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Glenn Beck

What Will Happen with Iran?; Is Tracking Internet Use a Privacy Invasion?

Aired September 20, 2006 - 19:00   ET

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

GLENN BECK, HOST: Coming up, President Ahmadinejad made a crazy speech at the U.N. last night. Why didn`t the media cover it?
Plus, country superstar Trace Adkins drops by. It`s a freaky show. Coming up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Tonight`s episode is brought to you by, President Tom`s Crazy Juice malt liquor. If you`re giving a speech at the U.N., and feel like getting a little crazy, try President Tom`s Crazy Juice malt liquor. It works every time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: We have a guest who is going to be on with us who has been told by al Qaeda to get the word out to all Muslims that Muslims should evacuate from certain American cities immediately. He`ll be here later on the show.

But first, are you enjoying "bash America" week at the U.N. as much as I am. Today, Venezuela`s President Chavez called President Bush today "the devil himself." And I`m quoting. Check this out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HUGO CHAVEZ, VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Yesterday the devil came here. Right here. Right here. And it smells of sulfur still today, this table that I am now standing in front of.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: I mean, I don`t know what is more annoying: him or the people that were laughing there.

But the really, really creepy stuff came last night when President Ahmadinejad basically -- and I am not kidding you -- prayed for Armageddon. You might not have heard that, because only one network covered his speech. And today al the newspapers either buried it or completely missed the point entirely.

So here is the point. We have provided the most dangerous man in the world with a Trojan horse. It`s our own media.

When we do choose to cover this guy, it`s through fawning interviews by Dan Rather or Brian Williams, but when President Tom shows his true colors, we burry our heads in the sand, and we bury the story. Here`s how I got there.

President Tom had a little tour prior to his speech. One of the stops included a chat with Brian Williams on NBC. Here`s how that went.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD, IRANIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): In the letter I sent to Mr. Bush, I also addressed the American people. We think that the American people are like our people. They`re good people. They support peace, equality and brotherhood. They like to see the world in peace.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: OK. So is this the same Mr. Peace and Brotherhood that also said this?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AHMADINEJAD: (speaking foreign language)

GRAPHIC: You should acknowledge the right and the might of the Iranian people, and you should bow and surrender to the might of the Iranian people. If you do not accept this, the Iranian people will force you to bow and surrender.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: By the way, he`s talking to us. But instead of calling President Tom out, you know, on that, Brian Williams basically smiled and played footsy with him.

The peace and love President Tom is the one he wants you to see. But the real President Tom showed his true colors at the U.N. last night, to thunderous applause.

You have to pay attention and read between the lines here, because this is some scary stuff. And it`s very hard to understand, because we can`t relate to religious nut jobs over in the Middle East. This speech was not meant for you. President Tom is positioning himself as the leader of all Arabs and Muslims in the Middle East.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AHMADINEJAD: Oh, almighty God, all men and women are your creatures and you have ordained the salvation. Bestow upon humanity that thirst for justice. And make us among his followers and among those who strive for his return.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: OK. He`s talking about the return of the messiah here, which only can happen after the world has been cleansed with blood. This, when he returned, then it will unite the whole world under justice and peace, Islamic law.

When is the media going to stand up and realize this guy is a grave danger, and he was in our house. Why are they not covering all of the scary crap he says, like -- and I am quoting -- "America will cease to exist when our holy hatred wells up within us," end quote.

The headline today should be "Ahmadinejad Prays for the Apocalypse at the U.N.," not "Mystery Plastic Bag Found in Space". That was an actual headline I read today.

So here`s what I know tonight. There is a possible apocalyptic war on the horizon, and it will be centered around President Tom and his boss, the Ayatollah Khameini.

Now, look, it doesn`t matter if I don`t believe that it`s the apocalypse. It doesn`t matter if you don`t. The important thing is these people do, and they`re dead serious. A year ago he said the end of the world would happen within three years. Don`t be fooled by the talk of peace and brotherhood.

I also know that, because of our own human nature, we`re making the same mistakes that Europe made on the -- on the eve of World War II. You know, I just read the Chamberlain speech when he got back from the pact with Hitler. He actually thought that Hitler could change and was committed to becoming a statesman. Six months later, he runs across Europe.

