I'd say Eric Bolling should be ashamed of himself, but that assumes he's got the capacity to feel shame in the first place. It's fairly obvious after watching him in action for years that he does not.
This Friday on Fox's The Five, Bolling was railing on about how we should just go bomb the living daylights out of Syria, innocent civilians be damned: Fox Host: "Carpet Bomb" Syria, Regardless Of "Dumb" Civilians In The Area:
ERIC BOLLING: We've been talking about this for the better part of two years and I've been saying absolutely, patently level Raqqa, go carpet bomb the place and if you're a civilian and you're dumb enough to be next to ISIS you will not survive that one either. I've been saying this long before Trump came into the race. So that is the answer.
This Saturday on Fox's Cashin' In, Bolling was fearmongering and pretending that we've got no process to screen these refugees that he had no concern whatsoever about killing the previous day, and doing his best to have his gullible audience wetting their beds over the possibility that one of these immigrants is coming to America to kill them in their sleep:
BOLLING: Alright, time to wake up America, and this week, wake up America is so appropriate. President Obama, Sec. Kerry and most Democrats want to let in tens of thousands of Syrian refugees. The say, don't worry America, we'll vet them. Really? Because there are no records or databases to tap into to vet these Syrians. In fact, we have no idea who these people are.
Are these men refugees seeking political asylum, or are they Syrian fighters, or worse, are they ISIS fighters posing as refugees, which I've coined, refu-jihadis? I'm sorry. You think that's insensitive? Refu-jihadis? Consider these young men caught trying to migrate to Germany on Wednesday. They had detailed maps how to get there, making authorities fear they're refu-jihadis.
Let's play a little game. Which group is alleged ISIS terrorists, and which are actual asylum seeking refugees? Well, if you can't do it, that's the point. Let me help you. The alleged terrorists are on the left. The refugees seeking asylum are on the right.
Look, not all refugees are refu-jihadis, but it only takes one and as ISIS claimed this week, one simple soda can can bring down a passenger jet liner. Have a safe weekend everybody.
As Time Magazine explained, Bolling is full of shit. Don't expect that to get in the way of Bolling and his fellow pundits on Fox lying about the process any time soon.
This Is How the Syrian Refugee Screening Process Works:
How are Syrian refugees referred to the U.S.?
The process begins with a referral from UNHCR. The U.N.’s refugee agency is responsible for registering some 15 million asylum seekers around the world, and providing aid and assistance until they are resettled abroad or (more likely) returned home once conditions ease. The registration process includes in-depth refugee interviews, home country reference checks and biological screening such as iris scans. Military combatants are weeded out.
Among those who pass background checks, a small percentage are referred for overseas resettlement based on criteria designed to determine the most vulnerable cases. This group may include survivors of torture, victims of sexual violence, targets of political persecution, the medically needy, families with multiple children and a female head of household.
What happens once a refugee is referred to the U.S.?
Our government performs its own intensive screening, a process that includes consultation from nine different government agencies. They meet weekly to review a refugee’s case file and, if appropriate, determine where in the U.S. the individual should be placed. When choosing where to place a refugee, officials consider factors such as existing family in the U.S., employment possibilities and special factors like access to needed medical treatment.
How do we know the refugees aren’t terrorists?
Every refugee goes through an intensive vetting process, but the precautions are increased for Syrians. Multiple law enforcement, intelligence and security agencies perform “the most rigorous screening of any traveler to the U.S.,” says a senior administration official. Among the agencies involved are the State Department, the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center, the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security. A DHS officer conducts in-person interviews with every applicant. Biometric information such as fingerprints are collected and matched against criminal databases. Biographical information such as past visa applications are scrutinized to ensure the applicant’s story coheres.
What percentage of applicants “pass” the screening process?
Just over 50%.
How long does the whole process take?
Eighteen to 24 months on average.
How many have been resettled here?
About 1,800 over the past year. They’ve been placed in dozens of states across the country, but most are in big states with large immigrant populations, such as California, Texas, Illinois and Michigan.
Who are they?
According to a senior administration official, roughly half the refugees admitted have been children. Around 25% are adults over 60. Only 2% of those admitted, the senior administration official said, have been single males of “combat age.” Read on...
