Former Attorney General to Megyn Kelly: White House, Sec. of State Should Issue 'Unequivocal' Denial of Blind Sheikh Report

Former U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey on Wednesday called on the White House and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to issue a firm denial, without caveat, on whether the State Department is considering transferring Omar Abdel Rahman, also known as the "Blind Sheikh," into Egyptian custody.

Though State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland on Tuesday said there is no plan to "release" the Blind Sheikh and that, to her knowledge, no "senior" Egyptians had made the request "recently," Mukasey told Fox News' Megyn Kelly the denial was indeed filled with caveats.

"I think the denials ought to come from the White House and from the secretary of state. And they ought to be flat, clear and unequivocal. Nothing about recently, nothing about senior leaders, nothing that leaves any door open," Mukasey said.

On Monday, a source told TheBlaze that the U.S. State Department was having discussions about transferring the Blind Sheikh to Egypt based on “humanitarian and health" concerns. Ever since, TheBlaze has been trying to get a clear denial and/or clarification from the State Department regarding our exclusive report. While the State Department has told the press the Sheik will not be released, it has failed to respond to questions about whether it was ever discussed or considered.

Further, even if no "senior" Egyptians have directly made the request to the State Department, newly elected Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, of the Muslim Brotherhood, considers the release of the Blind Sheikh a matter of great importance and vowed he would pressure the U.S. to release him as soon as he was elected.

Trying to understand why the U.S. government would even consider the transfer, Kelly mentioned a Fox News exclusive report showing that two days prior to the deadly attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, a statement was released, directing "sons of Egypt" to force America to release the Blind Sheikh, "even if it requires burning the embassy down with everyone in it."

The former attorney general explained that even "considering" to transfer the Blind Sheikh to Egypt, which would mean his release as he is highly revered in the country, is just as bad as thinking about releasing Osama bin Laden.

"He issued the fatwa from jail that authorized 9/11. He issued the fatwa that authorized the assassination of Hosni Mubarak," Mukasey added. In addition to his murderous fatwas, the Blind Sheikh is also responsible for the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, killing six people and injuring more than 1,000.

Kelly asked of Rahman's Egyptian adorers, "Do they care about the fact that he killed at least six people in 1993 and wounded 1,000 others and, as you point out now, was behind 9/11 as well?"

"Do you want a one word answer? No," Mukasey replied, adding that such a move by the Obama administration would only "embolden" radical Islamists in Egypt and throughout the Middle East.

Watch Kelly's interview with Mukasey via Fox News:

Just hours after Mukasey's interview with Kelly on Wednesday, Greg Gutfeld, a co-host on the Fox News program "The Five," slammed TheBlaze's exclusive report that cites a source close to the Obama administration because the source was not identified, saying it's "not fair" to accuse the Obama administration of something so incendiary without a "shred of a source." TheBlaze's source has asked not be identified.

“This report is B.S. I’m sorry," Gutfeld said. "When you say a source close to the White House, is it a bartender at the Hawk & Dove? I can’t believe we’re doing this story without actually having just a shred of a source. I mean, I know we got it from TheBlaze. TheBlaze is an entertaining site, but come on! Where is this coming from?”

As previously noted by TheBlaze, Gutfeld never clarified what he meant by "entertaining." However, he was extremely critical of the report and argued "The Five" shouldn't even discuss it. He seemingly sided with a statement put out by the U.S. Department of Justice, which does not handle international matters, that reports of the Blind Shiekh's transfer were "utter garbage."

A group of GOP lawmakers also sent a letter to Secretary of State Clinton and Attorney General Eric Holder earlier this week, urging the administration not to transfer the Blind Sheikh. Additionally, Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) confirmed to the New York Post that the option was, in fact, being considered, according to another source of his in the Obama administration.

To read the entire letter, click here.

Front page image from Fox News.