Will Radical Extremists Rise to Power in Egypt?
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This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," February 11, 2011. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
SEAN HANNITY, HOST: So Mubarak is out. So who is next? That is the big question tonight after this morning's bombshell resignation. The president's departure after 30 years in office has kicked the power vacuum in Cairo into high gear.
And now there is growing consensus that a radical extremist group known as the Muslim Brotherhood could be in position to take control of the Egyptian government. So what exactly does that mean for America, Israel and the world?
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Well, all you have to do is look at the hate-filled words of the leader of that group, Mohammed Badi. Now this is a man who fully supports both Sharia law and Jihad, and he's called for the destruction of Israel and Zionism worldwide.
In recent days, the White House seems indifferent towards the Muslim Brotherhood and has been nothing short of reckless. Now we saw this Sunday when President Obama refused to condemn the anti-American, anti-Israel group during an interview with Bill O'Reilly.
And now possible 2012 contender, former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, is sending the president a message.
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GOVERNOR TIM PAWLENTY, R-MINN.: When the United States of America projects its national security interests here and around the world, we need to do it with strength! We need to make sure there is no equivocation, no uncertainty.
This current administration doesn't seem to understand this important principle. We undermine Israel, the U.K., Poland, Czech Republic, Columbia, amongst other of our friends. Meanwhile we appease and accommodate Iran, Russia, adversaries in the Middle East, including Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood.
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HANNITY: And joining me now with this analysis of this potential threat to the United States and Israel is the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee New York Congressman Pete King. And from D.C., Egyptian-American filmmaker, journalist, Jehan Harney is back with us.
We hear the words of the leader. Their motto is, "Allah our objective, the prophet our leader, the Koran our law, Jihad our way and dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope." Doug Schoen has a piece. He thinks it's over 50 percent of chance the Brotherhood wins power here.
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CONGRESSMAN PETER KING, R-N.Y.: It's a real chance. I don't think the Muslim Brotherhood has that much support in Egypt. When you have a time like this, when there's a revolution and there's not been a democracy in the country. A well-organized power group can get power far beyond its real support and that's my concern.
What bothers me about the Obama administration is if sometime in the future there may be some small role for the Muslim Brotherhood that is bad enough. But they're saying up front the way Clapper did yesterday and the way the president refuses to condemn the Muslim Brotherhood, we are giving them an advantage right at the start at the time when there is so much chaos in the country.
So I'm very concerned and I just hope the military has the power it needs and we work with them to do all we can to make sure the Muslim Brotherhood does not take over in Egypt, that would be a disaster for Israel, disaster for the United States and the entire region.
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HANNITY: All right, let me ask you, Jehan. I just read to you their motto. You just heard the words of their leader. My question to you is I asked you once if Hamas is a terrorist organization. You refused to say they are terrorist organization. Is the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization?
JEHAN HARNEY, JOURNALIST AND FILMMAKER: They are banned in Egypt, though they have a political representation -- they are banned in Egypt --
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HANNITY: I'm not asking you that. Before we get on to your analysis, is the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization? It's a yes or no question.
HARNEY: They haven't committed violence in decades, Sean. In fact, they are denounced by Al Qaeda, Sean, because they don't want to advocate violence. They have their own views that we could disagree with, but it doesn't mean that I would endorse a group like that. But at the same time, they are not even on the terrorist group watch list of the State Department.
HANNITY: "Jihad is our way, dying in the name of Allah is our highest hope." Doesn't that sound like terrorism to you like radical Islamic extremism?
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HARNEY: Interestingly, why don't you ask why Al Qaeda has denounced them if they don't want to commit any violence? I just want to jump here to a very important point --
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HANNITY: Let's go back to Congressman King, hang on. Congressman?
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KING: The fact is the Muslim Brotherhood, they talk violence. On the one hand they say they are not violent, then they have the leader you mentioned the spiritual adviser who says good things about Hitler, denounces the Jews, won't even talk to Jews, and denounces the United States. We as Americans cannot take the risk of allowing a group that fraternizes with terrorists who talks in terrorist terms, who talks radically, to have them get any power in the Middle East.
