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PETE: WE ARE BACK WITH A FOX
NEWS ALERT.
OVERNIGHT 32 PEOPLE KILLED
AND NEARLY 200 HURT DURING A
STAMPEDE AT THE FUNERAL FOR
IRAN'S TOP MILITARY LEADER
KILLED BY U.S. AIRSTRIKE.
STEVE: THIS COMES AS IRAN'S
REVOLUTIONARY GUARD WILL SET
PLACES ABLAZE BY THE UNITED
STATES AS DESIGNATES UNITED
STATES AS A TERROR
ORGANIZATION.
AINSLEY: WARNING SHIPS
ACROSS THE MIDDLE EAST OF
POSSIBLE IRANIAN ACTION
AGAINST U.S. MARITIME
INTERESTS.
STEVE: LET'S BRING IN
AMBASSADOR NATIONAL SECURITY
ADVISOR ROBERT O'BRIEN.
AS YOU CAN SEE HE IS ON THE
NORTH LAWN OF THE WHITE
HOUSE.
AMBASSADOR, GOOD MORNING TO
YOU.
AINSLEY: GOOD MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING, GOOD TO BE
WITH YOU.
STEVE: TELL US ABOUT THESE
NEW THREATS.
>> THESE THREATS HAVE BEEN
AROUND FOR 40 YEARS EVER
SINCE THE IRANIAN REVOLUTION
TOOK PLACE.
THE IRANIAN REGIME HAS BEEN
THREATENING SHIPPING
INTERESTS AND AMERICANS AND
TAKING HOSTAGES AND BEEN
ATTACKING THE NEIGHBORS.
SO THIS IS NOTHING NEW.
WE ARE WATCHING IT
CAREFULLY.
WE SEND A VERY STRONG MESS
STOOJT IRANIAN REGIME THAT
WE'RE NOT GOING TO TOLERATE
IT.
STEVE: AMBASSADOR, DOES THIS
HAVE TO DO WITH THE IMMINENT
INTEL THAT THEY HAD GATHERED
LAST WEEK THAT WOUND UP
HAVING THE PRESIDENT PULL
THE TRIGGER ON GENERAL
SOLEIMANI?
>> THE PRESIDENT HAS ALWAYS
MADE HIS FIRST PRIORITY TO
PROTECT AMERICAN CITIZENS.
THE INTEL THAT WE H THE
INFORMATION WE HAD WHICH WE
BELIEVE WAS VERY STRONG
SHOWS THAT SOLEIMANI AND
THOSE HE WAS PLOTTING WITH
WERE LOOKING TO KILL
AMERICAN DIPLOMATS AND
SOLDIERS IN SIGNIFICANT
NUMBERS IN THE COMING DAYS.
THAT'S WHY THE PRESIDENT
AUTHORIZED THE SUCCESSFUL
OPERATION THATS WITH
UNDERTAKEN BY THE U.S.
MILITARY.
PETE: ABSOLUTELY.
GO AHEAD.
AINSLEY: AMBASSADOR CIALS
THE PRESIDENT WAS TWEETING
HE SAID IRAN WILL NEVER HAVE
A NUCLEAR WEAPON.
HOW DOES THE DEATH OF THIS
TERRORIST GENERAL CHANGE OUR
PATH AND KEEPING IRAN FROM
GETTING A NUCLEAR BOMB?
>> SOLEIMANI WAS INVOLVED IN
THE EARLY DAYS OF THE
IRANIAN PROGRAM.
HE WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE
TRAVELING OUTSIDE OF IRAN
UNDER U.S. SANCTIONS BECAUSE
OF HIS ROLE IN THE NUCLEAR
PROGRAM WE THINK IT WILL
HAVE A EFFECT.
PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.
DETERRENT TO FUTURE IRANIAN
ACTION THAT HAS BEEN
PRESCRIBED BY THE U.N. AND
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.
PETE: MR. AMBASSADOR, WE
KNOW THAT THIS PRESIDENT RAN
ON SCRAPPING IRAN DEAL.
AND WE KNEW THE IRANIANSIANS
WERE CHEATING ON IT BEFORE
AND CERTAINLY CHEATING ON IT
NOW.
