Wednesday, retired radio talk show host “Gunny” Bob Newman spoke with former Colorado U.S. Representative and occasional stand-in host Tom Tancredo on the Obama Administration’s strategy in Afghanistan. They ended discussing incendiary weapons and lamenting laws that regulate their use. Tancredo, who was hosting the show, pointed to the terrorizing effect that came of burning the enemy alive with napalm in Vietnam. Newman agreed. “I’m on fire. I’m on fire,” he said in a mock Asian accent.
Tancredo asked why the U.S. should be prevented from using white phosphorous on our enemies in the war on terror. “I mean, against what law? Some sort of UN crap?”
In 2007, as a candidate for president, Tancredo called for the U.S. to deter terrorist attacks on U.S. soil by threatening the destruction of Islamic holy sites.
“If it is up to me, we are going to explain that an attack on this homeland of that nature would be followed by an attack on the holy sites in Mecca and Medina,” Tancredo said. “If I am wrong, fine, tell me, and I would be happy to do something else. But you had better find a deterrent, or you will find an attack.”
After criticism poured in, Tancredo stood by his comments. Indeed, in 2007, Tancredo was merely repeating the idea. He had floated it two years earlier on a radio show.
Listen to yesterday’s napalm and white phosphorous discussion here.
5 October 2009; 9 p.m.
TANCREDO: We don’t need to use napalm in the mountains of Afghanistan. We have tanks that shoot lightening bolts.
NEWMAN: It scares the pheasants.
CALLER: It sure does. It knocks the heck out of a pheasant. The roosters. Say how come they don’t use that over there?
NEWMAN: We are using a bunch of different weapons. Napalm is particularly useful. When you are using an incendiary weapon, we have really gone primarily to WP when we have to use an incendiary.
TANCREDO: What? What? What?
NEWMAN: White phosphorus.
TANCREDO: Okay.
NEWMAN: Now white phosphorus you can fire in an artillery shell. You can fire in a mortar shell. And it is used to mark targets. It is a big plum of white smoke. But also it burns like mad. It burns at thousands of degrees. It will keep burning unless you remove the oxygen. And now it has particular uses. It is a completely legal weapon. However, you are not supposed to use it to set all the enemy troops and terrorists on fire. No, but we are using other weapons, like fuel air explosives, not true napalm. But fuel air explosives we can use in particular situations.
TANCREDO: What do you mean we can’t use. Who is telling us that we can’t use any of this stuff?
NEWMAN: People. All these bum scubas out there saying white phosphorus is illegal. It most certainly is not.
TANCREDO: Illegal. I mean, against what law? Some sort of U.N. crap.
NEWMAN: When you ask them, “Okay cite the law.” They will go “Uh, uh.” And that is the response you get. But to tell you the truth, we have excellent weapons on the ground over there and we don’t have to use napalm. We don’t have to.
CALLER: We used it over in Korea.
NEWMAN: Sure.
CALLER: Poured it on an ammunition ship over there.
NEWMAN: Yeah, and back then it had its uses. Had its uses in Vietnam. We have better weapons now.
TANCREDO: Napalm seemed to, did seem to always have a certain psychological effect.
NEWMAN: Oh, it does have that.
TANCREDO: Watch the–
NEWMAN: (Imitates generic Asian-style accent) I’m on fire. Fire.
TANCREDO: Well, we are headed toward the barn here. I want to thank you very much Gunny Bob for joining me tonight. It has been wonderful.
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