>> Martha: WE ALL REMEMBER
THE HORRIFIC IMAGES OF BRUTAL,
ISIS KILLINGS AS THEY
ESTABLISHED THEIR CALIPHATE
ACROSS A LARGE SWATH OF IRAQ
AND SYRIA IN 2014.
EVEN ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL,
PRESIDENT TRUMP TALKED OF
THESE BRUTAL KILLINGS AND
DROWNINGS WITH SHOCK AND
DETERMINATION TO ERADICATE
ISIS.
NOW ISIS IS DECIMATED.
THE CALIPHATE THEY HAD IS
GONE.
BUT A FIERCE GROUP OF FIGHTERS
HANGS ON.
SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 2,000 AND
5,000 ARE SAID TO REMAIN.
THERE ARE REPORTS IN THE PAST
EIGHT WEEKS ISIS MILITANTS
EXECUTED NEARLY 700 PRISONERS
IN EASTERN SYRIA.
THEY WERE AMONG 1,350
CIVILIANS AND FIGHTERS THAT
THE ISLAMIC STATE HAS BEEN
HOLDING IN THE TERRITORY NEAR
THE IRAQI BORDER.
WE ALSO KNOW NOW THAT IT’S
CONFIRMED THAT THE AMERICAN
SHEQUANI, 26-YEAR-OLD ILLINOIS
NATIVE WHO TRAVELED TO SYRIA
TO PROVIDE HUMANITARIAN RELIEF
WAS INDEED KILLED BY THEM IN
DECEMBER OF 2016.
ALSO NOW THERE ARE A LOT OF
QUESTIONS NOW ABOUT OTHER
AMERICANS WHO MAY STILL BE
HELD THERE.
INCLUDING AUSTIN TEIS WHOSE
STORY WE TALKED ABOUT QUITE A
BIT.
GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY GRADUATE
AND PHOTOGRAPHER HELD SINCE
2012.
TODAY THE PRESIDENT ANNOUNCED
HE WOULD PULL OUT ALL
REMAINING 2,000 TROOPS FROM
SIRRIA, DECLARING VICTORY IN
THIS VIDEO RELEASED MOMENTS
AGO.
>> President Trump: I HAVE
BEEN PRESIDENT FOR ALMOST TWO
YEARS AND WE HAVE REALLY
STEPPED IT UP.
WE HAVE WON AGAINST ISIS.
WE HAVE BEATEN THEM AND WE
HAVE BEATEN THEM BADLY.
WE HAVE TAKEN BACK THE LAND.
NOW IT’S TIME FOR OUR TROOPS
TO COME BACK HOME.
NOW WE HAVE WON.
IT’S TAME -- TIME TO COME
BACK.
THEY ARE GETTING READY.
YOU WILL SEE THEM SOON.
THESE ARE GREAT AMERICAN
HEROES.
GREAT HEROES OF THE WORLD.
BECAUSE THEY FOUGHT FOR US.
BUT THEY HAVE KILLED ISIS WHO
HURTS THE WORLD.
WE ARE PROUD TO HAVE DONE IT.
I’LL TELL YOU THEY ARE UP
THERE LOOKING DOWN ON US AND
THERE IS NOBODY HAPPIER OR
MORE PROUD OF THEIR FAMILIES
TO PUT THEM IN A POSITION
WHERE THEY HAVE DONE SUCH GOOD
FOR SO MANY PEOPLE.
SO OUR BOYS, OUR YOUNG WOMEN,
OUR MEN, THEY ARE ALL COMING
BACK.
THEY ARE COMING BACK NOW.
WE WON.
THAT IS THE WAY WE WANT IT.
THAT IS THE WAY THEY WANT IT.
>> Martha: OUR NEXT GUEST IS
AMONG THE STARTLED LAWMAKERS
TODAY WHO ARE AGAINST THE MOVE
FROM THE PRESIDENT’S OWN PARTY
TODAY.
ILLINOIS CONGRESSMAN ADAM
KINSINGER WHO SERVES ON THE
HOUSE FOREIGN AFFAIRS
COMMITTEE AND MAJOR IN AIR
NATIONAL GUARD.