We were so worried in our country about making the same mistakes that we made in Vietnam that we`re actually repeating the mistakes England made in World War II. We must not let history repeat itself.

Here is what I don`t know. I don`t know how to fight this war. We`re dealing with nut jobs who are calling for the apocalypse. By the way, note to Jesus: you can stay and have a sandwich. No need to come yet.

These guys want to build nukes, and they want the apocalypse. We can`t just fly over their airspace and drop bombs. That would unite the entire region against us. The only good option would seem to rally the world against them. But it doesn`t look like that`s happening. We`re rolling out the red carpet for Ahmadinejad a mile from ground zero. That`s probably not going to happen. What do you think?

Abu -- or Abbas Milani, he is an Iranian expert, an Iranian expatriate. He is the head of the Iranian studies department at Stanford.

Mr. Milani, explain to the American people, because I even have a hard time understanding this doomsday scenario or this apocalyptic view of what`s coming and how this 12th imam plays into it.

ABBAS MILANI, IRANIAN STUDIES DEPARTMENT, STANFORD UNIVERSITY: Mr. Ahmadinejad is part of a small clique within Shiahism that is itself a small minority in the Islamic world, that is very keen on the idea of the return of the 12th imam.

Shiahism, at least in the variety that is practiced in Iran, believes that there are 12 imams and that the 12th has gone into hiding and that he will come back. And when he comes back, as you suggested, he`ll bring the apocalypse and he will stop this -- the rule of the lord on earth.

And Ahmadinejad has been probably more than any other political figure I know in modern history of Iran an advocate of this messianic frenzy, I think, is a better term for it.

BECK: He`s -- he is not just talking the talk. This is mythological if I`m not mistaken, about the 12th imam, and he has actually found the well that apparently he was supposed to climb out of or be found in and built the well and built roads coming out of the well and spent millions of dollars doing that. Am I right?

MILANI: You`re partly right. First of all, it`s not -- for the Shiites, it`s not a myth. It`s part of their belief the same way that the return of the Christ is part of a belief for Christianity.

BECK: OK.

MILANI: What Ahmadinejad did is he took two wells that are about 50 miles outside Tehran. They`re called Champehran (ph). You`re absolutely right. He built roads there, and he built tourist facilities there. He built a mosque there, and he began increasing attention to this place as the possible point of the return of the Mahdi and began talking about we need to work for the return of this imam.

In fact, one of the first deeds that he undertook in his cabinet was that he wrote a covenant with the 12th imam and had two of his ministers go to this well and drop these pieces of paper in there.

What is a sign of hope is -- for the rest of the world, I think, is to recognize that, although he is on the lunatic fringe in terms of this messianism, he is not the person that has all the power. And there are lots of controls. There are lots of other claimants to this $50 billion in Iran.

And they want -- the rest of the claimants want to basically continue robbing the country and continue their corrupt practices. And the idea of trying to stir the pot, which he is clearly -- advocates, is not shared by everyone. And the leadership -- and certainly not shared by everyone in Iranian society.

BECK: Is he -- you said that, you know, he is on the edge of the lunatic fringe. We`ve seen some pretty frightening people come out of Iran. Is he in that category? Is he past the lunatic fringe that we have seen in the past?

MILANI: In terms of his belief, and the imminent return of the Messiah, and what his role ought to be in facilitating that, I think he`s certainly the most radical that I have seen. And in terms of his anti- Semitic rhetoric, his odious comments on the Holocaust, his biased (ph) comments, denying the Holocaust, attacking Israel, they are also, I think, an embarrassment to the Iranian nation.

BECK: Right. Thank you very much, sir. I appreciate it.

With President Tom in town all week, I mean, I -- I don`t know about you, but I`ve been thinking, how well do we really know this guy? He was the mayor of Tehran. You know that. He was a doctor. Well, that`s what you hear. But actually, when you look into it, he`s a Ph.D., and his Ph.D. is in "traffic management." I`m not kidding you. Could come in handy this week with all the gridlock in New York.

But do we really know him? Do we know this guy? Do you?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: Now it`s time to play Know Your Dictator. Which of the following allegations has not been made regarding Mahmoud Ahmadinejad? A, he took part in the 1979 seizure of the American embassy in Tehran. B, he helped plot to assassinate Salman Rushdie. C, he`s lactose intolerant.

