Shep Smith Blasts U.S. 'Lies' About Middle East, Praises WikiLeaks (VIDEO)

Shep Smith praised WikiLeaks on Monday, and harshly criticized the U.S. government for what he called "lies" about America's Middle East policy.

The torrent of reporting based on the leaked diplomatic cables obtained by WikiLeaks has slowed considerably in the past few months, but the cables are still causing ripples. On Monday's "Studio B," Smith focused on a report in Sunday's Washington Post (which WikiLeaks has apparently turned to after a dramatic falling out with its main original American news partner, the New York Times) revealing that the U.S. has been secretly funding opposition groups in Syria.

Smith brought on former CIA agent Mike Baker, and immediately praised WikiLeaks for exposing what he called government lies. "I don't know why anybody would be surprised by what this bunch of folks does anymore," he said. Baker responded that the Post had suddenly made itself "the arbiter of what's good for the public to know." That got Smith fired up.

"Wait a minute," he said, his voice rising. "You get information that the government's lying to you again, one more lie from the government! I wish they would publish all of it! Every lie they tell ought to be laid bare!" Baker said he wasn't sure that the Syria news could be called a lie.

"We're not in a war and we haven't taken sides in Libya?" Smith fired back. "Those are lies, and this is a lie too...the list of lies is so long that we don't even have room for it on the screen any more." The cables from WikiLeaks, he said, seemed to be "the only straight answers that we get anymore."

WATCH:

Comments

[jl Walker]

03:45 PM on 05/04/2011

FOX NEWS SUPPORTS AND DEFENDS BIN LADEN.

SAYS USA SHOULD NOT HAVE KILLED HIM.

[Chris Herz]

10:39 AM on 04/25/2011

Wikileaks tells us this week of these stories, spending millions in India to outright bribe the Congress Party so they'd buy reactors from GE (which pays no taxes), and in Syria spending more millions to aid a largely-Islamist opposition. No wonder the government wants its deepest dungeons and cruelest jailers for Bradley Manning. And for Julian Assange, when they get their hands on them.
The powers-that-be must figure a firing squad at dawn is not enough punishment.

[YoBear]

12:19 AM on 04/25/2011

Hey Shep, did you know we had a recent president tell us and the whole world that a madman is running a country and has WMDs all over the place? And then that recent president started this big war. And guess what, there were no WMDs! Is that the kind of lie you're interested in?

[peterz]

01:17 PM on 04/22/2011

good for Shep for not jumping on the "blame WikiLeaks" train and recognizing the value of openess.

also, a great point about "murdering dictators, we're here for you"

[Thaibebop]

10:31 AM on 04/22/2011

I wonder how Shep keeps his job at Fox, being a human and all.

[rdk70816]

12:49 AM on 04/22/2011

Foreign affairs is not a business for rookies. Shep Smith is not a rookie; he is pointing out the nature of the battle.

[DevonTexas]

05:25 PM on 04/21/2011

And he works at WHAT news channel?

[Seafarer61]

03:58 AM on 04/22/2011

You might be shocked to know millions who watch Fox despise their government for lying and for the very shenanigans revealed on Shep's show. His ratings are proof positive the cookie-cutter identification of Fox's audience by clueless liberals (not all mind you) is yet another example of their intellectual laziness when dealing with those who disagree with them politically.

[bearbjamin09]

12:02 PM on 04/22/2011

Sure they despise their government for lying, they despise their government for any and everything. That has nothing to do with them not despising Fox for their lies.

[Howard53545]

05:16 AM on 04/21/2011

Shepard is waking up but the US war mongers like Obama will find a way to silence him.

[Johnd139]

07:42 AM on 04/21/2011

War monger? Interesting point of view to sathe least.

[JackHoffman]

03:54 AM on 04/21/2011

The rest of the world has always known. Only Americans continue to be surprised at revelations such as this.

[stape45]

12:18 AM on 04/21/2011

He could have began this practice a decade ago.

[AZ Stang]

01:02 AM on 04/21/2011

Or Al Gore could have when he invented the Internet.

[stape45]

01:27 AM on 04/21/2011

Or you could have, when you misunderstood.

[formerroadie]

08:44 PM on 04/20/2011

I wish he would call out his own station.....

[gdc49]

08:06 PM on 04/20/2011

I believe Shep Smith is right.. Now, there's ' Advisors' ON THE GRD. in Libya, From CIA to UK Military Advisors and what not else.
THis is how we got wrapped up in Nam.... Stay tuned.. More Disinfo and Misinfo to come From Wasteington D.C. ( DIstrict of Corruption)
We're Being SET UP... Again. What a waste of US resources & NOW, American lives.

[ALiberalKidd]

07:24 PM on 04/20/2011

George Wills, Shep Smith, etc...I am amazed at all these conservative warmongers trying to change their pro war lust and image, now that Barack Obama is the warmonger-in-chief. No matter how far Mr Obama lean over to the right, conservatives will switch positions rather than embrace this president.

[AZ Stang]

12:51 AM on 04/21/2011

Extremists on both sides of the aisle do that equally well.

[realpolitic]

01:17 AM on 04/21/2011

What is extremist about the post?  Who are the extremists on the left?

[ALiberalKidd]

08:05 AM on 04/21/2011

Democrats like Chuck Schumer also make reference to-- too far right, too far left, and "extremist on both sides." So maybe you can tell me what you and Schumer mean by extremist liberals? How can one be too empathetic, inclusive, peaceful, moral, generous, and good?

[1other1]

07:04 PM on 04/20/2011

Why is this man on Fox?

[realpolitic]

05:43 PM on 04/20/2011

Where was Shep when we were lied into Iraq- cheerleading with the rest of Fox news?

[AZ Stang]

12:52 AM on 04/21/2011

On 9/12/2001, you couldn't find 8 people in the US that didn't want to bomb the hell out of somebody.

[realpolitic]

01:15 AM on 04/21/2011

I think that statement is way overstated and just not true.  Many wanted to mourn first and find those who were to blame without bombing indiscriminately.  You must be a real Bush fan.