Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live At Daybreak

Interview With Neal Boortz

Aired August 27, 2002 - 06:34   ET

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

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Attacking Iraq, airport security, saving the world -- they're all on the mind of our next guest, nationally syndicated radio talk show host, Neal Boortz, and he's here with me right now.
Good morning, Neal.

NEAL BOORTZ, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Good morning. Hi, how are you?

COSTELLO: Oh, I'm fine.

You know, a lot of people have been e-mailing this morning about Iraq, and if we should attack Iraq. And I'm sure you have been talking about it a lot on your radio show.

BOORTZ: Oh, it's been a big topic for weeks now. Now, after Cheney's speech yesterday, it's going to get even harder. The people on both sides of it are going to be really active now.

It's time -- it's time to go. One way or the other, we're going to have to take care of him now or take care of him later.

COSTELLO: But you realize...

BOORTZ: When would it be easier?

COSTELLO: You realize the problems associated with doing that at this particular time.

BOORTZ: Oh, sure. Oh, sure, we have the problems of Saudi Arabia. We have a good bit of the world community, whatever that is, against us.

But I'd hate to be Bush's spot, because it's obvious that this man is working on some weapons of mass destruction that he does not need for the defense of his country. Why is he working on them? And who does he intend to use them against? And when is he going to be stopped?

And Winston Churchill once said, "It's better to fight now when the chance of victory is pretty good, even though opinion may be against you, than to wait until later when the chance of victory is rather marginal."

COSTELLO: But is...

BOORTZ: But you just have to go.

COSTELLO: But is the chance of victory really that near for the United States?

BOORTZ: Oh, I...

COSTELLO: I mean, if all of our allies in the Middle East turn against us and don't continue to help us in the war on terrorism, because we decide to invade Iraq, at this particular time, wouldn't that be worse for the United States in the long run?

BOORTZ: I'm no foreign policy expert, but I believe, from what I've been reading, that his purpose in building these weapons is to use them against Israel and the United States in order to make him the dominant figure in the Middle East.

Now, if the Middle East, if these countries are not certain of our resolve in taking him out, they're going to speak against it. I firmly believe that once the action against Saddam Hussein starts, if it is a forceful action and well-conducted with a minimum of civilian casualties and what have you, the Middle East is going to say, OK...

COSTELLO: See, now you mention casualties...

BOORTZ: ... they are serious.

COSTELLO: Now, you mention casualties, because from what I understand, this war will be very different than the Gulf War was, as far as how the United States will fight it, because it's not going to be in the middle of a desert somewhere.

BOORTZ: Well, I'm hearing Vietnam about this war. I heard Vietnam about Afghanistan. Afghanistan didn't turn into a Vietnam. So now, they've -- well, Afghanistan wasn't a Vietnam, but Iraq will be a Vietnam.

I believe that our technology is so superior, and so look at the last time we fought Iraq. They ran like rabbits. They come pouring out of foxholes with their arms straight up over their heads. What makes it so certain that they're going to be any different today than they were then?

COSTELLO: Oh, we'll see.

Let's switch topics now, because we don't have much time.

BOORTZ: Yes.

COSTELLO: Airport security, a .357 magnum in a carry-on bag missed at Hartsfield Airport!

BOORTZ: Oh, it's -- you've heard of "the revenge of the tweezer people." And every day you pick up the newspaper, more and more people opting for their cars, because a trip of less than 500 miles or 600 miles on an airplane -- business travelers, leisure travelers -- they're hitting their cars. The airline industry is going to be hurt. We have to make this airport security seem reasonable. Right now, it's not. When you have a DEA agent getting on an airplane with a gun, but they say, "You can take the gun on the airplane, but we're going to have to take your nail clippers away from you," then the public looks at this and says, "This is idiotic! This is mindless!"

COSTELLO: But on the other hand...

BOORTZ: And they start...

COSTELLO: On the other hand, there really haven't been any incidents in the air. You know, we have Richard Reid, but the passengers took care of that. But there have been no incidents on airplanes. Is it really fair to blame the airline industry for continuing problems with security?

BOORTZ: I'm not blaming the industry. I am blaming this knee- jerk reaction we had of making these security people government agents, and then having them -- having them -- I love what the Israel expert said, "We are looking for weapons, we're not looking for terrorists." Let's start looking for terrorists at the airport.

And remember, not one of the airport security people in New York or Boston or Dulles, they didn't make any mistakes on 9/11.

COSTELLO: That's right.

BOORTZ: They did their job the right way. There was no need to change that picture. We need to start looking for terrorists, not weapons.

COSTELLO: All right, Neal Boortz, thank you for joining us...

BOORTZ: Thank you.

COSTELLO: ... in our debate. You're going to be back -- what -- Thursday?

BOORTZ: Thursday morning.

COSTELLO: OK, we can't wait. Neal Boortz joining us this morning.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.