The correct answer, C. President Tom actually enjoys an occasional tall glass of milk.

And finally, which of the final major world events does President Tom think is a hoax? A, the moon landing. B, the Holocaust. Or, C, Taylor Hicks receiving the most votes on the "American Idol" finale.

The answer, B, the Holocaust. Sorry, Jews.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: This is Glenn Beck.

BECK: Coming up, the attorney general asks Internet providers to hang onto customer records to help the fight against child pornography. Guess who doesn`t think that`s a good idea? A conversation with ACLU attorney Michael Gross.

Also, we`ll talk to a guy who says al Qaeda is warning U.S. Muslims to evacuate major cities here in our country.

And later, country music superstar Trace Adkins. Don`t miss it.\

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: Attorney General Alberto Gonzales says that Congress should require Internet providers to save customer records, because prosecutors need them to fight child pornography. Seems reasonable. You launch a kiddy porn site or enjoy hanging out in a child rape chat room? Seems to me the information could probably help law enforcement officials to prevent pedophilia and child abuse, right? Wrong.

Some members of the Senate panel listening to Gonzales raised concern about privacy issues. And our old friend Michael Gross, formerly with the ACLU, just may agree with them.

Michael, we can end this right here. Say it ain`t so. Say it ain`t so.

MICHAEL GROSS, FORMER ACLU ATTORNEY: Peace.

BECK: We`re going to have a -- you know what, Michael? We`re going to actually have probably a conversation about this that nobody else in their right mind is going to have in a second. But first give me a synopsis of your view. Why is this wrong?

GROSS: Well, we don`t search anybody without probable cause. We are guaranteed to be secure in our privacy, unless there`s reason to believe that we`ve done something wrong.

BECK: OK. And so you don`t -- you don`t believe -- you just don`t trust the government. That`s what it is. You don`t want the government...

GROSS: I know they`re not trustworthy. The attorney general to snoop and cheat, has lied to us about what he`s been snooping and still won`t tell us about what he`s been snooping. And when it`s proven that he`s been snooping criminally, he simply goes on and continues to do it. He doesn`t need anymore authority.

BECK: OK. Well, that`s a matter of opinion. But let`s just...

GROSS: It`s fact.

BECK: Matter of opinion.

GROSS: He`s violated the FISA rules. He taps without warrants against the law.

BECK: It`s still in discussion, Michael. Let`s not -- let`s not go into this.

Here`s what I -- here`s what I want to ask you. I don`t really trust the government either. And it`s not just this administration. I just -- I don`t like government. I also don`t like the idea that a company should keep all of these records, because I don`t trust companies either. My information is my information. I should retain it. So I think we both agree on that.

GROSS: We do. I`m glad to hear it. I knew you didn`t want the government regulating the Internet.

BECK: Right. So now here`s where I go, Michael...

ROSS: Especially for adults.

GROSS: And you`re going to disagree with me, but let me just quote something. This is the farewell address of -- of George Washington. In it, he said, "Religion and morality are indispensable supports of democracy. Where is security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths," yada, yada, yada.

In it -- and I invite people to read this -- he says if we do not have religious responsibility in our country, the whole thing is going to fall apart, because we don`t regulate ourself.

And that`s where we are. We should have listened to his warnings. We have chased religion out of our society, and so we`re not policing ourselves. So what I`m asking you is don`t talk to me as an attorney. Talk to me as a dad.

GROSS: Yes.

BECK: Talk to me as a human being. Because I`m struggling with this.

GROSS: And a grandfather of teenage girls. Do you think I`m really - - no.

BECK: No.

GROSS: But let me say this. What George Washington said was absolutely true. And we need to be ethical and moral. And we need to fight, like we need to fight drug use, not by criminalizing it and going to war against it, but by trying to understand abnormal behavior. Not by criminalizing it, but by examining, not through law enforcement but through scholars, through educators, through psychologists, through physicians so we can learn how to stop the demand.

BECK: OK.

GROSS: As long as people want to look at children`s bodies, there are going to be people who will sell it to them.

BECK: I understand that.

GROSS: Just like there`s people that will sell drugs.

