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American Morning

IOC Won't Let U.S. Athletes at Opening Ceremony to Carry Tattered Flag Recovered at Trade Center

Aired February 06, 2002 - 09:33   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: We have a lot to talk about this morning in our "Sound Off," starting off with the controversy of the American flag. The International Olympic Committee will not let U.S. athletes at the opening ceremony this Friday to carry that tattered and well traveled symbol of American spirit that was recovered at building seven of the World Trade Center. The IOC director, Fozfat Korat (ph), explained that it was a universal event, and struck a compromise, only allowing the flag to be raised at the national anthem.

So was the IOC right in denying the host of the event this patriotic moment? Well, joining us now for our "Sound Off": from Washington, Bob Beckel, Democratic political strategist, and Cliff May, former RNC communications director.

Good morning. Welcome.

CLIFF MAY, FMR. RNC COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: Good morning, Paula.

ZAHN: So, Cliff, what's with the IOC and this decision here?

MAY: It is outrageous and it is offensive. Look, the United States was involved not in that -- well, what they're saying is this should be a universal event. It should be above politics, and you know, that this was a tragedy that -- and a lot of countries have suffered tragedies, no. This was not a tragedy. It was not an incident, as the European elites who are simmeringly anti-American keep saying. I hope most Europeans don't agree. This was an act of war declared upon us. This event should not be so universal that the Olympic committee makes no distinction between the terrorist and their victims.

And it was only 1972 after all that terrorist attacks in Olympics in Munich, killing U.S. athletes. Most of the victims there were Israelis. Nonetheless, the important point is Americans should be allowed to show our flag, and we're going to the Olympics as if this were normal times and we're getting on with our lives, but we can never forget I hope that we are at war right now with barbaric regimes and barbaric groups around the world.

ZAHN: Bob, one of the local papers called it "Olympic insult." I see you smiling at Cliff there. But you know what the IOC guys have said. They said this would set a precedent if we allow the Americans to march with this tattered flag. Instead, it will stand over the stadium for many days to come. Are you upset about this?

BOB BECKEL, DEMOCRATIC POLITICAL STRATEGIST: No, I'm not upset about it. I tell you, the politicalization of the Olympics has gone on now far too long, which is why it should be put in Rome or someplace permanently. But you know, Cliff mentioned what happens to the Israeli athletes in 1972 at Munich, they didn't fly the flag that the Olympic athletes had there in the next Olympics. Why didn't fly the flag after the Murrah building, fly a flag that was on top of that building. Why is it we don't have something from that plane that went down in Pennsylvania?

ZAHN: Come on, Bob, the scale of what happened on September 11th is entirely different from these other things, Bob.

MAY: Bob's taking the elite European view that this was just a tragedy. We are a nation right now at war. It's important to recognize that, and the Olympic Committee in 1936 when the Nazis had the Olympics and they did anything they wanted, I didn't see them stopping the Nazis from doing that. This is not about politics, this is recognizing that we are a nation at war, but this is a time that is very different from normal times.

BECKEL: I know this is difficult to say, but usually i have to say difficult things, this is not an American event. This is the world Olympics. Now if you are going to do this, I get back to my point. Paula says come on about this flag at the World Trade Center. How about people in the mailrooms that lost their lives from anthrax? Why don't we use postal flags? How about the people in the Defense Department? Why not take the flag that was on top of the Defense Department? I mean, where are we going with this thing?

MAY: This flag represents all American people and all people who are on our side in the war on terrorism. And I agree with President Bush, you are either with us or you're against us. You're either with the Americans in the war on terrorism, or you're with the terrorists. There's no neutral ground.

BECKEL: You tell that to families of people that downed that plane in Pennsylvania.

MAY: This flag represents them absolutely. Any nation should be able to have any flag it wants, and I don't want the IOC telling us which flag we get to display. It's our choice. There's a harder question. Should nation that support terrorism be able to participate in the Olympics? That's a different debate. I'm not sure they should, you probably think that's all right.

We are a nation at war, and we also have the right to a free expression in our own country when we're hosting the Olympics. It is rude and an insult to us that these European elites should take this point of view about us. And it shows that these people are not on our side. I'm sorry to say that. ZAHN: Bob, we get the final word on that, and then we're going to move on to something I know you really won't agree on, and that is status of John Walker Lindh. A final thought on this.

BECKEL: Right, I will say this. Is it not our Olympics. It is world Olympics, and the case is about tragedy. Ours is the worst by far. Israel ought to be able to take the flag that was on that bus where those little were killed by the bomber. Where are you going to stop?

MAY: Any flag they want, they should take, I agree.

BECKEL: All right, let's move on to issue of bail for John Walker Lindh. Let me outline for you some of the charges that our attorney general mentioned yesterday. Essentially saying that Osama bin Laden sent some 50 terrorist on suicide missions as early as last summer, that John Walker Lindh knew about this. He learned of it that the terrorist training camps. He did nothing to stop it.

Bob, why would you think the John Walker Lindh should be given bail? Or do you?

MAY: I don't think he should be given bail, but let me make a point. Ashcroft -- I'm surprised he was able to read the charges. You must remember, the FBI knew about these people in this country, and when this is all over, we are going to start looking about who knew what. The fact is that the federal government knew these guys were in this country practicing on airplanes, and for some reason.

ZAHN: Wait a minute, you haven't answered the question. On the issue of bail. They issued a stinging indictment yesterday.

BECKEL: A stinging indictment. Yes, but that's it, it's an indictment. The guy should not be granted bail, but he should be put in a psychiatric institute until his trial. He has not plead insanity. You don't want him to plead insanity. Let him get someplace where he can get some help, and when he shows up at trial, we'll be able to convict the guy that's reasonably got his marbles together. Even George Bush said this kid is misinformed, but -- and you're going to put him in the general prison population. You're not going to get him to trial you put him in a general prison population.

MAY: Can I answer this and tell Bob why he's wrong on this one, too?

ZAHN: Take a crack at is.

MAY: Very simple. First of all, is he a flight risk? Of course he's a flight risk. He left the country to study Islam and Arabic. He couldn't find a Madrasa (ph) or a mosque here. Would he leave the country in order to avoid spending the rest of his life in jail? You bet. Is he a danger to society? Of course he is.

He is a Jihadist. He joined the Al Qaeda and was trained by them as a terrorists. A Jihadist wants to die not in a prison kitchen peeling onions, he wants to die as a martyr, killing Americans, killing infidels, Christians, Jews, Hindus, whatever, and take himself along. So that's clear. Put him a in psychiatric ward. First of all, that says to any jury, this guy is crazy. That tells the lawyers how they should plead him out.

Second, if you want him to be safe, don't release him into the general population of the U.S. Someone is likely to take a shot of him. We can understand that after 09-11.

Secondly, you put him in isolation in a prison ward, and give him his own little cell, 8x6, just like they have in Guantanamo. That will keep him safe. In a psychiatric ward, somebody will go after him.

ZAHN: Bob Beckel, we get the final word. You've got to do it in about 10 seconds, or less.

BECKEL: My final word is that this guy, if you want to avoid an insanity plea, put him in a psychiatric ward and have him get some help. And the idea that somehow this guy would have participated and getting on one of those planes and killing himself, I don't buy for a minute.

MAY: I am going to get Bob some help.

BECKEL: Thanks. We'll be in the ward together.

(CROSSTALK)

ZAHN: Bob Beckel and Cliff May, thank you for your time. God bless America that we can have a debate like this.

BECKEL: You bet.

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