THINGS COULDN'T GET MORE
COMPLICATED IN SYRIA, YEAH, IT
DID.
IT'S A TEXTBOOK EXAMPLE OF WHY
WE SHOULDN'T HAVE GONE THE
INVOLVED.
THE CIVIL WAR HAS BEEN RAGING
FOR 7 YEARS, DOZEN OF FACTIONS
INVOLVED.
U.S. MILITARY STEPPED IN TO TRY
TO QUASH TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS
LIKE ISIS.
BUT NOW TURKEY IS ATTACKING THE
KURDS.
SO WHAT DO WE DO, ABANDON THE
KURD?
WHAT ARE WE DOING THERE.
JOINING ME, LIEUTENANT COLONEL
RALPH PETERS.
>> IT'S ALWAYS GREAT TO SPEAK
WITH YOU, KENNEDY.
EVEN ON GRIM TOPICS.
KENNEDY: LET'S DISCUSS THIS A
LITTLE BIT.
WE ARE NOW IN A POSITION WHERE
WE CAN'T ATTACK TURKEY BECAUSE
THEY ARE A NATO ALLY.
AND WE CAN'T HELP THE KURDS
BECAUSE TURKEY IS ATTACKING
THEM.
BUT THE KURD HELPED US OUT SO
MUCH.
WHY DON'T WE JUST KICK TURKEY
OUT OF NATO?
>> THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION IT'S A
COMPLICATED PROCESS, BUT WE CAN
DO IT.
WE HAVE LONG BEEN ALIGNED WITH
TURKEY, BUT TURKEY HAS BECOME A
WORSE AND WORSE ALLY.
IT HAS GONE FROM FRENEMY TO
VIRTUAL ENEMY.
HE PUT TENS OF THOUSANDS OF
POLITICAL OPPONENTS IN JAIL.
CALIPHATE.
ON THE GROUND.
BUT WE HAVE NO CLEAR LONG-TERM
STRATEGIC GOAL IN THE AREA.
AND WE DON'T UNDERSTAND AFTER
DECADES OF FAILURE WE BELIEVE WE
CAN BE THE HONEST BROKER.
HONEST BROKERS DON'T EXIST IN
THE MIDWEST.
YOU PICK A SIDE AND STICK WITH
IT.
WE HAVE BEEN ALLIES WITH THE
KURD FOR 25 YEARS.
THERE ARE 40 TO 50 MILLION
KURDS.
NOBODY ALLOWS AN ACCURATE CENSUS
IN THE REGION.
WE HAD A CHANCE IN 2003 TO BREAK
UP IRAQ.
ALL THESE COUNTRIES IN THIS
REGION.
THE BORDERS WERE DRAWN BY GREEDY
EUROPEANS.
IF WE WANT AWAY FROM -- IF WE
WALK AWAY FROM THE KURDS.
AWAY.
YOU DON'T ABANDON YOUR ALLIES.
YOU DON'T DO IT ON PRACTICAL
TERMS.
IT GIVES YOU A BAD NAME.
BUT ALSO ETHICALLY.
IF SOMEONE HAS GIVEN BLOOD FOR
YOU, BESIDE YOU.
KENNEDY: THEY ARE THE ON ONES
WHO HAVE BEEN ALIGNED WITH US
OVER THERE.
IT'S CONFUSION AND SCARY.
YOU ARE RIGHT, WE DON'T HAVE A
CLEAR OBJECTIVE.
RUSSIA AND IRAN KNOW WHAT THEY
WANT OVER THERE.
I DON'T SEE HOW OF ANY THAT
LEADS TO THE CONCLUSION THAT WE
MIDDLE EAST ARE THE WARM AND
FUZZY GOALS THAT BARELY SQUEAK
KNOW WHAT YOU WANT.
YOU BETTER GO AFTER IT TO GET
IT.
AND YOU BETTER KNOW WHO ARE YOUR
FRIEND AND ALLIES.
RUSSIANS KNOW WHAT THEY WANT AND
THEY ARE GETTING IT.
BASHAR AL-ASSAD THE BUTCHER OF
SYRIA KNOWS WHAT HE WANTS AND
HE'S GETTING.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE WANT AND