News; International
O'REILLY: In the "Back of the Book" segment tonight: THE FACTOR
continues its investigation of violence along the Mexican border. We've
already documented two occasions where Mexican authorities shot at
American federal agents. In the first incident, Mexican troops actually
crashed through a fence in Texas, came on to American soil and shot at
two border agents who were on horseback. Now comes word that in
California more shots have been fired at American agents, and the story
is being kept under wraps.
Joining us now from San Diego is the president of the National Border
Patrol Council, T.J. BONNER. So tell us, Mr. Bonner, what happened?
T.J. BONNER, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL BORDER PATROL COUNCIL: On October
24, at just after noon, a U.S. Border Patrol helicopter clearly marked
dropped off two agents close to the border, obviously on our side of the
border. Shortly after that, these agents came under fire, at least
eight shots were fired at them by 10 Mexican military troops. The
agents clearly identified themselves as Border Patrol agents and told
the troops that they were in the United States. The troops nonetheless
advanced into the United States, telling the agents to come out of the
brush. The agents again identified themselves, told the Mexican troops
that they were in the United States and they needed to go back to
Mexico. When reinforcements started to arrive from the Border Patrol,
the Mexican military got into a minivan, at least some of them did, and
drove off.
O'REILLY: All right, so how many shots were fired at the U.S.
agents?
BONNER: At least eight.
O'REILLY: And nobody was hurt, obviously, right?
BONNER: No, nobody was hurt, thank God.
O'REILLY: OK, investigation, subsequent investigation revealed what?
BONNER: Well, the U.S. Border Patrol claims they did an
investigation, although we have it on good authority that there never
was an investigation, that the matter was just swept under the carpet.
O'REILLY: So this is the -- this is what happens on most of these
things, they don't want any international incidents, so when this stuff
happens, they just let it go, right?
BONNER: Right.
O'REILLY: Is that orders from the Justice Department?
BONNER: I'm not sure where it's coming from. It could be Justice. It
could be State. It could be coming from as high as the White House.
O'REILLY: Now, the two guys who were -- are they angry, the two guys
who were in the brush getting shot at by the Mexican troops?
BONNER: They're not the only ones who are angry. All Border Patrol
agents are angry, we're angry at the Mexican government for allowing
this to happen, for letting their troops take potshots at our agents.
We're angry at the U.S. government for trying to sweep this under the
carpet.
O'REILLY: Now, when you hear about reports like this, what do you,
yourself, do as a president of the union? What do you do?
BONNER: Well, in the last incident, the one in New Mexico, we wrote
to just about everybody that we could think of asking for a full and
complete investigation. We got back a letter from the president of the
United States that addressed some water boundary issue, it wasn't even
the right issue. We got back a letter from the head of the Immigration
and Naturalization Service, the commissioner, responding on behalf of
the attorney general some four months after the fact telling us that it
was all right, that this would never happen again, and here we are. It
happened
again.
O'REILLY: All right, so basically, the situation we have down there
from Brownsville to San Diego is you have U.S. Border Patrol agents on
our side being shot at by Mexican military. Now, we've heard
accusations that the military assists drug runners across the border
and, you know, is actively involved in the smuggling of narcotics into
the United States. Do you believe that this was what this was about in
this incident?
BONNER: It's really hard to say, because we'll never know. Mexico
denies that their troops shot at our people. And amazingly, the U.S.
Border Patrol says that the reason they dropped the investigation is
that the question of he said/she said. But we have four U.S. Border
Patrol agents swearing that these are the facts. And then we have
Mexico denying. And somehow, in their eyes, this makes for a he said/she
said. We can't
sort this out.
O'REILLY: Well, I know who I believe, Mr. Bonner. And I think know
who the millions of people watching THE FACTOR right now believe. And
they believe the border agents. We know this is going on. And you know
the tragedy of this: The elite media won't report on it. You didn't
get any national publicity on this at all, did you?
BONNER: No, we didn't.
O'REILLY: Well, it's a shame. Now, you let us know when this happens
again, or what -- you investigate it yourself. You let us know every
step of the way what happens, and we'll report it to the folks. OK?
BONNER: Great. I appreciate it.
O'REILLY: All right, Mr. Bonner. We'll do everything we can to help
you guys out down there.
And next, we'll wrap things up with "The Most Ridiculous Item of the
Day" and some of your mail.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'REILLY: Time now for "The Most Ridiculous Item of the Day."
Like the ballots in Palm Beach County, we had some confusion by folks
visiting our Web site yesterday. Walker English, who lives in Houston,
e-mailed me, saying: "I read on your Web site that Jesse Jackson was
coming on THE FACTOR. What happened to him?"
