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Panetta calls on US to 'fight back' against Al Qaeda

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    Defense secretary responds to deaths of American hostages in Algeria

  • Duration 5:20
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-- Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is now calling on the US to quote fight back.

Against -- -- after learning that three American hostages were killed in the Algerian terror attack two of those victims that we now have pictures of Victor love lady and Fredricka -- you who are seen in a second and -- these pictures now last week secretary Leon Panetta issued this warning.

To the militants.

Terrorists.

Should be on notice.

That they will find no sanctuary.

No refuge.

Not in Algeria.

-- in North Africa.

Not anywhere.

Those who would want -- leave a track.

Our country and our people.

Will have no place to heart.

You have it and there are the pictures of -- love lady.

And spread attack TO two up to three Americans killed in this horrific.

Attack on that energy facility in Algeria I'm joined now by ambassador John Bolton former US ambassador to UN and a Fox News contributor.

Ambassador good morning -- what do you make of Leon Panetta's comments there what do they mean to you.

Well I think he's right on target but they sound like the comments of a man who's about to leave the Obama administration -- which she is you know the president in his inaugural address yesterday said.

A decade of war is and that.

When he accepted the democratic presidential nomination on September the sixty said al-Qaeda is on the road to defeat.

Five days later ambassador Christopher Stephens three other Americans.

Killed in Libya.

That we see the French now in operation in Mali against state an area that al-Qaeda terrorists have carved out the size of Texas.

And then as you mentioned this terrible -- hostage taking in Algeria where they're at least 37 dead and quite likely more.

The -- area on global terrorism is far from over and so secretary -- may want to talk to the president about that.

Or what we've seen of course it is that -- war against terrorism in the Obama administration has existed.

In drone strikes.

It in terms of of them major and model.

We know that we're obviously you know on the road to pulling out of Afghanistan and Iraq so that that's clearly what the president's referring to but you know would you be surprised to see an attack against -- -- -- this guy who.

Appears to have led this Algerian attack and who you know seems to be looking for attention with an am ranks -- al-Qaeda.

Well I'd be delighted but what we really need is a strategy not dead drone attacks I think the president's tried to define.

Terrorism very narrowly to the al-Qaeda leadership in Waziristan.

On the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan that's obviously an important.

Component but it's not the global terrorist threat and it's not the that even -- the bulk of the threat we now face and it's it's it's not just al-Qaeda throughout the Middle East.

The rise of radical islamists is regimes I think threatens us and many other ways as well.

And you can ignored and you can't talk.

As the president did yesterday about peace in our time a phrase from Neville Chamberlain for goodness sake.

Amazing how that phrase god -- his inaugural address and ignore what's going on in the real world.

He made a fascinating point without anything when you look back to the time when -- -- Tarrant Neville Chamberlain said that.

And what was to come in the world following those comments and and you and many others.

Who are like minded really feel that the scourge of al-Qaeda is is growing in fact.

In this area -- is struck the cover of the New York Times the other day I think it was Saturday morning maybe.

After Leon Panetta made these comments and after we started to learn about the deaths announced area you know we had a front page.

Story about how.

Maybe Arab Spring wasn't what it appeared to be original and I know you that you're in those screaming that from the rafters -- back seat you know work.

Back when when the president -- Egypt was falling.

I mean you know how off base is this administration in your opinion and how dangerous is that potentially.

Well I think it's it's off base and it's and it's very dangerous you know you don't have to be in London design and now to think of that Neville Chamberlain when you hear that phrase.

Peace and our time in British prime minister David Cameron who is hardly been.

-- a hawk on these matters.

Has said here in the past few days that we may be looking at decades of struggle.

Against al-Qaeda and I think he's right I think the global war on terrorism has not gone away.

We can ignored in the United States when when there aren't manifestations of that vote.

But we have been at war with al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and it's now happening in North Africa so we can we can either follow the peace in our time approach but we can get serious about this threat before it strikes in the American homeland again.

Well it certainly has hit home for the families of these three Americans -- killed.

In Algeria they know that there is clearly.

A war that is still going on ambassador Bolton thank you very much -- -- him.

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