THEY USED THE DEATH OF THE
TERRORIST SOLEIMANI AS AN
EXCUSE, JUSTIFICATION TO
PRETEND THEY WEREN'T
CHEATING ON IT.
AND NOW THEY ARE SAYING THEY
ARE BLOWING THROUGH THE
PARAMETERS OF THE DEAL.
WHAT SPECIFICALLY HAS
CHANGED AS FAR AS THE WHITE
HOUSE'S APPROACH TOWARD IRAN
TO ENFORCE WHAT THE
PRESIDENT TWEETED THEY WILL
NEVER GET A NUCLEAR BOMB IF
THEY ARE GOING TO SPRINT NOW
TO TRY TO GET ONE.
>> I CAN TELL YOU WE HAVE
BEEN IN TOUCH WITH OUR
FRIENDS AND ALLIES IN EUROPE
AND THE REGION, THERE IS
ABSOLUTELY ZERO APPETITE FOR
IRAN TO HAVE A NUCLEAR
WEAPON.
THAT WON'T HAPPEN.
OUR U.N. RESOLUTIONS AGAINST
IRAN HAVING A NUCLEAR
WEAPON.
NONPROLIFERATION TREATY
PROHIBIT THEM FROM GETTING A
NUCLEAR WEAPON.
WE THINK THERE IS GOING TO
BE A BROAD.
PETE: THE U.N. IS NEVER
GOING TO ENFORCE IT.
THE U.N. DOESN'T DROP BOMB
IS THE U.S. PREPARED IN ANY
MEANS NECESSARY TO STOP
THAT.
>> I THINK THE PRESIDENT
MADE IT VERY CLEAR THAT IRAN
WILL NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR
WEAPON AND I THINK WE HAVE
GOT A LOT OF FRIENDS AND
ALLIES IN THE REGION AND
EUROPE COMMITTED TO THAT.
THAT WILL COME.
STEVE: SPEAKING OF THE
UNITED NATIONS,
MR. AMBASSADOR, ON THURSDAY
THERE IS GOING TO BE A U.N.
SECURITY COUNCIL MEETING.
ZARIF FROM IRAN WANTED TO GO
BUT APPARENTLY LAST NIGHT
THE U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
DENIED HIS VISA.
WHY IS THAT?
>> I DON'T THINK SECRETARY
POMPEO THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS
THE RIGHT TIME FOR MR. ZARIF
TO COME TO THE UNITED
STATES.
WHENEVER HE COMES TO NEW
YORK, HE SPREADS PROPAGANDA.
I ACTUALLY FIND IT SOMEWHAT
IRONIC THAT MR. ZARIF WANTS
TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE
DIPLOMATIC NICETIES TO COME
TO NEW YORK AND U.N. WHEN
HIS REVOLUTION WAS BORN IN
THE TAKING OF 52 AMERICAN
DIPLOMATS HOSTAGE IN IRAN
AND HOLDING THEM FOR 444
DAYS.
THAT UNDERMINED EVERY
PRINCIPLE OF DIPLOMACY
IRANIANS.
THAT'S HOW THEY STARTED
THEIR REVOLUTION IS TAKING
DIPLOMATS HOSTAGE.
I THINK HE WILL BE FINE
MISSING THAT MEETING.
CAN HE CERTAINLY CALL INTO
THE MEETING OR PARTICIPATE
BY VIDEO TELECONFERENCE AND
HIS VOICE WILL BE HEARD IF
HE WANTS TO BE HEARD.
AINSLEY: BEFORE THE
REVOLUTION WOMEN DIDN'T HAVE
TO COVER THEIR FACES.
THEY WERE HIGHLY EDUCATED.
BEN RHODES WHO WAS -- HE WAS
DEPUTY NATIONAL SECURITY
ADVISOR UNDER PRESIDENT
OBAMA.
HE SAID THAT VOTING FOR
PRESIDENT TRUMP IS DANGEROUS
TO OUR NATIONAL SECURITY.
THIS IS WHAT HE TWEETED.
HE SAID WE HAVE A PRESIDENT
IN THE MIDST OF A FULL
MELTDOWN DURING A MAJOR
CRISIS OF HIS OWN MAKING.
A VOTE FOR THIS MAN IS
DANGEROUS FOR OUR NATIONAL
SECURITY.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS.
