood. She becomes the star of the movie. Coincidence?

But, Greg, I got to ask you about this. New York Magazine critic David Edelstein brands "Zero Dark Thirty" as morally reprehensible, because I guess there is a scene with waterboarding. So shocker, just like the video that you asked -- who pushed the video --

GREG GUTFELD, CO-HOST: Yes.

TANTAROS: They're trying to sensor another movie, because I guess they don't agree with it.

GUTFELD: Like I always say, waterboarding more like awesome boarding.

Look, the unspeakable truth here is everybody wants -- they will never say this -- but everybody wants torture on the table. If you ask one -- a person one question, say your child or your spouse was abducted and they had a person in custody who had the information and time was running out, would you mind -- would you mind if we used every means available to extract information? If you would deny that, you're lying.

BOLLING: Even if you are a liberal?

GUTFELD: Yes, yes, yes.

TANTAROS: Now, Bob, Senator Feinstein says that there was no torture involved. Barack Obama said there was no torture involved. This is just a movie.

So, why are liberals up in arms?

BECKEL: Well, I -- first of all, I think there are people now who see that this woman who had been for years pushing the idea of the waterboarding. And the answer to your question is, it's torture. It's flat-out torture.

GUTFELD: Yes.

BECKEL: And the United States should stand for something better than that.

GUTFELD: Yes. But you didn't answer the question.

BECKEL: What was your question?

GUTFELD: My question is, if it was a spouse or child --

BECKEL: Absolutely, I would have taken a gun and put it at their head.

But that's not the point. I'm not the government of the United States. That's my point.

GUTFELD: I would hope the government would do the same thing if it was my family. That's what I'm saying.

BOLLING: Here's the point, because you are gaining information that would hopefully stop a terrorist attack that might kill thousands of people.

(CROSSTALK)

BECKEL: This woman may have gone -- this woman may have got it. But, by the way, I thought it was CIA that got most of the intelligence, and not FBI.

TANTAROS: Dana, isn't this just a movie? OK? And a lot of liberals are saying this is reprehensible. They're allowed to make any kind of propaganda movie they want.

PERINO: Right. So you just pointed out that what Dianne Feinstein has said. I know what the joint commission and all the investigation into waterboarding. I know them very well.

I would take the word of those people over Hollywood depiction of it any day. But a lot of people are going to see this movie. And actually, I think it's a good thing. I do think it is a good thing.

But sometimes it's difficult to separate Hollywood from the truth. But in this case, it sounds like the liberals are mad and there's a good reason for it.

BECKEL: Where did you come up with the notion that liberals are against this whole thing? I haven't heard much.

PERINO: The whole thing.

(CROSSTALK)

TANTAROS: Yes, there's a bit of outrage.

BECKEL: Dianne Feinstein, so that's all liberals, right?

TANTAROS: Actually, well, The New Yorker isn't actually a conservative magazine, but it's not getting rave reviews for the one scene. But I guess that's just a movie, right? Free speech, they can make a movie without being jailed. Wait, no, they can't.

BECKEL: You can't. Is there anything wrong with taking exception to torture? I mean, I don't think --

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