>> Bill: UNITED NATIONS MOMENTS
AGO, NIKKI HALEY WITH A STRONG
MESSAGE TOWARD IRAN AND RUSSIA
AMID THE ONGOING TENSIONS
INSIDE SYRIA.
HERE IS NIKKI HALEY A MOMENT
AGO.
>> WE ARE NOT GOING TO GET TO
PEACE WHEN THE SITUATION ON THE
GROUND CONTINUES TO ESCALATE
WITH DIRE RISKS FOR THE
SECURITY OF THE ENTIRE REGION.
EARLIER THIS WEEK, IRANIAN
BACKED MILITIAS LAUNCHED A
DRONE INTO ISRAELI TERRITORY.
IT WAS AN UNPROMPTEDS COLLATION.
IRAN WAS ONCE AGAIN DOING WHAT
IT DOES.
RISKING CONFLICT AND TESTING
THE WILL OF ITS NEIGHBORS AND
OPPONENTS TO RESIST ITS
AGGRESSION.
ISRAEL RIGHTLY TOOK ACTION TO
DEFEND ITSELF.
THE UNITED STATES WILL ALWAYS
STAND BY OUR ALLY WHEN
CONFRONTED WITH PROVOCATIONS
FROM IRAN, HEZBOLLAH OR THE
ASSAD REGIME.
>> Bill: SHE WAS TALKING MORE
THERE.
WE'LL BRING YOU BACK THERE IF
THERE ARE MORE COMMENTS.
BEN COLLINS, WELCOME BACK HERE.
TO BRING OUR VIEWERS UP TO
SPEED.
SYRIA IS A MESS.
YOU HAVE WARS WITHIN WARS THAT
ARE ONGOING NOW.
NORTHWEST YOU HAVE THE KURDS
AND TURKS, ASSAD IN RED IS THE
AREA HE CONTROLS.
IN THE EAST YOU HAVE THE
RUSSIANS.
YOU'VE GOT THE AMERICANS AND
LISTEN TO SENATOR TOM COTTON
FROM YESTERDAY.
DURING A HEARING IN WASHINGTON
IN WHICH U.S. SPECIAL OPS WERE
FORCED TO FIRE AND DEFEND
THEMSELVES AGAINST RUSSIAN
MERCENARIES AND THERE WERE
DOZENS OF RUSSIANS KILLED AS A
RESULT.
GO AHEAD AND ROLL THIS.
>> THERE ARE REPORTS THAT OVER
200 RUSSIAN MERCENARIES WERE
KILLED IN EASTERN SYRIA.
CAN YOU CONFIRM OR DENY THOSE
REPORTS?
>> I'LL LEAVE THAT TO THE
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE TO TALK
ABOUT WHAT TRANSPIRED THERE.
I CAN SAY THIS FROM AN
INTELLIGENCE PERSPECTIVE WE
HAVE SEEN IN MULTIPLE INSTANCES
FOREIGN FORCES USING
MERCENARIES IN BATTLES THAT
WILL BEGIN TO APPROACH THE
UNITED STATES.
>> Bill: THAT'S THE LAY OF THE
LAND AND THEN YOU THINK ABOUT
THE ISRAELIS AND IRAN FIGHTING
IN THE SAME AREA.
THIS CAN GO UP IN A MOMENT.
>> BILL, ABSOLUTELY.
I THINK THAT'S THE POINT IS
THAT THIS IS SUCH A COMPLEX
BATTLEFIELD WITH SO MANY
DIFFERENT ACTORS.
COMBAT IS COMPLEX AND YOU
SIMPLY HAVE TWO ACTORS.
NOW WE HAVE THREE TO FOUR
STATES WITH OUR OWN FORCES IN
THERE, THEY ARE ACTING AS
PROXIES.
YOU HAVE REBELS FIGHTING FOR
THEIR OWN INTERESTS.