>> BEN RHODES IS A
COMMUNICATIONS GUY IN THE
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION.
THAT WAS HIS JOB TO DO
POLITICAL COMMUNICATIONS FOR
THE PRESIDENT.
YOU KNOW, AND IN MY LAST JOB
I SPENT TWO YEARS BRINGING
BACK HOSTAGES.
MOST OF WHOM WERE TAKING IN
THE PRIOR ADMINISTRATION AND
AS THOSE OF YOU IN THE MEDIA
WHO PROBABLY DIDN'T KNOW I
MADE IT MY POLICY NOT TO
CRITICIZE THE PRIOR
ADMINISTRATION.
I'M NOT GOING TO CRITICIZE
THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION.
BUT I'M GOING TO SAY THAT WE
HAVE A FUNDAMENTAL
DISAGREEMENT WITH BEN RHODES
AND PEOPLE WHO THINK LIKE
BEN RHODES.
THE PRESIDENT BELIEVES THAT
WEAKNESS IS PROVOCATIVE AND
I THINK WE HAVE SEEN THAT
THROUGHOUT HISTORY.
WE BELIEVE IN PEACE THROUGH
STRENGTH LIKE RONALD REAGAN
DID.
SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN A
CORNER STONE OF PRESIDENT
TRUMP'S FOREIGN POLICY AND
NATIONAL SECURITY POLICY.
WE BELIEVE THAT A STRONG
AMERICA DETERS OUR
AGGRESSORS.
WE BELIEVE A WEAK AMERICA
AND AMERICA THAT'S WILLING
TO APPEASE OUR AGGRESSORS
AND INVITES MORE VIOLENCE
AGAINST OUR CITIZENS.
WE ARE COMMITTED TO A PEACE
THROUGH STRENGTH FOREIGN
POLICY.
THAT'S A DISAGREEMENT THAT
WE HAVE WITH BEN RHODES AND
PEOPLE THAT TAKE A DIFFERENT
VIEW.
HE IS CERTAINLY ONE OF THEM.
STEVE: AMBASSADOR, BEFORE
YOU LEAVE AND YOU MENTIONED
A MOMENT AGO THAT SOME OF
THAT IMMINENT INTEL INVOLVED
IRANIAN INTERESTS STRIKING
OUT AT AMERICAN DIPLOMATS IN
THAT REGION.
I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING WE
HAD NOT HEARD BEFORE.
WHAT ELSE CAN YOU TELL US
ABOUT THAT?
>> WELL, I CAN TELL YOU THAT
THERE WERE PLANS BEING MADE
AND SOLEIMANI WAS IN THE
MIDST OF THAT PLOTTING.
THAT'S WHY HE WAS TRAVELING
IN THE REGION IN DAMASCUS
AND BEIRUT AND BAGHDAD TO
CONSPIRE WITH PEOPLE TO
CONTAINED DIPLOMAT SOLDIERS,
AIRMEN MARINE, COAST
GUARDSMEN.
WE WERE -- THE PRESIDENT WAS
VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT
ACTIVITY.
SOLEIMANI AND IRANIAN REGIME
KNEW EXACTLY WHAT THEY WERE
DOING.
WHAT THEY DID WAS
UNDERESTIMATED THE PRESIDENT
AND HIS RESTRAINT.
THEY DOWNED SEVERAL DRONES.
THEY ATTACKED A RAMCO.
INDIRECT FIRE INCIDENTS ON
OUR FACILITIES IN THE LAST
SEVERAL MONTHS.
THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN VERY
RESTRAINED.
THEY TOOK THAT RESTRAINT AND
THAT GOODWILL AS THE
PRESIDENT TRIED TO OPEN
NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE
IRANIANS.
REMEMBER HE OFFERED TO SPEAK
WITH THEM UNCONDITIONALLY.
THEY TOOK THAT AS A SIGN OF
WEAKNESS.
I THINK THEY UNDERSTAND THIS
PRESIDENT MEANS BUSINESS.
THEY MADE A BAD MISTAKE IN
HOW THEY READ HIS RESTRAINT,
WHICH WAS ADMIRABLE.
PETE: YEP.
SOLEIMANI WAS NOT ON A