Guests: Fox News military analysts Col. Bill Cowan & Col. David Hunt

"There are reports that the US Marine who shot and killed a wounded combatant in an Iraq mosque will not be formally charged. Talking Points is happy this young marine reportedly will not be court-martialed. I believe soldiers in combat must be given the benefit of the doubt, and the military must be allowed to fight the war on terror without second-guessing by anti-war people. Compare that situation to Abu Ali, a 25-year old Virginia man who the FBI believes was working with al Qaeda, and is now charged with conspiring to kill President Bush. Ali was arrested in Saudi Arabia--he says he was tortured there, and his case is engendering some sympathy. So let's put this in perspective--the young Marine was pretty much ignored by the elite media. But Abu Ali gets editorials in the Washington Post and the New York Times. So what we have now is the benefit of doubt for Ali, and silence for the Marine. This is why I believe the American print press has lost perspective. An FBI agent has testified that Ali participated in jihad training; a search of his home found documents praising the 9/11 attacks and promoting violent jihad. I'm not going to convict Abu Ali on The Factor, but this stuff is pretty damning. Contrast that to the Marine, who obviously felt he was in danger. The point here is that too many in the US media are anti-military and sympathetic to suspected terrorists. Period."

Transcript/Video: FoxNews.com

Fox News military analysts Col. Bill Cowan and Col. David Hunt joined The Factor. "This great young Marine did exactly what he should have done," Hunt asserted. "But I can't blame the press for his prosecution. I don't think the press can get away with not caring about Marines and soldiers unless the public allows it. If we in middle America would scream about this, the press couldn't get away with it." Cowan said anti-military bias in the media affects the troops in the field. "I was just in Iraq, and there was a lot of talk about how the media treats them. They are really feeling there is unfair reporting." The Factor summed up: "We have put our credibility on the line defending this Marine. There has not been one other major media organ that has done that. I didn't see any editorials sticking up for this Marine."

Guest: Lorenzo Vidino, The Investigative Project

Terrorism expert Lorenzo Vidino filled in some details of Abu Ali's background. "He grew up in the suburbs of Washington DC," Vidino reported, "and attended a known radical Islamic high school. The school is known to spread a radical and vicious interpretation of Islam that teaches students to hate Jews and Christians." After graduating as his school's valedictorian, Ali continued his studies in the Saudi Arabian city of Medina. "While in Medina," Vidino continued, "he met al Qaeda operatives and began living with them, and allegedly began plotting attacks in the United States. He was the kind of person al Qaeda wants. He has an American passport and could come to the US undisturbed and carry out an attack."

Guest: Dr. Mike Waller, Institute of World Politics

Following a series of meetings with other European leaders, President Bush has now conferred with Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to Mike Waller of the Institute of World Politics, "Putin was part of the nastiest element of the old KGB," Waller told The Factor. "But now that he says nice things about democracy some people want to believe him. I think he's a power-monger." Waller suggested that President Bush is being too cozy with Putin. "I don't think Bush is handling him well at all. We're pretending there's a democracy in Russia, when newspapers are being shut down, and politicians are being assassinated."

Guest: Dr. Marsha Rosenbaum, Safety First

According to a new survey, only half of American parents would be upset if their child experiments with marijuana. Drug education expert Marsha Rosenbaum told The Factor she is not alarmed by the findings. "These parents are realistic," Rosenbaum said. "These are baby boom generation members who experimented themselves. They're realistic about what the drug is, and realize that most people who use it get through adolescence unscathed." The Factor did not share her feelings. "Marijuana is much more potent today, and studies show that a child who becomes intoxicated loses his childhood immediately. It is off-the-charts dangerous. Parents have to take a stand that this is not a good thing."

Guest: David Duke

Former KKK Grand Wizard David Duke, who is now living and teaching in the Ukraine, joined The Factor to discuss radical leftist professor Ward Churchill. Duke attempted to distance himself from his past racist statements. "I was in the KKK thirty years ago, and that's not what I'm about today. As far as Ward Churchill is concerned, we should allow his viewpoints to be heard. I don't agree with one iota of what Ward Churchill says, except that we wouldn't have had 9/11 if we had minded our own business. But people have a right to make statements." The Factor told Duke that he and Ward Churchill are in effect opposite sides of the same coin: "Free speech has consequences--both you and Churchill, on opposite ends of the spectrum, have brought personal pain to Americans."

Guest: Author David Gibson

Pope John Paul II has undergone another operation to help alleviate his breathing difficulties. Author David Gibson explained, "As soon as the Pope dies," Gibson said, "there will be nine days of official mourning. Between fifteen and twenty days after his death, the 119 Cardinals will enter their conclave, where they will chose one of their members to try to replace this remarkable man." Gibson said the selection of a new Pope is a momentous occasion for the Catholic Church. "You have to get two-thirds of the votes of your fellow Cardinals to become Pope. They don't like people who seem to be campaigning for themselves. The death of a Pope is a gut check for the church--what do we need to do now, and which person do we get to do it?"