GOOD TO SEE YOU TONIGHT.
WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TONIGHT?
>> THAT VIDEO IS VERY
DISTURBING.
I HAVE TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.
THE WHOLE THING, I WILL TALK
ABOUT THE PROBLEM WITH WHAT
THE PRESIDENT IS DOING.
BUT I WEAR ON MY WRIST, A
BUDDY OF MINE THAT I FLEW WITH
IN IRAQ IN 2008 THAT WAS
KILLED IN 2018 IN OPERATION
INHERENT RESOLVE.
FOR THE PRESIDENT TO POINT TO
THE SKY AND SAY THEY WANT THIS
TO INFER THOSE WHO HAVE
FALLEN, THE PRESIDENT CAN’T
SPEAK FOR FALLEN AMERICAN
SOLDIERS.
I’M NOT SURE THE FALLEN
AMERICAN SOLDIERS WANT US TO
DECLARE VICTORY AGAINST A FOE
WE HAVEN’T FULLY DEFEATED YET.
THAT IS DISAPPOINTING.
ON THE BIGGER ISSUE, YOU SAY
WE HAVE LEFT.
WE KNOW THERE ARE EXISTING
ISIS FIGHTERS AND THIS EERILY
REMINISCENT OF 2011 WHEN
PRESIDENT OBAMA LEFT IRAQ AND
SAID JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE PUTS
ON A BULLS JERSEY OR LAKER
JERSEY DOESN’T MAKE THEM PLAY
IN THE NBA.
THAT IS WHAT LED TO THE
RESURRECTION OF ISIS.
I FEEL EERILY SIMILAR TO THAT
NOW.
THIS IS DISAPPOINTING.
I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE IT CAME
FROM AND I DEEPLY FEAR THE
LONG-TERM RAMIFICATION OF
THIS.
>> Martha: THAT RAISES A
GOOD QUESTION.
AS MANY HAVE SAID TODAY, THIS
IS OBVIOUSLY GOOD NEWS FOR
ERDOGAN IN TURKEY.
HE WAS ABOUT TO ANNOUNCE A NEW
OFFENSIVE IN SYRIA.
IT’S GOOD NEWS FOR PUTIN.
BECAUSE HIS FORCES ARE
FIGHTING ON THE SIDE OF BASHAR
AL-ASSAD IN SYRIA.
IT’S BAD NEWS FOR ISRAEL.
RIGHT?
GOOD NEWS FOR IRAN.
CLEARLY.
THE ENVOY, THE PRESIDENT’S
ENVOY AGAINST ISIS JUST SAID A
COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO WE ARE NOT
GOING TO LEAVE AS LONG AS
IRANIAN TROOPS ARE OUTSIDE
IRANIAN BORDERS A AND THAT
INCLUDES IRANIAN PROXIES AND
MILITIAS.
JOHN BOLTON TOLD REPORTERS
THEY WERE PREPARED TO STAY AS
LONG AS NEED BE.
WHY DOES IT FEEL LIKE OUT OF
THE BLUE THIS MORNING DID THE
PRESIDENT WAKE UP AND DECIDE
VICTORY HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED?
>> I DON’T KNOW.
OBVIOUSLY HE HAD A DISCUSSION
WITH THE PRESIDENT OF TURKEY.
HE MADE A DECISION I THINK ON
THE BASIS OF THAT.
THAT IS WHAT IT SEEMS LIKE.
THAT CAN’T BODE WELL FOR THE
KURDS BY THE WAY WHO HAVE
FOUGHT WITH US FOR A LONG
TIME.
I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT WENT INTO
THIS.
I CAN GUARANTEE YOU, ALMOST
GUARANTEE YOU THAT NONE OF HIS
ADVISERS SAID THAT THIS IS A
GOOD THING TO DO.
I KNOW HE HAS BEEN PLAYING
GOLF WITH RAND PAUL AND MAYBE
RAND TRIED TO CONVINCE HIM OF
THIS.
