>> Connell: CELEBRATIONS IN THE
STREETS TODAY AFTER THE IRAQI
PRIME MINISTER ANNOUNCED HE
WOULD STEP DOWN AFTER NEARLY
TWO MONTHS OF ANTI-GOVERNMENT
PROTESTS CALLING OUT FOR UPTION
FOR SERVICES AND NOT A LOT OF
JOBS.
WE BRING IN THE SENIOR RESEARCH
FELLOW AT THE HERITAGE
FOUNDATION.
COLONEL WOOD, GOOD TO SEE YOU.
A REAL ESCALATION IN VIOLENCE
IN IRAQ WITH PROTESTS GOING ON.
>> THE PRIME MINISTER IS BOWING
TO PUBLIC PRESSURE AND SAYING
THEIR CONGRESS -- PARLIAMENT
NEEDS TO RECONSIDER THE
GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE THAT'S IN
PLACE.
WITHOUT THAT RELIGIOUS SUPPORT
SPEAKING FOR IRAQI SHIITES IT
WAS A REAL SIGNAL HIS DAYS WERE
NUMBERED.
HOPEFULLY THIS DE-ESCALATES A
BIT.
SOME OF THE PROTESTORS HAVE
COME OUT IN PRESS REPORTING AS
WANTING NOT JUST HIS
RESIGNATION BUT THE ENTIRE --
REALLY THIS PUSHBACK AGAINST
THE INCREASE OF IRANIAN
INFLUENCES WITHIN THE IRAQI
GOVERNMENT.
>> Connell: COULD THE
RESIGNATION OF A PRIME MINISTER
BE THE FIRST STEP IN A
CRUMBLING OF AN OVERALL
STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT THERE?
WHAT MIGHT FOLLOW IT?
>> IT'S HARD TO PREDICT THESE
SORTS OF THINGS.
IS THAT ENOUGH?
DOES IT GIVE YOU SOME BREATHING
SPACE RELIEVING SOME OF THE
PRESSURE?
OR TO YOUR POINT IS A DOMINO
EFFECT.
WE HAVE TO SEE HOW THE
PROTESTORS REACT.
HOW THE ESTABLISHMENT REACTS
AND WHETHER OR NOT THIS
RESIGNATION TAKES PLACE.
I THINK FAIRLY QUICKLY.
IF IT DRAGS OUT IT WILL
EXACERBATE AND CERTAINLY LAW
ENFORCEMENT OR POLICE OFFICIALS
IN THAT AREA HAVE TO STOP USING
LIVE AMMUNITION AND KILLING
PEOPLE.
WE HAVE 40, 45, 46 PEOPLE
KILLED HERE JUST IN THE LAST 48
HOURS.
SO THAT SETTING HAS TO CHANGE
AS WELL.
>> Connell: 400 ACCORDING TO
REPORTS IN RECENT WEEKS.
LET ME SHIFT GEARS TO THE
PRESIDENT'S TRIP, PRESIDENT
TRUMP'S TRIP ON THANKSGIVING TO
AFGHANISTAN WHERE HE TALKED
ABOUT RESTARTING TALKS WITH THE
TALIBAN.
HERE IS WHAT HE SAID WHEN HE
WAS ON THE GROUND THERE
YESTERDAY.
>> President Trump: THE TALIBAN
WANTS TO MAKE A DEAL.
IT HAS TO BE A REAL DEAL.
WE'LL SEE.
I WANT TO THANK YOU AND I WANT
TO THANK THE AFGHAN SOLDIERS
WHO ARE REALLY -- I'VE SPOKEN
TO A LOT OF YOU TODAY AND YOU
SAY THEY'RE FIGHTING HARD.
I WAS VERY IMPRESSED.
>> Connell: RESTARTING TALKS
WITH THE TALIBAN THREE MONTHS
AFTER THEY WERE BROKEN OFF AS
YOU KNOW.
WHAT HAS CHANGED SINCE THEN AND
WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN NEXT YEAR?
>> DAILY CHANGES ON THE GROUND.
WINDOWS OPEN AND THEN THEY'RE
QUICKLY CLOSED.
TALIBAN EXECUTED A NUMBER OF
BOMBING ATTACKS NOT ONLY IN THE
OUTLYING AREAS BUT IN KABUL
ITSELF.
SO THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
SAID LOOK, IF WE CAN'T EVEN
AGREE TO A CEASE-FIRE WHAT'S
THE POINT IN CONTINUING THESE
DISCUSSIONS?
A TIT-FOR-TAT, WHO THINKS
THEY'RE UP AND MORE INFLUENTIAL
IN THIS THING.
WITH THE INCREASE IN U.S.
MILITARY SUPPORT TO AFGHAN
EFFORTS TO STRIKE BACK AT THE
TALIBAN IT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN
HAVING AN EFFECT.
MORE STRIKES, PACKAGES, MORE
BOMBINGS AGAINST THEM.
SO PERHAPS THEY'RE FEELING THE
PRESSURE AND ARE MORE WILLING
TO ENTER NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE
UNITED STATES AS OPPOSED TO THE
KABUL GOVERNMENT.
THE INTENT WOULD BE IT LEADS TO
DIALOGUE BETWEEN THOSE TWO
GOVERNING ENTITIES.
>> Connell: IF YOU THINK BIG
PICTURE THE U.S. HAS SOMETHING
LIKE 13,000 TROOPS IN
AFGHANISTAN.
PRESIDENT TRUMP TALKED ABOUT
GETTING IT DOWN TO 8600.
THIS IS 18 YEARS PLUS.
WHY HAS IT PROVED SO DIFFICULT
FOR THE U.S. TO FINALLY END
THIS AND BRING THE TROOPS HOME
ONCE AND FOR ALL?
>> RIGHT, THERE IS JUST NOT A
UNIFIED IDENTITY.
THE COUNTRY WE KNOW AS
AFGHANISTAN IS A MIX OF ALL
KINDS OF ETHNIC AND RELIGIOUS
GROUPS THAT HAVEN'T THOUGHT OF
THEMSELVES IN A UNIFYING WAY.
AMID THE PAKISTAN, IRAN, CHINA,
LOTS OF INFLUENCES, CENTRAL
ASIA AND SO THIS MIX OF
CULTURES AND PEOPLES AND
INDEPENDENT AUTONOMOUS TYPES OF
GROUPS HAVE NEVER MELDED WELL
TOGETHER.
SO THE IDEA OF DEALING WITH A
CENTRAL GOVERNMENT THAT KIND OF
GOVERNS AND CONTROLS EVERYTHING
IN THE COUNTRY IS JUST NOT
REALLY IN THAT PART OF THE
WORLD PART OF THEIR POLITICAL
AND SOCIAL CULTURE.
SO TRYING TO GET THESE PEOPLE
TOGETHER TO AGREE TO SOME FORM
OF UNIFIED GOVERNMENT, NATIONAL