Is NBC's Parent Company Doing Business With Iran?

Is General Electric, the parent company of NBC, doing business with Iran? And did they do business with the bin Laden family after 9/11? That is the subject of this evening's "Talking Points Memo."

Now you may remember former NBC correspondent John Hockenberry. He competed against us on MSNBC for a while and reported stories for "Dateline NBC," winning some awards. In this month's edition of Technology Review, a publication put out by MIT, Mr. Hockenberry makes a very disturbing charge.

"In early 2002, [I] was in Saudi Arabia covering regional reaction to September 11. We spent time on the streets and found considerable sympathy for Usama bin Laden among common citizens. We wanted to speak with members of Usama bin Laden's family about their errant son's mission to bring down the Saudi government and attack the infidel West. We couldn't reach the bin Ladens using ordinary means... but GE had long done business with the bin Ladens.

In a misguided attempt at corporate synergy, I called GE headquarters in Fairfield, Connecticut, from my hotel room in Riyadh. I inquired at the highest level to see whether, in the interest of bringing out all aspects of a very important story for the American people, GE corporate officers might try to persuade the bin Ladens to speak with 'Dateline' while we were in the kingdom.

Within a few hours, I received a call in my hotel room from a senior corporate communications officer who would only read a statement over the phone. It said something to the effect that GE had an important, long-standing and valuable business relationship with the Bin Laden Group and saw no connection between that relationship and what 'Dateline' was trying to do in Saudi Arabia. We spoke with no bin Laden family member on that trip."

Now CEO Jeffrey Immelt was running GE back then, and of course is the highest level of that operation. NBC News trashed Hockenberry in a statement today.

"It is unfortunate that John Hockenberry seems to be so far out of touch with reality. The comments are so utterly absurd, we will have no further comment."

Mr. Hockenberry would not come on "The Factor," but told us on the phone he stands by his story. There are also reports that General Electric continues to do business with Iran. CEO Immelt would not respond to our questions about that, so producer Jesse Watters went to him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JESSE WATTERS, "O'REILLY FACTORY" PRODUCER: Mr. Immelt, Jesse with FOX News. We would like to talk to you about your involvement with Iran. Are you still trading with Iran while Iranians are killing Americans in Iraq? You're not selling them airplane parts that can be used for military equipment?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Now late today GE did issue a statement finally, saying it no longer does business with Iran, except fulfilling past contracts and humanitarian stuff. But "The Factor" has confirmed that through subsidiaries, GE is working with the Iranian government on hydroelectric, oil and gas, and medical projects.

It should be noted that Iran is currently listed as a state that sponsors terrorism, and U.S. intelligence has confirmed Iranian weapons are being used to kill Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Mr. Immelt is in deep trouble within General Electric. The company's stock price is now 10 percent lower than it was when he took over from Jack Welch on September 7, 2001, four days before 9/11. Reports are there is open disenchantment with Immelt's leadership from some stockholders.

But the key issue here is how American corporations are behaving in the middle of a terror war. General Electric should fully explain both situations: the bin Laden deal and Iran.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

In Iowa, a mother found booze in her 19-year-old son's car, so she decided to sell the car and took out this ad:

"Totally uncool parents who obviously don't love teenage son, selling his car. Only driven for three weeks before snoopy mom who needs to get a life found booze under front seat. Call meanest mom on the planet."

The woman explained herself on "Good Morning America."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JANE HAMBLETON, MOTHER: I got to jazz it up somehow so it gets noticed and we sell the car and we can put this behind us, and he won't be mad anymore and it'll be over.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

I don't know if the kid's not mad anymore, but Jane Hambleton did sell the car, and she's a patriot because we can't have kids drinking and driving.

On the pinhead front, Rosie O'Donnell's partner in thought, Joy Behar, is on her anti-Christian jag again, this time mocking Catholic saints.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOY BEHAR, "THE VIEW" CO-HOST: You know what? I have a theory that you can't find saints anymore because of psychotropic medication. I think that in the old days the saints were hearing voices, and they didn't have any Thorazine to calm them down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

We all have to pray for Ms. Behar, even though she's a pinhead.