The Factor Rundown
Juan Williams hosts Friday's O'Reilly Factor
Unresolved Problems Segment
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Should We Fear ISIS
Juan began Friday's show by asking former NATO Commander General Wesley Clark about the brutal terror group ISIS and its threat to America and the West. "You're going to see the United States increasingly targeting ISIS," Clark predicted, "and putting more and more combat power to bear. But it's the nations in the region who are on the front lines, they have to step forward and do their part. The solution is not just military, it's also political - the new prime minister in Iraq has to bring that country together so people will fight for the government. It would be great if we could cut off the head of the snake right now, but we're not going to be able to do that by ourselves." Juan scoffed at the suggestion that Saudi Arabia will join the fight against ISIS: "I just don't see it coming. We give them lots of military equipment, but I don't see them ever leading the fight."
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Treating the Foley Execution as a Criminal Matter
The Obama administration seems to be treating the ISIS beheading of American journalist James Foley as a criminal offense, not an act of war. Juan spoke about that with foreign policy observer Cliff May. "What happened to James Foley is not some garden variety criminal act," May declared, "it's not murder in the first degree. This is a war crime and a crime against all Americans. If we lose this to a criminal indictment we'll get nowhere and we'll make the same mistake we've been making for a lot of years. This needs to be fought as a war, which means we go after them militarily and economically and diplomatically. The guy who drew the knife across James Foley's neck is not what counts here, what counts is the ideology and all the jihadist movements around the world."
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ISIS Hostages
Some European nations have been paying huge ransoms to terrorists in exchange for the release of hostages. Nile Gardiner of the conservative Heritage Foundation questioned the wisdom of dealing with terrorists. "It's a disgrace that European countries pay ransoms," he said, "and at the top of the list are the French, who have paid out about $60-million over the last five years to various Al Qaeda groups across the world. Spain, Switzerland, Austria, and Germany have paid ransoms, but it's important to point out that Britain and the United States refuse to pay. What you have in Europe is a culture of appeasement towards global terrorism. This actually fills the coffers of Al Qaeda and greatly increases the likelihood that Westerners will be taken hostage." Juan was incensed by Europe's willingness to deal with the devil: "When the Europeans want military support, they come to the United States of America. So why can't the United States demand that the French stop paying ransom to terrorists?"
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The President's Golf Game Sending the Wrong Message?
President Obama has increasingly come under fire for putting while the world burns. Fox News White House correspondent Ed Henry entered the No Spin Zone to analyze the president's willingness to fight ISIS. "The president's spokesman is opening the door to potential air strikes in Syria against ISIS," Henry reported, "but the president is boxed in by himself. A year ago he debated air strikes in Syria, walked up to the line, but then had second thoughts. Here we are a year later and the situation has only gotten worse. The president's top military advisor says we can't beat ISIS unless we go into Syria, so if he doesn't go in he'll look weak." Juan added that the administration has been sending mixed signals about ISIS: "Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel says there is an 'imminent threat,' but President Obama says we can contain them."
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The President's Ferguson Polling Problems
Columnist and author Jason Riley, a black conservative, has been harshly critical of Al Sharpton and others who are inflaming passions in Ferguson, Missouri. Juan asked Riley to evaluate President Obama's handling of the situation. "The black base is to the left of Obama on this," Riley theorized, "and that explains why Attorney General Eric Holder was sent out there. Obama is worried about keeping the support he has among blacks, who want to see the wheels of justice turning faster than they are. There is tension between the black community and the police force, and I don't see how you're going to lessen that tension until you do something about the black crime rate. We talk about unemployment, we talk about poverty, but we don't talk about black crime rates. The cops aren't the problem!" Juan reminded Riley that President Obama remains extremely popular among black Americans: "Blacks have given the president a pass. There's high unemployment in the black community but his approval ratings are still high."
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Helping President Obama?
A new report suggests that Al Sharpton has become President Obama's "go-to man" when it comes to racial issues. Juan discussed that revelation with author and Fox News contributor Deneen Borelli. "What's ironic to me," she began, "is that Obama wanted nothing to do with Al Sharpton in 2008 when he was running for president because Sharpton is a polarizing force. Al Sharpton is a known race-baiter, from Tawana Brawley to Ferguson. He went into Ferguson without even knowing all the facts, declaring that Michael Brown was a 'gentle giant.' It's absolutely outrageous that Al Sharpton has this connection to the White House. Obama has done nothing to help black voters, so he would rather deflect and play the race card." Juan lamented that Sharpton is acting like he is "the king of black America."
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Wounded Warrior In Need
Juan concluded the week by reprising Jesse Watters' interview with Captain Edward "Flip" Klein, a wounded warrior whose life was transformed when he received a high-tech track chair from the Independence Fund. "I have shifted from patient mode," he told Watters, "back into husband mode. I don't want my life to be about the injury, I want my life to be about how I became better. The chair is absolutely liberating." But Klein was dealt another blow last week when his Maryland home burned to the ground. The Independence Fund is now raising money for the Klein family - you can make a donation by visiting IndependenceFund.org.
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