WE’LL BESOLDIERS BETWEEN SYRIA A TURKEY FOR THE NEXT 200 YEARS.
THEY’VE BEEN FIGHTING FOR
HUNDREDS OF YEARS.
WE’RE OUT.
WE’RE OUT. BUT WE ARE LEAVING SOLDIERS TO
SECURE THE OIL.
AND WE MAY HAVE TO FIGHT FOR THE
OIL.
OIL. IT’S OKAY, MAYBE SOMEBODY ELSE
WANTS THE OIL, IN WHICH CASE
THEY HAVE A HELL OF A FIGHT BUT
THERE IS MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF OIL.
AGAIN, SOMEBODY ELSE MAY CLAIM
IT BUT EITHER WE’LL NEGOTIATE A
DEAL WITH WHOEVER IS CLAIMING IT
IF WE THINK IT IS FAIR OR WE
WILL MILITARILY THEM VERY
QUICKLY.
QUICKLY. WE HAVE TREMENDOUS POWER IN THAT
PART OF THE WORLD.
>> JOINING US NOW, LIVE FROM
IRBIL IRAQ, NBC NEWS AND
NATIONAL SECURITY AND MILITARY
CORRESPONDENT COURTNEY KUBE.
COURTNEY, IN HIS ANNOUNCEMENT,
PRESIDENT TRUMP ALSO TALKED A
LOT ABOUT THE REGION’S OIL AND
YOU HAVE SOME NEW REPORTING THIS
MORNING ON U.S. TROOP MOVEMENTS
IN THE AREA.
TELL US ABOUT IT.
>> Reporter: THAT’S RIGHT, MIKA,
SO WE KNOW NOW, PRESIDENT TRUMP
SAID VERY CLEARLY YESTERDAY,
THAT U.S. TROOPS WOULD HAVE THIS
NEW MISSION OF SECURING OIL IN
SYRIA AND TALKED ABOUT THE
IMPORTANCE OF THAT MISSION.
WE NOW HAVE SEEN THE FIRST OF
THOSE DEPLOYMENTS MOVE HERE FROM
HERE IN IRBIL IN SYRIA DRIVING
TOWARD THE REGION WHERE MANY OF
THE TROOPS WILL BE BASED.
WE DON’T HAVE A SENSE OF EXACTLY
HOW MANY THERE WILL BE.
WE KNOW THERE WILL BE SOME LIGHT
ARMORED VEHICLES.
ARMORED VEHICLES. THEY MOVED IN ON LIGHTLY ARMED
VEHICLES THAT WE’VE SEEN
THROUGHOUT IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN
IN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
THEY ALSO WILL HAVE TANKS,
THOUGH.
THOUGH. SO THAT INDICATES THAT NOT ONLY
ARE THE U.S. MILITARY TROOPS WHO
ARE GOING IN THERE, ARE THEY
WORRIED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR
SOME KIND OF A CLASH WITH ISIS,
BUT THEY’RE WORRIED ABOUT THE
POTENTIAL FOR ACTUALLY
CONFRONTATIONS WITH MORE HEAVILY
ARMED ADVERSARIES.
ARMED ADVERSARIES. IN THIS CASE, IT WOULD LIKELY BE
RUSSIA OR THE SYRIAN REGIME.
BOTH OF THEM BORDER THIS AREA,
RIGHT ALONG THE EUPHRATES RIVER
VALLEY.
VALLEY. SO IT PROVES IN FACT THE U.S.
MILITARY IS AT LEAST CONCERNED
ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF THIS
NEW DEPLOYMENT THEY COULD HAVE
SOME KIND OF A CONFRONTATION.
WE ALSO KNOW THAT THIS NEW
MISSION WILL HAVE A SMALLER
FOOTPRINT THAN WHAT WE’VE SEEN
WITH THE U.S. TROOPS THERE, FOR
THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS.