MULTIPLE DIFFERENT REBEL GROUPS
AND WHAT NIKKI HALEY DIDN'T SAY
IN THAT CLIP THAT WE HEARD IS
THAT YES, ISRAEL RESPONDED TO
THAT DRONE THAT IRAN SENT AND
BOMBING THE AREA WHERE THE
DRONE WAS LAUNCHED FROM IN
SYRIA.
THE SYRIA ANTI-AIRCRAFT WEAPONS
SHOT DOWN ONE OF THE ISRAELI
JETS.
THE PILOT, THANK GOD, WAS
INJURED BUT NOT KILLED.
HOWEVER, WHAT THAT SHOWS IS
THIS IS A TINDERBOX WAITING TO
HAPPEN.
IT HAS BEEN 30 YEARS SINCE
WE'VE HAD AN ISRAELI JET SHOT
DOWN.
NOW WE'VE GOT THE POSSIBILITY
OF ANOTHER CONFLAGRATION, YOU
HAVE IRAN AND ISRAEL.
NEVER MIND WHAT'S HAPPENING ON
THE GROUND IN SYRIA.
SO MY CONCERN HERE IS THAT ALL
THESE DIFFERENT ACTORS WITH ALL
THEIR DIFFERENT INTERESTS,
EVERYBODY IS FLYING DIFFERENT
AIRCRAFT, WE'VE GOT TROOPS ON
TOP OF EACH OTHER AND HERE WE
HAVE -- I WAS SURPRISED THIS
HASN'T HAPPENED BEFORE.
YOU HAD A T-72 RUSSIAN BATTLE
TANK THAT WAS FIRING WITHIN THE
EFFECTIVE RANGE OF OUR TROOPS
AND THEY RESPONDED AND STRUCK
BACK.
>> Bill: THERE WAS A PHONE
CONVERSATION BETWEEN VP AND
PRESIDENT TRUMP.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT
INFORMATION HAS BEEN MADE
PUBLIC.
ARE WE IN A POSITION THERE TO
DEFEND OURSELVES AGAINST ALL
THESE FACTIONS, FIRST OFF?
>> WELL BILL, I THINK THE FIRST
THING WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND IS
ACTUALLY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT
WHAT THOSE GUYS ON THE
BATTLEFIELD ARE SEEING IN FRONT
OF THEM.
AND HOW FAR WE ARE WILLING TO
GO.
SO THIS BOILS DOWN TO I THINK
SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE ALWAYS
HAD A PROBLEM WITH AND THAT IS
WHAT IS OUR STRATEGIC INTEREST
IN SYRIA?
YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO WEIGH THAT
AGAINST WHAT ARE THE STRATEGIC
INTERESTS OF RUSSIA IN SYRIA?
AND THE ARGUMENT CAN BE MADE
THAT RUSSIA ACTUALLY HAS A LOT
MORE STRATEGIC INTEREST.
THEY HAVE A NAVAL BASE, THEY
SELL A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF
WEAPONS TO ASSAD.
SO WE ALWAYS HAVE TO TAKE INTO
ACCOUNT HOW FAR IS RUSSIA
WILLING TO GO, HOW FAR ARE WE
WILLING TO GO?
WE KNOW WE HAVE PLENTY OF
ASSETS NOW THAT ARE ON THE
GROUND BECAUSE OF THE RULES OF
ENGAGEMENT THAT HAVE BEEN
LIFTED, GROUND COMMANDERS NOW
HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO CALL IN
AIR STRIKES AND SUPPORT.
SO YES, I BELIEVE OUR TROOPS DO
HAVE THE ABILITY TO DEFEND
THEMSELVES.
THE QUESTION IS JUST EVERYBODY
STEPPING ON TOP OF EACH OTHER
AND IT'S SCARY.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT COULD GO UP
VERY QUICKLY AND THERE ARE FOUR
MORE WARS THAT COULD HAPPEN.
>> Bill: BREAKING NEWS.
WE'RE THERE TO STOP ISIS,
MISSION NOT NEARLY ACCOMPLISHED.