BUT THE PEOPLE WHO KNOW THINGS
ABOUT FOREIGN POLICY AND THE
DEVASTATING IMPACTS OF
REPEATING 2011 AGAIN I’M SURE
WERE SHOCKED AS I WAS BY THIS.
IT’S FRIGHTENING.
>> Martha: HERE IS RAND
PAUL.
>> I’M PROUD OF THE PRESIDENT
TODAY TO HEAR THAT HE IS
DECLARING VICTORY IN SYRIA.
THE PRESIDENT HAS THE COURAGE
TO SAY WE WON IN SYRIA AND WE
ARE COMING HOME.
FIRST PRESIDENT IN MY LIFETIME
REALLY TO DO THAT.
>> RAND IS FORGETTING THAT
PRESIDENT OBAMA SAID WE WON IN
IRAQ.
AND WE ARE COMING HOME.
THEN WE HAD TO GO BACK TO IRAQ
BECAUSE THERE WAS A GROUP
CALLED ISIS FORMED BASICALLY
OUT OF THE OLD AL-QAEDA.
WE ARE IN A GENERATIONAL
FIGHT.
THE CHOICE TO FIGHT TERRORISM
IS NOT OURS.
THE CHOICE IS WHERE WE FIGHT
TERRORISM.
DO WE FIGHT THEM IN SYRIA AND
IRAQ OR FIGHT THEM EVENTUALLY
BACK ON THE STREETS OF THE
UNITED STATES?
I’M DEEPLY, DEEPLY WORRIED
ABOUT THIS.
I SURE HOPE THE PRESIDENT
RECONSIDERS.
>> Martha: YOU KNOW, ONE OF
THE ISSUES IS THAT IT’S NOT
OVER JUST BECAUSE YOU WANT IT
TO BE OVER.
AN ARBITRARY END TO THINGS HAS
IN THE PAST AT TIMES TURNED
OUT TO BE SOMETHING THAT TAKES
AWAY THE VICTORY AND TAKES
AWAY THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT
WERE MADE BY OUR DEDICATED
SERVICE MEN AND WOMEN.
HERE IS PRESIDENT TRUMP ON THE
CAMPAIGN TRAIL IN SEPTEMBER OF
2015, TALK ABOUT PRESIDENT
OBAMA PULLING OUT OF IRAQ IN
WHAT HE SAID THEN WAS AN
ARBITRARY WAY.
WATCH THIS.
>> REMEMBER WHEN OBAMA WAS
SAYING, "WE WILL LEAVE, WE ARE
LEAVING IRAQ" AS OF A CERTAIN
DATE.
NOW THE OPPONENTS SAID WOW,
THAT’S GREAT.
WHAT DO WE HAVE TO FIGHT
ANYMORE FOR.
LET’S JUST WAIT A YEAR AND A
HALF.
THAT’S WHAT HAPPENED.
SO I WANT TO BE UNPREDICTABLE,
OKAY?
I WOULD NEVER HAVE GIVEN A
DATE.
>> Martha: IS THAT THE
MESSAGE TONIGHT TO IRAN?
>> WELL, CERTAINLY
UNPREDICTABLE.
NOBODY SAW THIS COMING THIS
MORNING.
YEAH.
THE MESSAGE TO IRAN IS YOU
OUT-LASTED US.
IMAGINE IF YOU’RE AN ISIS
RECRUITER NOW AND TRYING TO
CONVINCE PEOPLE THIS IS THE
COMING CALIPHATE.
YOU COULDN’T CONVINCE YOU
BECAUSE THE UNITED STATES
CRUSHED YOU.
NOW THE UNITED STATES IS
LEAVING AND YOU CAN SAY LOOK,
I TOLD YOU THIS IS THE COMING
CALIPHATE.
WE HAD TRIALS AND LOSSES BUT
THIS IS COMING BACK AGAIN.
THIS WILL BE A HUGE BOON FOR
THE RECRUITING ISIS IN THE
FUTURE.
I’M PLORE THE PRESIDENT TO --
I IMPLORE THE PRESIDENT TO
RECONSIDER THIS.
THERE IS NO SHAME TO
RECONSIDER THIS.
THERE IS DAMAGE DONE