WITH THIS SMALLER FOOTPRINT OF
COURSE, LEADS TO THE POSSIBILITY
THAT THERE WILL BE LESS
OPPORTUNITIES TO GATHER
INTELLIGENCE ON THE GROUND.
THERE WILL BE LESS WORKING WITH
PARTNERS THERE ON THE GROUND.
SO THE RAID THAT WE SAW OVER THE
WEEKEND, THAT KILLED ABU BAKR
AL-BAGHDADI, THE ISIS LEADER,
THINGS LIKE THAT WILL NOT ONLY
BE LESS LIKELY BUT MUCH RISKIER
WITH U.S. TROOPS GOING FORWARD
WITHOUT THIS PRESENCE IN THE
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. >> IF I COULD JUST ASK, HAVING
VISITED THAT AREA ON VARIOUS
TRIP, I’M CURIOUS IF WE’RE GOING
TO BE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE
SYRIAN KURDS WHO ARE OUR ALLIES
THERE TO HELP THEM PROTECT THE
OIL AND HAVE THAT AS A
BARGAINING CHIP, OR WHETHER
WE’RE NOW IN THE BARGAINING CHIP
BUSINESS OURSELVES.
BUSINESS OURSELVES. DO YOU HAVE ANY SENSE OF THAT?
>> Reporter: SO THE U.S.
MILITARY INSISTS THAT THE U.S.
WILL BE PARTNERING WITH AND
WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE SYRIAN
DEMOCRATIC FORCES IN THE SECURE
THE OIL MISSION, THIS IS REALLY
THEY’RE TEMPT TO SALVAGE WHAT
HAS BEEN TWO WEEKS NOW OF
HEADLINES ABOUT HOW THE U.S. IS
ABANDONING THE KURDS.
THEY REALLY WANT TO REINFORCE
THEY WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH
THE SDF.
THE SDF. ONE THING I WAS STRUCK BY AND
DAVID, YOU KNOW THIS AS WELL IN
YOUR COVERAGE OF THIS REGION AND
PARTICULARLY SYRIA, I WAS STRUCK
BY THE FACT THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP
SO HOPELY SAID THAT THE U.S.
MILITARY MAY HAVE TO FIGHT FOR
THE OIL.
THE OIL. THAT IS A STEEP DEPARTURE FROM
WHAT WE HAVE HEARD ABOUT U.S.
MILITARY MISSIONS IN THIS REGION
FOR TWO, NEARLY TWO DECADES NOW.
THE U.S. HAS ALWAYS MAINTAINED
THAT THE WAR, THAT THE PRESENCE
HERE, THE CONFLICTS, ARE NOT
ABOUT OIL, AND THE PEOPLE WHO
HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN CLAIMING THAT
FOR YEARS HAVE GENERALLY BEEN
THE ADVERSARIES.
THE ADVERSARIES. AL QAEDA AND WHAT NOT.
WHO CLAIM THAT THE U.S. IS JUST
COMING IN HERE BECAUSE THEY WANT
TO TAKE THE REGION’S OIL.
>> AND YES, OF COURSE, DONALD
TRUMP, ONCE AGAIN, RECONFIRMING
ALL OF OUR ENEMY’S WORST
SUSPICIONS ABOUT THE UNITED
STATES.
STATES. COURTNEY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
WE APPRECIATE IT.
>>> SO RICHARD, HERE WE HAVE
DONALD TRUMP’S OBSESSION WITH
THE OIL AND YOU KNOW, WE COME ON
OUR SHOW AND SAY I’M GOING TO GO
INTO THIS COUNTRY, OR THAT
COUNTRY, AND WE’RE GOING TO KEEP
THE OIL, AND OF COURSE,
EVERYTHING HE WAS SAYING WAS IN
VIOLATION OF THE GENEVA ACCORDS,
BUT OF COURSE, DONALD TRUMP
DOESN’T CARE ABOUT THAT, BUT
HERE YOU HAVE DONALD TRUMP’S
OBSESSION WITH PROTECTING OIL,
INSTEAD OF PROTECTING OUR
KURDISH ALLIES, HIS OBSESSION IN
DEFENDING OIL FIELDS, INSTEAD OF
DEFENDING ISRAEL, FROM THE
SPREAD OF IRAN, AND RUSSIA, AND
OTHER ENEMIES OF ISRAEL.