BECK: OK, I understand that. But Michael, here we in a society that -- and by the way, you`re skirting around what George Washington said. He said you cannot chase religion out.

GROSS: He didn`t say out of the government. He said out of our lives.

BECK: And that`s what we`ve done. That`s what we`ve done.

GROSS: It never should have been in there.

BECK: Michael, I`m trying to have a decent conversation with you. I`m not talking about chasing it out of the government. I`m talking to you about chasing it out of our lives.

Again, I`m talking to you man to man here. What we`ve done is we have chased the only -- our own self-defense out of here. And when you`re talking about, well, we should understand pedophilia, there has never been a study that shows that this is curable, understandable or whatever.

GROSS: No, there`s not (ph).

BECK: There hasn`t been one. So what do we do as a people? We have a choice, either let them continue to rape children or hunt them down and do everything that we can.

GROSS: You are not...

BECK: We chase shame out of our society.

GROSS: You`re not learning anything by locking these people up. Nothing at all about it. In fact, you`re making it worse. You`re further alienating them from the community in which they are members.

BECK: Michael, you said -- you said to our producer today, and I quote, that you went to search for some research on this and you went to Google. And you were gold to type in "child porn". And you hesitated, because you were afraid that you would be on a record someplace. I make that case that it works.

GROSS: And I`ll tell you what we`ll do then. Let`s put a video in your house and everybody else`s house, and we`ll watch everybody`s behavior.

BECK: We`re talking about protecting your children.

Michael, we`re out of time, but thank you, sir.

BECK: Glenn for president web site.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: Every day you can hear my radio program on stations all across the country, including 1190 WOWO in Fort Wayne, Indiana. And if you can`t find an affiliate in your area, you can always sign up to listen online at our web site, GlennBeck.com.

Bill Handel, attorney and radio show host at KFI in Los Angeles.

Hello, Bill.

BILL HANDEL, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Hello, Glenn.

BECK: So did you -- have you been following this McGreevey stuff with Oprah Winfrey where...?

HANDEL: Yes. Yes, and I find it absolutely fascinating.

BECK: Fascinating in what way?

HANDEL: You know what I think? We`re coming to the realization that, societally speaking, that there`s a lot of gayness in most of us. I mean, we`ve all seen the story or the studies that show the difference between heterosexual and homosexuality. Instead, there`s a thin line separating the two; it`s actually a continuum. And it turns out that middle ground is awfully wide. It seems like there`s a big middle ground.

BECK: Wait a minute. You started with -- I haven`t been able to get past this -- there`s a lot of gayness in all of us?

HANDEL: Yes.

BECK: Help me out here.

HANDEL: Not that there`s anything wrong with it. Not that there`s anything wrong with it.

BECK: Sure.

HANDEL: What ends up happening is, I mean, you live in New York. I go to New York. I go to all the Broadway shows. I love show tunes. So my sexuality is already in question.

BECK: Yes.

HANDEL: But half the people there are men.

BECK: Well, wait a minute. Just because you like Broadway show tunes does not make you gay. Look, here`s...

HANDEL: Sure it does.

BECK: There is a new study out by the New York Public of Health (ph) that says that -- they asked guys who claimed that they were straight, "Have you ever had sex with a man?" Ten percent of guys who said they were straight had sex with men.

HANDEL: Yes. Although keep in mind, that when you -- let`s take it seriously for a moment.

BECK: OK.

HANDEL: And go back to our hormones are raging when we are teenagers, when we`re young people. It is -- we`re wild. We are crazy. We -- we experiment. We do strange things with alcohol and with drugs and crazy driving and take risks across the board that we never would when we`re mature. Why wouldn`t it also happen...

BECK: Are you coming out? Are you coming out on this program?

HANDEL: No, I`m not coming out. Listen, let me tell you. No, I`m not. I`ve never been an altar boy. I`ve never had the experience.

But what I`m telling you is I think that there is a lot more, at least experimentation, at a young age. And the only reason you say, "No, I never did it, not a chance" is because of the stigma, the societal stigma.

Now, let`s ask the women the same question and see how many more women admit having a sexual encounter with a woman. And I don`t think there`s a lot of difference between men and women as they`re growing up and investigating and exploring their own sexuality.

BECK: I`ve got news for you.