What the Web site should have said is that we were doing a story about
Reverend Jackson. He refuses to come on this program because we've been
investigating his finances and have many questions about his failures to
itemize expenses -- big expenses. Jackson knows we'll ask him about
this, and, obviously, doesn't want to answer. But he's welcome to come
in here any time. A conversation with the reverend on THE FACTOR might
clear the air a bit, and would certainly not be ridiculous.
Finally tonight: the mail, much of it about Jesse Jackson's intrusion
into the Florida election situation.
Lonnie Polk, Kentwood, Michigan: "Mr. O'Reilly, you are in no moral
position to say that Jesse Jackson is a troublemaker. He has a right to
go anywhere and say what he wants to say. It seems you have a personal
vendetta against Reverend Jackson."
Mintrel Martin, Birmingham, Alabama: "O'Reilly, as a black man, I
agree with your position regarding Jesse Jackson. It is wrong to tie in
the disenfranchisement of the black vote with what is going on right
now."
Sally Hannah, San Jose, California: "Would Jesse Jackson be down in
Florida if Governor Bush were challenging the ballots?" Only playing
golf, Ms. Hannah.
Ken Burney, Ann Arbor, Michigan: "I listened to the talk about Jesse
Jackson and all I have to say is: Hey, O'Reilly, cut us some slack and
knock of the political commentary."
What hypocritical commentary, Mr. Burney? Everything I've said about
Jesse Jackson is absolutely true -- period.
Joyce Johnson, Jefferson City, Missouri: "O'Reilly, you are right.
Jackson has no right to break down our nation. When I heard you speak,
I said: Finally, we have a media individual who has the guts to call
it the way it really is."
Mary Wasinger, Springfield, Missouri: "I believe it was unseemly for
Jerry Falwell to call Jesse Jackson a 'hot-dog.' Falwell needs to be at
home praying."
David Vinantonio, Willoughby Hills, Ohio: "O'Reilly, Jerry Falwell was
intimidated after you shouted him down."
No one is ever shouted down on this program, David. You better adjust
that volume. And Reverend Falwell is never intimidated.
Sharon Harmon, Los Angeles: "O'Reilly, what a farce! Jerry Falwell
tells us that Jesse Jackson runs where the camera is. And Falwell
doesn't?"
Well, he didn't go to Florida, Ms. Harmon.
Helen Joy, Melbourne, Florida: "Bill, your defense of Al Gore in your
exchange with Falwell makes me doubt your visual and auditory senses."
About Hillary Clinton's proposed bill that would dump the Electoral
College and institute a popular vote for president, Dr. Gonzalo Sanchez,
Sioux Falls, South Dakota: "Bill, you are absolutely right: The
abolition of the Electoral College will result in the permanent control
of the government by whomever can buy the masses in the large
population centers."
Leslie Baker, Los Angeles: "O'Reilly, you are totally wrong about the
Electoral College. Voters in Wyoming have more influence than I do here
in California. How fair is this?"
Bob Prather, McLean, Virginia: "Mr. O'Reilly, I have been watching you
for more than a year and haven't been able to determine your political
bias."
That's because I don't have a political bias, Mr. Prather. I vote for
people who are honest and have the ability to solve tough problems. I
don't care what party they are in.
And Rick Goldsberry, Chillicothe, Ohio: "Whoops, Lanny Davis could not
name one Republican partisan demonstrating in Florida. Your no-spin
zone works, Bill."
And Barry A'Hearn, Cedar Rapids, Iowa: "Mr. O'Reilly, my parents watch
THE FACTOR. Could you tell them that a signed copy of THE FACTOR book
is at the top of my Christmas wish list?"
Be happy to pass that information on, Barry, in the spirit of the
holidays, of course.
And if you would like to pass on some information to us, the e-mail
address: oreilly@foxnews.com -- oreilly@foxnews.com. U.S. mail: THE
FACTOR, Fox News Channel, 1211 Avenue of the Americans, NYC, 10036. And
altogether now: name and town, name and town, name and town on all
correspondence. And there is the Web site.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
MICHAEL KEATON, ACTOR: I wonder where a guy, an everyday Joe like
myself, can find a little action?
(END AUDIO CLIP)
O'REILLY: On the Web site, Beetlejuice! Get on there. My column for
WorldNet Daily is about vanishing values in America. And we also have
our Christmas gift offer of signed books on the Web site -- and
"Talking Points Memo," "Most Ridiculous." Get online with THE FACTOR
for the time of your life.
That is it for us today. As always, we thank you for watching. I'm
Bill O'Reilly. See you again next time.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND
MAY BE UPDATED.
Back of the Book: More Shots Fired at U.S. Border Patrol on Mexican
Border
Bill O'Reilly
11/14/2000
Fox News: The O'Reilly Factor
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