IT CERTAINLY SEEMS BACKWARD AT
BEST.
BEST. >> YOU’RE RIGHT.
BOTH IN THE GULF WAR AND THE
IRAQ WAR, ONLY PEOPLE ON THE
LEFT IN THIS COUNTRY, OR PEOPLE
IN THE REGION WHO HAD NO
INTEREST IN US MADE THE CLAIM
THAT IT WAS ABOUT OIL AND
COMMERCIAL ACCESS.
COMMERCIAL ACCESS. SO IT’S QUITE STUNNING.
IT NEVER WAS.
THE ONLY WAY I CAN EXPLAIN IT,
JOE, IS THIS PRESIDENT, UNLIKE
ALL OF HIS PREDECESSORS SEES
U.S. FOREIGN POLICY NOT ABOUT
STRATEGIC INTERESTS, NOT ABOUT
PRINCIPLE HELPING PEOPLE AND
PROMOTING DEMOCRACY, HE SEES IT
THROUGH A VERY NARROW LENS, WHAT
HE THINKS IS GOOD FOR THE
AMERICAN ECONOMY.
AMERICAN ECONOMY. AND IF YOU THINK ABOUT HIS TRADE
POLICY, AND OTHER THINGS, THAT’S
THE COMMON THREAD.
SO THIS IS NOT A STRATEGIC
APPROACH FIGHTING TERRORISM,
FIGHTING PROLIFERATION, HELPING
ALLIES, AND SO FORTH.
RATHER, IT’S A VERY NARROW LENS,
OR PRISM, THROUGH WHICH TO VIEW
OUR INTERESTS IN THE REGION.
AND THE WORLD.
AND AS YOU SAY, IT GIVES
AMMUNITION TO OUR ENEMIES
BECAUSE THEY SAY, YOU KNOW, OUR
INTERESTS ARE NOT SOMETHING
LARGER, WE’RE ONLY AFTER TAKING
THINGS THAT ARE NOT OURS.
SO IT MAKES NO SENSE
STRATEGICALLY.
STRATEGICALLY. AND LIKE A LOT OF OTHER THINGS
WE’VE SEEN IN THE LAST 24 HOURS,
IT IS PROBABLY
COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE.
COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE. >> WELL, AND TALK ABOUT
JONATHAN, THE CONTRADICTION,
WHEN THE PRESIDENT IS TALKING
ABOUT RIPPING OUR FORCES OUT OF
SYRIA, 2000 OR SO FORCES IN
SYRIA, HOLDING BACK THE RUSSIAN,
HOLDING BACK THE TURKS, THE
SYRIANS, THE IRANIANS, ISIS,
DOING AN EXTRAORDINARY JOB A
SMALL FOOTPRINT BUT WITH MASSIVE
POSITIVE RAMIFICATIONS FOR U.S.
FOREIGN POLICY.
FOREIGN POLICY. BUT DONALD TRUMP SAYING NO, I
WANT TO END ENDLESS WARS AND
BRINGING THE TROOPS HOME.
THESE KIDS NEED TO BE HOME.
AND THAT WAS THE ARGUMENT THAT
REPUBLICANS SAID, WELL, TRUMP
SAID, AND HERE WE SEE A COUPLE
OF WEEKS LATER, DONALD TRUMP, IS
GOING TO KEEP TROOPS THERE.
NOT BRING THEM HOME.
TO, ONE, DEFEND OIL.