HANDEL: What?

BECK: You know, I`ll go down the road of "all right, I was born that way." OK. Because I don`t know anybody who chooses to by...

HANDEL: You and I both agree.

BECK: ... go up that road. However, make up your fricking mind. You know what I mean?

HANDEL: You know what? There are people that don`t. There are a lot of people that don`t make up their minds.

BECK: That`s more -- you know what? You know what? That, sir...

HANDEL: It`s like everything else. Steven Spielberg at age 8 knew he was going to be a filmmaker. You know what? How many of us at age 8 knew what we were going to do? Some of us in our 20s, some of us in our 30s. That`s the same thing.

BECK: Bill -- Bill, Bill...

HANDEL: Why doesn`t the same thing fly in sexuality?

BECK: Bill, zip it. I can`t take it anymore. Gayness and film maker, not the same thing.

Thanks a lot, Bill.

HANDEL: Take care, Glenn.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: All right. Welcome to "The Real Story". And if you are a regular watcher of this segment, you know that every night we try to bring you stories, or angles on stories, that the media just is not covering.

As part of that effort, I want to regularly show you video clips of things that are happening around the world that, for whatever reason, you`re just not seeing here on American television. I chose today`s clip because it features President Tom speaking to his people on August 1st. I want you to listen closely to his words and how different they are from his speech about "brotherhood," "love," and "compassion" last night at the U.N.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD, PRESIDENT OF IRAN: (Speaking Farsi)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: Again, these are the words and promises directly from the mouth of Iran`s leader when he`s not speaking at the U.N. or playing footsy with Brian Williams.

Next tonight, fallout from the pope`s comments is continuing throughout the Muslim world. Today, a story ran in England that quoted the guy who tried to kill the pope back in 1981. He recently wrote a letter to Pope Benedict and said, and I quote, "Your life is in danger. You absolutely must not come to Turkey," end quote.

But the real story is the pope should have cancelled this planned trip to Turkey well before any of this controversy even started. Since May, a new Turkish novel has been racing up the bestseller lists. It`s title? "Attack on the Pope: Who will Kill the Pope in Istanbul?"

A few weeks ago, one of the guests on our program, Walid Shoebat, he is a former PLO terrorist -- I don`t know if you remember him -- he was on this program. After the segment, I didn`t have a chance to talk to him, but he was insistent that one of our producers get an urgent message to me. The messing was I needed to know that Turkey, he believes, would play a major role against us in the coming Middle East storm that we`ve all started to pay attention to and we needed to pay attention to Turkey.

Well, I started doing some homework. I started paying attention to Turkey. It turns out that their decision in 2003 to deny the U.S. military`s request to cross the southern border into Iraq was the first chink in the armor between our countries in quite some time. We also didn`t really appreciate that Turkey decided not to contribute any of the troops to the initial allied coalition, even though I kind of understood their reasoning behind it.

Since then, the Turkish people have come out strongly against our foreign policies, and media propaganda has fueled anti-American and Israeli sentiment to historic levels. This is what you need to pay attention to. Just last year, the sales of Hitler`s book "Mein Kampf" sold over 100,000 copies in Turkey. In fact, they ran out of copies. It made last year`s bestseller lists.

Then, earlier this year, the most expensive movie in the history of Turkey was called "The Valley of the Wolves." It was released. It was a hit. In it, American troops massacre civilians at a wedding. They bomb a mosque during prayer and fire into shipping containers full of people. And then there`s a scene where an American doctor, played by, not b-list celebrity, but q-list celebrity, Gary Busey, harvests organs from Iraqi prisoners to send -- where else? -- New York, London and Tel Aviv.

Here`s the bottom line: I believe that in Turkey, their people, like so many others in the region, are being bombarded with so much anti- American rhetoric they don`t know what to think anymore. What started as a grand experiment with Middle East democracy and seculartism (sic) is now teetering on the brink of falling victim to the same hate and dark-age thinking that they were built to avoid in the first place.

I think Walid Shoebat was right: Turkey is another piece in the perfect storm puzzle that we`ve been telling you about, and we will start paying a lot more attention to them until we know exactly how they fit in.

