Should the US do more to rescue the Nigerian schoolgirls?

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," May 7, 2014. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: Joining me now with more reaction to this story, Fox News military analysts Lieutenant Colonel Bill Cowan and Lieutenant General Thomas McInerney.

Well, Colonel Cowan, first of all, I actually think that this is a good thing. You know, for all those people that say I never say a good thing about Obama -- I do have questions about why we don't do other things. We can't be the world's policeman. But this guy is a terrorist, threatening to sell these girls. I worry if they have been raped. There's been 50 of them that were able to escape. But they are in a perilous position there, and I like the fact that we're involved.

How far should we go?

LT. COL. BILL COWAN, U.S. MARINE CORPS (RET.), FOX MILITARY ANALYST: Well, Sean, you're right about one thing. The fact that they've grabbed these girls has put them in the spotlight now, the international spotlight. They've killed well over 10,000 people in the last few years. This girl thing -- the girl thing with the young students makes it a big one.

I think that we're going to put a lot of intelligence assets in there to try to help the Nigerians decide or determine exactly where these guys are. But I don't think the Nigerians are up to the task of actually running some kind of a rescue operation. And frankly, when you've got that many hostages, it's almost impossible to run an effective, safe rescue operation where everybody gets out.

So I think, Sean, this thing has a ways to go. I understand we don't have drones over there yet, but perhaps at some point, we will. And that might include Predator drones to help take out the leadership of this terror organization.

HANNITY: What do you know about Boko Haram?

COWAN: Well, I know that, indeed, they're absolutely ruthless. I mean, there are some things on our side and on the Nigerian side that make it a little bit easier to go after them. They're unstructured. They do have some qualified fighters among the group, but the leadership is a little bit spread out, although there's clearly the one central leader. They're not -- you know, they don't go to formation and march. They're not in good communications with everybody.

They're a ruthless gang that wanders around without really being confronted. And whether or not they can stand the challenge of a true military engagement by qualified, capable forces remains to be seen. And I think that's in our advantage to the Nigerians, and of course, the U.S., British, French and anybody that plays over there.

HANNITY: General McInerney, one of the problems when you so many hostages, their lives are at risk. If there's any rescue operation that is brought into play, they might have a plan to kill these kids. Very delicate, very difficult military maneuver.

I would -- if the United States is going to go in, I want them to go in full-bore, because they probably have the greatest chance of being successful.

LT. GEN. THOMAS MCINERNEY, U.S. AIR FORCE (RET.), FOX MILITARY ANALYST: Absolutely, Sean. I would like to have the Brits and the French. They're very capable. But as...

HANNITY: And the Israelis.

MCINERNEY: ... Colonel Cowan said -- and the Israelis. We probably won't get them but -- because they've got other challenges. But the fact is, we ought to get some Global Hawks over there, which can be there right away, because they have the range. And then they'll have to pre-position Predators that can give -- or Reapers (ph) that can give a full-motion video picture. But we're going to need those kind of assets. And we should send our special force teams over there as soon as we can.

The Nigerians cannot handle it, particularly when you've got 280 girls out there still. Fifty-three have escaped. But the fact is, only the United States with our NATO partners, the British and the French, can really execute and safely -- and I'm not even sure we can do that, as Colonel Cowan pointed out...

HANNITY: Well...

MCINERNEY: ... it's risky, but we should do it.

HANNITY: So we're going to be providing the intelligence. We'll probably have drones in the air to identify their location. We'll certainly be able to monitor any communications that are going out there. So I would assume we're going to be able to pinpoint where these kids are. Where do we go from there?

MCINERNEY: Well, that's why I think we need some special ops teams in there, and that would mean JSOC was involved, as well as Nigerians. But I said it is important to have the Brits and the French with us.

HANNITY: All right...

MCINERNEY: They're very capable. And a combined force like that has the best chance of success, Sean. And it's important that we step up to it right away than have a team of FBI investigators over there advising. We need more than advisers.

HANNITY: All right. And if I can go back to you Colonel Cowan, Duncan Hunter was on the air last night here on Fox, and he's talking about, you know, what about, for example, our Marine being held in a Mexican jail. Roll this tape.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE KELLY FILE"/ MAY 6)

REP. DUNCAN HUNTER, R-CALIF.: What this shows me mostly is the impotence and ineptitude of John Kerry and the State Department. You don't have Middle East peace. You can't stop Putin from crossing his own borders into free countries. And you can't get a former Marine out of a Mexican jail.

This administration, frankly, I don't think, cares about this Marine. And I don't think that Kerry has the power to do anything about it.

Forget Kerry. We're going to be appealing to the Mexican attorney general to expedite the case so he doesn't have to wait until I think it's May 25th until the next hearing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Colonel Cowan, I'm all for helping these girls and helping Nigeria and helping the mothers and the fathers of these kids. But you know something? Sometimes, we don't do enough for our American citizens that are held. And similarly, I would bring up the issue of Benghazi here. These families don't have answers in America, and we've been lied to regarding Benghazi. Do you see the two connected?

COWAN: Well, I do, Sean. And you know, first of all, the fact that we can't do something for that Marine in Tijuana definitely as Duncan Hunter says, Congressman Hunter -- definitely shows that we don't have a good relationship with Mexico. It's inconceivable that State Department wouldn't at least have this guy in a safe place inside that prison, where he's not being attacked by other people.

And Benghazi -- you know, that story's going to come out. They picked the bulldog of all bulldogs, Trey Gowdy, to be on that, to head that committee there, and I think...

HANNITY: We'll have more on that.

(CROSSTALK)

MCINERNEY: ... find out a lot of things that the administration has fought (ph).

HANNITY: All right. One thing I want to add to this, the issue of the Sharia law has now come up. Now, this is an issue we have talked about at length on this program, the way woman are treated under Sharia. For example, in Saudi Arabia, they can't drive a car. They can't be out in public without a male relative. Under Sharia in many countries, women are stoned to death for adultery. They have to prove -- they have to have four male eyewitnesses to prove rape. They must cover themselves.

Well, finally, I see that Hollywood -- Jay Leno, Ellen DeGeneres -- they have now spoken out against the sultan of Brunei and his ownership of this hotel out in Hollywood, and I want to show you a piece of what they said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, MAY 5)

JAY LENO, COMEDIAN: What year is this? What is this, 1814? Come on, people! It's 2014. Women are being kidnapped and sold, and we all kind of sit around here, OK, and -- you know, evil flourishes when good people do nothing.

You know, there's nothing extreme happening here. These aren't crazy feminist wackos. They're women who just try to protect other women.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: General McInerney, I'm glad -- I like Jay Leno. Welcome, we've been on this now for well over a decade on this show, talking about Sharia law, the plight of women, gays and lesbians. Why has Hollywood been silent up to now?

MCINERNEY: Well, that's a very good question, Sean. But I'm absolutely delighted that they are. The fact is, is Sharia law is part of an evil ideology, when you talk about it and look what it does to women, and demeans them, kills them, murders them, stones them. And Hollywood has never said anything until this day. So I say congratulations, Jay Leno and all your friends out there. Pick up the cudgel that Sean Hannity and all of us have been pushing for the last 10 years.

HANNITY: Yes. All right, guys, good to see you both. Appreciate it. And I agree. Welcome to the party. The entire world -- every liberal ought to stand with conservatives about the treatment of women, human rights, especially under Sharia, and how oppressive it is. Guys, good to see you.

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