HARNEY: I agree with you. We shouldn't endorse them, but again, we can't suppress them. We can't interfere in the process. We should allow the movement, the revolution, what happened in Egypt is a huge revolution --
KING: As Americans we have a strategic interest in the Middle East. We cannot just sit benignly back and say that the Muslim Brotherhood can work itself in.
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HARNEY: No, it's not that we're going to benignly back --
HANNITY: Please don't interrupt. Let him finish his thought. Go ahead.
KING: We have six months to work with the military in Egypt. Use our influence, considerable influence we have, use it right and do all we can to ensure the Muslim Brotherhood does not insinuate itself into the situation.
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HANNITY: Let me give you a recent poll. This was in Doug Schoen's column today Jehan where he sites, for example, a number of polls, one in particular caught my attention. Egyptians support Sharia law.
For example, 84 percent say that apostates, those who forsake Islam, should face the death penalty, 77 percent say thieves should have their hands cut off. A majority 54 percent say men and women should be segregated in the workplace that's the views of the people of Egypt.
Why are you so hopeful that this so-called democracy movement is going to emerge?
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HARNEY: Let me tell you, I'm in touch with people of Egypt. I don't know how they conduct their polls. Let me tell you what I hear from people in Egypt, people who have actually camped out in Tahrir Square. These people are, you know, my family members, relatives, friends. Many, many people that I've been in touch with, talking with and they have seen members of the Muslim Brotherhood there. They've said they are not as they are perceived to be by the West because that's the narrative of Mubarak regime and other dictatorships -- let me finish, just a second, Sean --
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HANNITY: In the middle of all these, the Muslim Brotherhood. In the middle of all this, the Muslim Brotherhood said prepare for war with Israel.
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HARNEY: Didn't they also say that they're going to honor Egypt treaties in the past including with Israel?
HANNITY: That would obviously negate that wouldn't that if the leadership is calling for -- told the people to prepare for war with Israel. Now Congressman King, that to me is a very clear statement of where they would intend to take any government. It seems that the Obama administration by saying they are going to reconsider their relationship has already
HARNEY: If they are trying to pursue --
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HANNITY: -- hang on, Congressman?
KING: And we cannot take that risk. We saw this in Iran in 1979. I agree most of those demonstrators are probably good people. Just like in Iran, the revolution in 1978 and 1979 was led by good people, then Khomeini took it over. That's what I see happening in the Muslim Brotherhood coming in and hijacking this revolution and then it is too late.
HARNEY: They can't hijack the revolution.
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KING: That's why the Obama administration has to be aggressive upfront.
HANNITY: What do they have to do?
HARNEY: Mr. King, they can't hijack the revolution because they are weak and Egyptians don't want Sharia, they don't want that represented, Mr. King.
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KING: The fact is, they are the only organized political party in Egypt is the Muslim Brotherhood. And revolutionaries can use their power.
HARNEY: I don't know where you get your analysis from, Mr. King, but Egyptians don't want Sharia opposed on them in Egypt.
(CROSSTALK)
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HANNITY: Hang on let me make one point. And what's really frightening is if you go back to 1979, the Iranian revolution, what we found is, you know, there were people in the media in New York Times for example saying this is great. People in the Carter government were suggesting that when the Ayatollah was coming out of exile that he was Gandhi.
KING: Right. We also saw in Castro in 1959, the so-called democratic revolution Castro said all the right things. Once he got in power he allied himself with the Soviets same thing happened with Khomeini when he took over in 1979. I'm afraid it is going to happen with the Muslim Brotherhood. The president cannot stand back. We have a role to play just like the way Harry Truman was in Europe in World War II.
HARNEY: They are not going to get power because Egyptian wants don't want them to get that power. Give me just one minute uninterrupted.
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HANNITY: I'll give you 20 seconds.
HARNEY: In 2005, they came to power because the Egyptian government was pushed by the Bush administration to open the door for people to run for elections --
HANNITY: All right, guys. I got to cut you short. We are way out of time. I'm looking at the clock here. I apologize, but we're going to take a break.
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