Krauthammer: 'The tide of American power is receding'

Syndicated columnist on U.S. foreign policy in Middle East

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," September 14, 2012. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: And as anti-American protests spread, this administration is trying to deflect blame for its failed policies and trying to peg all of this violence on a YouTube video. I know, believe it or not. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAY CARNEY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: This is a fairly volatile situation. And it is in response, not to the United States policy, not to -- obviously the administration, not to the American people. It is in response to a video, a film that we have judged to be reprehensible and disgusting. That in no way justifies any violent reaction to it. But this is not a case of protests directed at the United States, at large or at U.S. policy. This is in response to a video that is offensive and -- to Muslims.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Now, that comment is just pathetic and it pretty much says it all. We are dealing with an administration that does not have the courage to stand up for this country. We have a president who is operating from a position of weakness, a president who refuses to call people what they are, in this case, radical extremists, Islamists. And speaking of that video, the president's indifference to a little something that we call free speech.

Now, Fox News has confirmed that the White House has asked YouTube to, quote, "review the trailer." Now, that sounds an awful lot like an administration strong-arming a private company. Why? To censor its content. But tonight, we have learned that Google, who owns YouTube, will not remove this clip. So, how do we get to this frightening point?

Now, I believe think it all began with this president constantly apologizing for America, his efforts to appease the mobs, his willingness to reason with malevolent forces that are in fact committed to killing us. Now, let's take a look back to 2009, when he spoke in Cairo in the very same city that you are seeing right here tonight, where Islamists are chanting "Death to America." Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, JUNE 4, 2009)

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: I'm grateful for your hospitality and the hospitality of the people of Egypt. I am also proud to carry with me the good will of the American people and a greeting of peace for Muslim communities in my country. Assalaamu alaykum.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: 9/11 was an enormous trauma to our country. The fear and anger that it provoked was understandable. But in some cases, it led us to act contrary for our traditions and our ideals. We are taking concrete actions to change course. I have unequivocally prohibited the use of torture by the United States and I have ordered the prison at Guantanamo Bay closed by early next year.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Mr. President, EIT, enhanced interrogation, is not torture. Without EIT, without Gitmo, you don't get the call to go after bin Laden. And this was a dangerous display of weakness. And we are now seeing the fruits of this reckless rhetoric.

Now, this disaster, the Obama administration can't even get on the same page about whether or not we view Egypt at this moment as an ally. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)

OBAMA TELEMUNDO, SEPT. 12: You know, I don't think that we would consider them an ally. But we don't consider them an enemy. They are a new government that is trying to find its way.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: You are saying that the administration, state department, still regards Egypt as a major non-NATO ally and is still a recipient of all the privileges that that entails?

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: Yes.

(END VIDEO CLIPS)

HANNITY: Maybe one day, they'll make up their minds. So, what is it? Does the administration now think Egypt is an ally or not? Now, instead of answering the question, the White House just talks itself in circles. When asked about the contradiction, a White House spokesman actually said this, "I think folks are reading way too much into this. Ally is a legal term of art." And it all depends what "is" this. And we weren't actually having sex either. Does anyone understand what that means?

Here with reaction of the latest developments, syndicated columnist, Fox News contributor, our friend, Charles Krauthammer. Charles, welcome back.

CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Happy to be here.

HANNITY: I loved your line, we should have as the United States, told them to go straight to hell. We didn't. Where does it stand now?

KRAUTHAMMER: Well, I think what you're seeing in those things you've quoted from Carney and the administration. "This has nothing to do with us or our policies, it's about a video," is either willfully obtuse or simply clueless. What has happened is, as you pointed out, beginning with the Cairo speech, Obama changed American policy on the theory that the reason that people hated us was because we were tough. They hated us because of Iraq, they hated us because of Guantanamo. They hated us because of the torture -- he used the word, he accuses his own country abroad of torturing.

And he was now apologizing and promising to change course. We would no longer be tough. We would be loved. We would show compassion. And we would get out of Iraq. He sets a deadline for Afghanistan. He doesn't support the green revolution in Iran. He shows the ayatollahs tremendous respect. He essentially protects them when they are under attack. He gets nowhere on the Iran nuclear issue. He is equivocal uncertain during the Arab Spring. He leads from behind in Libya. The theory was if we go soft, if we are very nice, if we -- if we say Assalaamu alaykum, enough times, everything will be all right. And what he decided is, the way to do that, the theory and therefore the practice is going to be, retreat and withdraw. Remember the line he uses? The tide of war is receding.

HANNITY: Not exactly.

KRAUTHAMMER: That means the tide of American power is receding. And the reason that American interests, embassies, schools, businesses are aflame throughout the Middle East from Tunis all the way to South Asia is because things don't happen in a vacuum. And when you withdraw the power and the influence of the strongest country on earth from a region, the vacuum will be filled.

HANNITY: Great point.

KRAUTHAMMER: What we are seeing now is the Salafists, the Islamist, understanding this is their opening, America is in retreat. The tide of America is retreating in the region. And they are now going to fill the gap.

HANNITY: All right, let me, Charles --

KRAUTHAMMER: That's why all of this is happening.

HANNITY: Charles, a superb analysis. But here's what's happened. And you see the world is burning. And they are against America and our ambassador killed, two U.S. Navy SEALs killed. I will get to this later. What are we going to do about it?

But they apologize. They say that Egypt is still our ally, run by the Muslim Brotherhood, the Muslim Brotherhood gets $2 billion of our taxpayer dollars. This is the motto of the Muslim Brotherhood, Charles. "Allah is our objective. The prophet our leader, the Koran our law. Jihad our way, dying in the way of Allah our highest hope." Why would we give them $2 billion? Why?!

KRAUTHAMMER: Well, look, I don't think the issue right now is foreign aid. If Morsi, the president of Egypt, doesn't cooperate, doesn't support our embassies, protect our embassies and doesn't honor the peace treaty with Israel, there is already trouble in the Sayonite (ph). Then I think you withdraw the aid.

You got to be very careful, now. The vacuum is already been created. The trouble is already at hand. American enemies are right on the move, everywhere as we can see. Right now, our hand is very much weakened because of the three years of Obama policy. At this point, you don't want to make it worse by -- you know, a move that is reactive and too fast. You withdraw all of our aid today, and we have no leverage. What you do is you portion it out depending on how they act.

HANNITY: All right, Charles.

KRAUTHAMMER: But the problem is this, pro-American elements in the region, look around. There is no America anymore. I will give you one example. Does anybody care about what we think about Syria? The major country in Mesopotamia. Does anybody ask what Obama's view? No. They want to know what the Russians are doing, the Iranians and Hezbollah. These are the active players. And that's what happens when America withdraws its power and its influence. We become irrelevant.

HANNITY: Charles, I -- dead-on analysis. Thank you so much for being with us. We need this kind of perspective during this, what is a worldwide crisis now. Thank you for being with us.

KRAUTHAMMER: Pleasure.

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