Finally, tonight the propaganda spun at the U.N. by President Tom and Hugo Chavez today has forced our attention back onto our formal enemies. And although I believe that something is developing on a historic scope and scale on the world stage, the real story is the next big attack might just happen right here in the U.S., and a lot sooner than anyone is expecting.

A U.S. citizen and known Al Qaeda cell leader who goes by the alias Jafer the Pilot has been missing since 2003. The FBI has offered a $5 million reward for his capture and has said that he is being groomed as the next Mohammed Atta. Keep him in mind as I tie that piece of the puzzle together with some new information that has just come out within the last couple of days.

Hamid Mir, he is a well-respected Pakistani journalist who has met with Osama bin Laden on several occasions. He also is the guy who broke the story about bin Laden`s claim that he has nuclear weapons. He recently traveled to Afghanistan to meet with various Taliban and Al Qaeda leaders.

If true, what they told him is absolutely terrifying. In his first appearance on American television on this subject, Hamid Mir joins us now from Pakistan.

Hamid, you met with Abu Dawood, and he issued a warning to American Muslims. What exactly did he say?

HAMID MIR, Journalist: Yes. Actually, he called me from Kabul to Drezny (ph), which is in the south of Afghanistan, for a warning. He also called me for giving a warning because they were watching me on TV that I was embedded with the British troops in the southern part of Afghanistan. They were conducting operations against Taliban and Al Qaeda.

So he called me in Drezny (ph), and he told me very clearly that you should not be embedded with our enemies and you should leave Afghanistan immediately. And during that conversation, I started asking these different questions to him. And I asked him about Osama bin Laden, and he said that he`s still in contact with his fighters, and he is still determined to attack America, and he is still...

BECK: But he told you that -- I`m sorry to interrupt. We have such a time delay here. He has told you that he has prepared the next attack, it is ready to happen, and that Muslims should leave the United States immediately, did he not?

MIR: Yes. Abu Dawood told me that we are determined to attack America again and that attack would be bigger than 9/11. And he said that the Americans must face the same kind of attacks which they are imposing us in Iraq and Afghanistan.

And he said that the Muslims must leave America, because the Muslims in America like a shield for the American military might. And I asked him that, if American Muslims are not ready to leave America, then you will not attack America? He said, no, if the Muslims are not ready to leave America, even then we will attack, because the Americans are attacking us in our homes, so we have the right to retaliate in that same manner.

BECK: Now, you...

MIR: He also mentioned the name of -- yes, he also mentioned the name of Adnan, and he said that Brother Adnan is responsible for organizing an attack bigger than 9/11. And he said that the brother, Adnan, even has smuggled some dangerous material from Mexican border to inside the United States of America.

So it was difficult for me to understand who is Adnan. And then he also told me his other name, which is his jihadi name, Jaffar al Tayyar. So that`s how I came to know that it is Adnan el Shukrijumah, who is in American citizen.

And he said that Adnan came to Afghanistan in early 2004, and he got fresh instructions from Al Qaeda leadership in Houst (ph), which is in the eastern part of Afghanistan. And he said that he went back to America, and he will implement his plan anytime. And he also said that Osama bin Laden have completed his cycle of warnings.

He had issued warning to Americans three times that we will attack America again. So he said that the cycle of warnings have been completed, and we can attack America anytime. So that`s what Abu Dawood told me in...

BECK: I`m sorry to interrupt. You and I had quite a long conversation and a fascinating conversation that, if you want to listen to, you can hear it online at glennbeck.com. But we went into a lot of different things. But one of the things that you talked to me about was this cycle of warnings. And you said that, when you broke the story originally, that Osama bin Laden told you that he did have nuclear weapons, the reason why they haven`t been used yet is because he has been trying to get permission so it all falls in the laws of Islam. We have less than a minute. Can you respond to that?

MIR: Yes. You see, I am a frequent visitor of Afghanistan for my professional work. I was going to Afghanistan before 9/11 and after 9/11. And I must tell you that, when I interviewed Osama bin Laden the first time in 1997, in the first interview he said that, "I will attack America." And I was not ready to believe him.

Then in 1998, I interviewed Osama bin Laden again. And he repeated, "I will attack America." I was not ready to believe him. But on 9/11, he proved that he attacked America. So on November 8, 2001, after a few weeks of 9/11, I interviewed him again. And -- yes?

