Usama bin Laden Continues to Play His Games

To watch The Talking Points Memo click here.

Hi, I'm Bill O'Reilly.  Thanks for watching us tonight.

Well, no surprise, Saddam Hussein will allow U.N.'s weapon checkers into Iraq.  Let the games begin.  And Usama bin Laden continues to play his games as well.  That is the subject of this evening's Talking Points Memo .

It is extremely disappointing that the United States has not captured or killed Bin Laden, but such is life.  There is, however, something we can do right now, and that's try him in absentia for crimes against humanity.

The trial should be held in front of an American military tribunal, and should begin soon.  This would allow the United States to immediately impose a penalty on bin Laden once he's captured and lessen the dog and pony show that will endanger all Americans.

We called the State Department.  They punted the ball over to the Justice Department.  John Ashcroft's people told The Factor that Bin Laden is currently under indictment by the New York U.S. attorney's office for the African embassy bombings.

Of course, the U.S. attorney's office here in New York is the same group that could not indict Senator Torricelli or get to the bottom of the Marc Rich pardon.  But, hey, nobody's perfect.

Anyway, Justice would not comment on any plans to try bin Laden in absentia, primarily because they don't have any plans to do that.  But why not?  Again, no comment from Justice, and the beat goes on.

The Bush administration has been aggressive in fighting the war on terror.  Now it must begin to be creative.  No way on this earth would a public trial of Usama bin Laden do this country any good.  It would inflame Muslim fanatics all over the world and empower sleazy defense attorneys to trot out every technicality known to man to make themselves famous.

Any proceeding against Bin Laden must be handled by the military and must be done quickly and discreetly.  We do not need a public spectacle that would put us all in danger.

So let's go to trial now.  Surely the government has enough evidence, and if they don't, they should tell us they don't.  If Bin Laden wants to mouth off and continue to threaten Americans, fine.  But we have the right to put him on trial right now.

What say you, John Ashcroft?

And that's The Memo .

The Most Ridiculous Item of the Day

Time now for the "Most Ridiculous Item of the Day."

A few years ago, the producers of the James Bond movies wanted 007 to be monogamous.  Now they want him to be a water boy.  In the upcoming Bond flick "Die Another Day," Pierce Brosnan drinks bottled water instead of martinis shaken not stirred.  So, if you guys need to be stirred, you'll have to depend on Halle Berry who plays Bond's friend.  Where have you gone, Sean Connery?

It might be ridiculous.

— You can watch Bill O'Reilly's Talking Points and "Most Ridiculous Item" weeknights at 8 & 11p.m. ET on the Fox News Channel. Send your comments to: oreilly@foxnews.com