Appearing on CNN Tonight with Don Lemon, CNN contributor Buck Sexton engaged liberal professor Mia Bloom in a heated discussion regarding the targets of ISIS .
According to Bloom, ISIS attacks, like the truck massacre Thursday in Nice, France, are less about waging war against the West and more about staying relevant in the Middle East.
“One of the ways they [ISIS] try to project power is to have these attacks in the West, and so it’s a way of giving the impression that they’re still relevant, that they’re still powerful, when at a time they’re actually decreasing their ability to control the territory,” said Bloom.
She went on to add that “right-wing politics” and “Islamophobia” encourage such attacks, before issuing condescending remarks toward Sexton, a former CIA officer.
“I do disagree with Mr. Sexton, because the fact is, and I’ll say this to you, Buck, directly, the vast majority of ISIS’ victims are Muslim. Not ‘us,’ not the West,” she said.
“I’m fully aware of that,” a confused Sexton replied. “No one disputes that.”
“They’re not coming after us more than they’re coming after each other,” said Bloom, a communications professor at Georgia State University.
“I was referring to the Islamic State, which very clearly through its external operations arm ... along with al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula — which until recently was considered the most virulent and deadly of the jihadist terrorist organizations for this kind of external plotting — they’re continuing to do this,” he added.
Sexton followed up by acknowledging again that ISIS is in fact targeting other Muslims before questioning why Bloom was directing such comments toward him.
“Because you said they’re coming after us,” Bloom quibbled. “They’re not just coming after us.”
“When I say us, I’m referring to America and Europe and the West and all peaceful Muslims and everyone around the world who doesn’t believe that strapping a suicide vest on because you’re disaffected, because you have some belief that somehow this will take you to a place of paradise and virgins, whatever the case may be, everybody who isn’t on that team is on my team,” Sexton responded.
“We’re just trying to empower the moderates from within Muslim societies, we’re trying to empower our allies in countries that we do work with in the Muslim world and outside the Muslim world, to stop people from getting mowed down at a celebration of a national holiday. That’s it!” he concluded.
Even after was all said and done, Bloom continued her snark — much to the dismay of Sexton — restating, “Which include other Muslims.”