BECK: I`m sorry, go ahead. We`re out of time now. Hamid, I appreciate it. If you would like to hear all of this, you can hear it again on the Web site. Hamid, thank you so much. We will check in with you and follow you again.

If you would like to read more about what Hamid learned about this possible attack or if you have found a real story of your own you`d like to tell us about, please visit glennbeck.com and click on "The Real Story" button. I`m sorry. We`re out of time.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: Coming off a year in which his last album sold over 2 million copies and went double platinum, country star Trace Adkins actually had the nerve to release yet another CD. His new album, "Dangerous Man," recently hit number one on "Billboard`s" country chart and number three on the pop chart, all in its first week. But none of that really impresses me as much as -- I mean, well, I mean, honestly, anybody can sing. No, seriously. Just say that, Trace. Anybody can sing.

TRACE ADKINS, COUNTRY MUSIC ARTIST: Anybody can sing.

BECK: Really what`s impressive, he has five daughters and he seems like a normal guy. We`ve had you on the radio program. Welcome. You`re one of my favorite listeners of the radio program.

ADKINS: Well, thank you, Glenn.

BECK: And you are such a normal guy. We were talking before that you go out and, just to reconnect with the land, you go out and work the farm?

ADKINS: I do. It`s therapy for me, you know? I`ve come in off the road. And to decompress, I have to go -- I get on the tractor, and I pick up a chainsaw, whatever, you know? Really what it is for me, though, is I work so much and, at the end of the day, I can look behind myself. And I`ve sang. I`ve done interviews. I`ve done all that. And at the end of the day, I look behind me, and there`s nothing there. I mean, I don`t have anything that I can appreciate my efforts, you know? So if I get on a tractor and work or whatever, I get that gratification. At the end of the day, I`m dirty, and I`m nasty, and I can see what I`ve done, and it makes me feel good.

BECK: Right. You know, it`s funny. I don`t travel nearly as much as you do, but I do 20 cities a year on these stage shows. And when I come back, I find myself with more focus on what America is really all about, because I meet so many people. Do you feel the same way? Do you have a different sense of America than you think even maybe politicians do?

ADKINS: Oh, I have a much -- I think a much better grasp of what this country is really all about and the tenor of it than politicians. I mean, come on.

BECK: I mean, that`s clear, but, I mean, because you travel around...

ADKINS: Yes. You know, I meet literally hundreds of thousands of people a year. I shake a lot of hands, kiss a lot of babies, hug a lot of folks. And I really do get to see small-town America, working-class people. Those are my fans. Those are the people that come to my shows. And I do. I feel like I really get to a sense of what`s going on.

BECK: What do you think the voice of America is? What is your sense?

ADKINS: Oh, the frustration is off the chart. I mean, you know that. It`s just everybody is so incredibly frustrated, especially conservatives like myself, you know?

I think that it`s just intolerable to realize the fact that the Republican Party has controlled both houses of Congress, and the executive branch, and now the judicial branch, and they still can`t get anything done. Nobody can understand that. It just doesn`t compute, I mean, what`s going on. Nobody is doing anything.

Can`t you hear us screaming at the top of my lungs that everything is screwed up and nobody is doing anything about it? It`s like they`re living in a bubble in D.C., and sound can`t penetrate it, and they don`t hear us.

BECK: You know, Trace, I have been talking about what I call the perfect storm that is coming around the corner and just -- it just scares me, all the stuff that is happening. And people call me all the time and say, "Where is the hope? I mean, what do we do?"

It really lies in the people you meet. There is so much hope. When you go out into the real cities of America, you feel it. There is real -- these people are real, and that is the answer. It lies within we, the people.

ADKINS: Yes. But that`s America. I mean, we, the people, have faith in ourselves, and in the American spirit, and in who we are, and our ability to survive and overcome, you know, hardship. We haven`t lost faith there, and we still have hope that we can eventually straighten this thing out. But it`s going to be a groundswell that`s going to come from people, and it`s going to eventually affect those morons in D.C., you know?

BECK: It is. We only have a minute, but let me address this. And we had a Baldwin brother on last night, and he was talking about his faith and everything else. And I said to him, "I hate when Hollywood talks about, you know, their views on religion," et cetera. Now we`re sitting with you and we`re talking politics.

