Read a transcript of the bin Ladengate exchange between GMA's Elizabeth Vargas and Sean Hannity:
VARGAS: Talking about the war on terrorism, among the controversial aspects of the book, you have placed responsibility squarely at President Clinton's feet for the Sept. 11 attacks and Osama bin Laden.
HANNITY: Well, I'm very clear to say I don't blame the left, I don't blame President Clinton for the attacks. You can't blame him. I blame the people that hijacked those airplanes and dive-bombed them into those buildings because they have no respect for human life.
But there were four opportunities when Sudan offered Osama bin Laden on a silver platter to America and we turned it down. These aren't my words. Mansoor Ijaz, a big Clinton Democratic supporter, a Muslim-American, he was the one who negotiated it. I've interviewed him many times. Similarly, his own ambassador to the Sudan has confirmed the offer that was made.
All I'm saying is that, if we were offered him we've got to go back and analyze, how is it that America, if we're going to battle terror and we don't want this to ever happen again, this vast audience on "Good Morning America" doesn't want to wake up one morning and see something tragic like that ever happen again, we have to go back and we have to examine the mistakes that we made. And an offer (for) Osama bin Laden after the Trade Center bombing in 1993, you have to ask questions. Why did that happen? And how can we prevent it from happening again?
VARGAS: We should say that members of the Clinton administration say that they have no knowledge of any offer and ...
HANNITY: I have a tape of Bill Clinton himself that finally acknowledges that it was offered. This has recently come out. But his own ambassador is the one that is saying it. |