AND TWO, INSTEAD OF OUR ALLIES,
DEFEND OIL AND NOT OUR ALLIES,
AND TWO, TO GO TO SAUDI ARABIA,
WHERE THEY ARE GOING TO BE IN
EFFECT PAID PERSMERCENARIES WHIC
REALLY EXPANDS UPON WHAT RICHARD
HAAS JUST SAID, AGAIN, AS WE
ALWAYS SAY, IF YOU WANT TO
UNDERSTAND DONALD TRUMP’S
FOREIGN POLICY, YOU NEED TO LOOK
AT HIS BOTTOM LINE.
HIS OWN PERSONAL BOTTOM LINE.
NOT EVEN THE BOTTOM LINE OF THE
UNITED STATES.
UNITED STATES. HE BRAGS ABOUT THE HUNDREDS OF
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT THE
SAUDIS HAVE GIVEN HIM.
AND HERE YOU HAVE DONALD TRUMP
DOING WHAT?
DOING WHAT? TAKING TROOPS OUT OF SYRIA, AND
REPLACING THEM AND PUTTING THEM
DOWN INTO SAUDI ARABIA.
THE KIDS AREN’T COMING HOME.
THEY’RE PROTECTING OIL IN SYRIA,
AND THEY’RE PROTECTING THE
SAUDIS’ OIL.
SAUDIS’ OIL. >> THAT’S RIGHT.
AND BECAUSE THE SAUDIS WILL PAY
FOR IT.
FOR IT. AND THESE OTHER AMERICAN TROOPS,
THEY AREN’T COMING HOME, THEY
HAVE BEEN SHIFTED AND EITHER
STAYING IN SYRIA TO PROTECT THE
OIL FIELDS AND SOME HAVE GONE,
MOVED TO IRAQ BUT THEY’RE NOT
COMING HOME DESPITE THE
PRESIDENT’S PROMISES, DESPITE
HIM CLAIMING THAT HE IS KEEPING
ONE OF HIS CAMPAIGN PLEDGES.
THAT’S NOT WHAT IS GOING ON
HERE.
HERE. THE PRESIDENT AND THE WHITE
HOUSE WILL TRY TO USE THE
SUCCESS YESTERDAY TO SELL THEIR
SYRIA POLICY.
SYRIA POLICY. TO SELL THE MOVEMENT, THE
WITHDRAWAL OF THE TROOPS FROM
MOST OF SYRIA, AND TRY TO GET
SUPPORT FROM REPUBLICAN SENATORS
WHO REALLY ARE OPPOSED TO.
>> IT THE SAME REPUBLICAN
SENATORS MIND YOU WHO WOULD HOLD
THE PRESIDENT’S FATE IN THEIR
HANDS, WILL THEY GET TO AN
IMPEACHMENT TRIAL SOMETIME NEXT
YEAR BUT I THINK THAT IS A HARD
ARGUMENT TO MAKE AND I WOULD
SIMPLY SAY "THE NEW YORK TIMES"
SUB-HEAD ON THE MAIN STORY
TODAY, IS SIMPLY THIS.
PRESIDENT KNEW OF HUNT.
HIS SYRIA WITHDRAWAL MADE IT
HARDER.
HARDER. AND I THINK THAT THAT IS WHERE
WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
IS THAT THERE IS STILL, THIS IS
CERTAINLY A VICTORY HERE, IN THE
SHORT TERM, BUT THEY’RE GOING TO
BE LONG-TERM RAMIFICATIONS AND
IT DOES NOT, I THINK, WILL NOT
SILENCE THE QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT
THE PRESIDENT’S FOREIGN POLICY
IS IN THE MIDDLE EAST.
>>> COMING UP, PRESIDENT TRUMP’S
FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF JOHN KELLY
SAYS BEFORE LEAVING THE
ADMINISTRATION, HE WARNED THE
PRESIDENT ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY
OF IMPEACHMENT.
OF IMPEACHMENT. BUT TRUMP IS HITTING BACK,
SAYING IT DIDN’T HAPPEN.
THAT BACK AND FORTH AND WHERE