ADKINS: Yes.

BECK: Isn`t this the same kind of thing, except opposite end of the spectrum, from the Dixie Chicks? What makes you different than the Dixie Chicks?

ADKINS: Because I`m not trying to sway anybody. I`m not trying to espouse my opinion on -- I don`t care. You know, God forbid, you go into the voting booth, and you can`t decide who you want to vote for, and then you remember something I said. Please, don`t do that. Don`t do that, OK?

(LAUGHTER)

And don`t do that because of something you heard Alec Baldwin say or Bruce Springsteen say or anybody. And I hate it when entertainers start talking like they know best, and that they`re more enlightened than everybody else, more enlightened, and I`m more in touch with my creative and cultural side than you are because I`m, you know, this thing, and so I know better than you, so you should do -- I just hate those people.

BECK: God bless you for being real, man, and being here. Thank you very much.

ADKINS: All right.

BECK: Let`s check in now with Nancy Grace to find out what`s happening on her show tonight. Nancy, what do you have?

NANCY GRACE, HOST: Glenn, tonight, breaking news, sad news out of Florida in the search for 2-year-old Trenton Duckett. We learned tonight that Trenton`s toys, photos of Trenton, even a sonogram of Trenton were found thrown away in a dumpster near the mom`s apartment the day after he goes missing.

BECK: Holy cow. Don`t forget, you can check out Nancy right after this program at 8:00 and 10:00 p.m. Eastern.

Also, the October issue of my magazine, "Fusion," is almost ready. We`re calling it the scariest issue ever. We have all sorts of great stuff you`ve never heard before about, like, well, the vulnerability of our power grid and new information on the real threat from Hugo Chavez. There`s just two days left to order this issue, so log onto glennbeck.com, or you can call 888-GLENN-BECK right now. Back in a flash.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: All right. It`s time for "Ask Glenn." And this one comes in from Eric in Maine. "Glenn, I was all fired up for the big speech with President Tom from Iran last night at the U.N., but I feel like Chavez totally stole the show with his speech today. This guy is so much more entertaining for sure, and I think scarier, too. Am I wrong?"

Well, you know, I hope you`re not watching these speeches for entertainment value, but, I mean, you`re kind of wrong, Eric, just because it`s not the right question. It doesn`t matter who`s worse, because honestly we`re going to have to deal with both of them working together.

The difference between the two is that President Tom from Iran is a religious zealot, and so is Chavez, but they have different gods. President Tom has some freaky version of extremist Islam, while Hugo`s god is money and power.

But that being said, I don`t want to be accused of warmongering here. Oh, no, America. Sure, I mean, I could play more clips of Chavez on our shores, on this island in New York, calling America terrorists, Bush the devil, and telling us how democracy and capitalism has failed, but maybe, just maybe it`s time to build some bridges. Instead of trying to divide ourselves, maybe we should look for some common ground with Mr. Chavez. Is there anything in that speech that could bring us all together? Yes. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HUGO CHAVEZ, PRESIDENT OF VENEZUELA (through translator): The U.N. system born after the Second World War collapsed.

BECK: Yes.

CHAVEZ: It`s worthless.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: See? There you go. Two people from different worlds, totally different points of view, coming together as one voice to say: The U.N. sucks. That`s great. Is there more?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHAVEZ (through translator): And maybe we have to change location. Maybe we have to put the United Nations somewhere else, maybe a city of the south.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: Amen, Hugo. I love you. Take the U.N. out of America? I totally agree, on one condition: You can move it wherever you like, but you can never ever tell us where you put it. I don`t want to know. I hope we never hear of it again. Maybe, maybe if you put it in Cabo in the water, we`ll stop by for a long weekend once in a while.

But, you know -- and why not? Why wouldn`t we stop by? We`re such close friends now. You`re so polite. You really are. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHAVEZ (through translator): May God bless us all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: Yes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHAVEZ (through translator): Good day to you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: Good day to you, too. You`re such a sweetheart. How could we not like you, Mr. Chavez? Well, we`ll discuss Mr. Chavez a little more on tomorrow`s radio program. And may God bless you, may God bless us all. Good day to you, my friend.

END