NOT.
. WHAT MY HUSBAND HAS DONE ALEX: WE ARE GOING TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT QUESTION.
JEAN: U.S. DEPLOYED RADAR, INCREASED THE FREQUENCY OF U.S.
FIGHTER PATROLS, AND DEPLOYED A BRADLEY FIGHTING VEHICLES TO AUGMENT U.S. FORCES IN EASTERN SYRIA.
THAT MEANS MORE INVOLVEMENT IN THAT COUNTRY, IN ADDITION TO THOUSANDS OF TROOPS AND IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN.
SENATOR SHAHEEN, THE U.S. HAS HAD FIGHTING FORCES IN THESE THREE COUNTRIES IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS.
AT THIS POINT, ARGUE RESIGNED TO HAVE A PERMANENT PRESENCE THERE?
SEN. SHAHEEN: I DISAGREED WITH BOTH PRESIDENT OBAMA AND PRESIDENT TRUMP ON THEIR HANDLING OF SYRIA.
I THINK WE SHOULD NOT HAVE WITHDRAWN THE TROOPS FROM NORTHEAST SYRIA.
THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP DECIDED TO DO BECAUSE NOW HE HAS PUT THE TROOPS BACK INTO SYRIA.
AND WE WOULD HAVE BEEN BETT OFF.
. IT WOULD HAVE COST LESS MONEY FOR US TO MAINTAIN THOSE TROOPS WHO WERE THERE, WHO WERE PROVIDING SOME STABILITY IN NORTHEAST SYRIA.
AND ALSO PROVIDING SOME BALANCE TO WHAT RUSSIA W DOING, WHAT IRAN HAS BEEN DOING, AND WHAT ASSAD IS DOING IN SYRIA.
I THINK WHAT WE NEED T DO HIS WORK WITH THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNIT TO GO BACK AT BOTH IRAN AND RUSSIA FOR THE INFLUENCE THEY ARE DOING IN THE MIDDLE EAST.
AND WHAT OUR POLICY IS IS REALLY NOT CLEAR AT THIS POINT BECAUSE THE PRESIDENT HAS FLIP-FLOPPED ON WHAT WE ARE GOING TO BE DOING THEIR.
JEAN: MR. MESSNER, YOU HAVE BEEN CRITICAL OF THE NUMBER OF TROOPS IN THAT REGION.
CONSIDERING THE DIFFICULT NATUR OF THE WAR ON TERROR, WOULD WITHDRAWING AT THIS POINT BE A RETREAT AND DANGEROUS TO OUR NATIONAL SECURITY?
MR. MESSNER: FIRST OF ALL, I THINK PRESIDENT TRUMP OUGHT TO BE COMMENDED FOR BRINGING PEACE TO THE MIDDLE EAST.
I THINK SECONDLY, SENATOR SHAHEEN HAS BEEN IN THE SENATE FOR 12 YEARS DURING THIS WAR.
AND ONE PRESIDENT TRUMP REPOSITIONED THOSE SOLDIERS, ON THE SYRIAN BORDER WITH TURKEY, SHE MADE A COMMENT TO ANDREA MITCHELL THAT, WE CAN KEEP THEM THERE TO MINOR COSTS.
SENATOR SHAHEEN SAID THAT, LOSING ONLY A FULL -- ONLY A FEW SOLDIERS GETTING KILLED -- SEN. SHAHEEN: WHAT YOU ARE CRITICIZING ME FOR.
MR. MESSNER: I TAKE THAT PERSONALLY.
BECAUSE I HAVE TWO SONS THAT ARE SERVING.
ONE AT WEST POINT WHO JUST GRADUATED FROM WEST POINT.
AND WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF OUR FIGHTING SOLDIERS.
AND MOMS AND DADS OU THERE, YOU DON’T WANT A U.S. SENATOR WHO THINKS LOSING A FEW SOLDIERS IS OK TO KEEP PEOPLE SOMEWHERE.
ALEX: 30 SECONDS TO RESPOND.
SEN. SHAHEEN THAT IS ABSOLUTELY WRONG.
I WOULD NEVER SAY THAT LOSING SOLDIERS WAS OK.
FACT, WHEN IT BECAME CLEAR THAT RUSSIA WAS PUTTING DOWN TEAS ON AMERICAN TROOPS IN AFGHANISTAN, I SPOKE OUT.
I CALLED ON THE PRESIDENT TO SAY SOMETHING TO VLADIMIR PUTIN.
MY OPPONENT DID NOTHING ON THAT.
HE DIDN’T CALL OUT T PRESIDENT.
HE DIDN’T SAY, TALK TO VLADIMIR PUTIN.
THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE.
HE IS JUST WRONG.
I WOULD NEVER SAY THAT LOSING OUR TROOPS WAS ACCEPTABLE.
AND HE KNOWS IT.
ALEX: 15 SECONDS TO RESPOND.
MR. MESSNER: SENATOR SHAHEEN, IF YOU LOOK AT TH TAPE, AND YOU SEE THAT YOU HAVE SAI "WE HAVE ONLY LOST A FEW SOLDIERS" WILL YOU WITHDRAW FROM THE RACE?
SEN. SHAHEEN: WHAT I SA WAS THE COST OF KEEPING TROOPS THERE IN TER OF DOLLARS, IT WAS ABOUT $200 MILLION, WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS WORTH THE EXPENSE.
SEN. SHAHEEN: YOU -- MR. MESSNE YOU ARE LYING.
YOU SAID WE HAVE ONLY LOST A FEW SOLDIERS, THANK GOODNESS.
IF THAT IS WHAT THE TAPE SAID, WILL YOU WITHDRAW?
SEN. SHAHEEN: I’M NOT GOING TO -- ALEX: GO AHEAD.
SEN. SHAHEEN: YOU CAN.
OPPONENT IS JUST NOT ACCURATE.
AND THAT’S THE PROBLEM.
HE DOESN’T KNOW ME, HE DOESN’T KNOW MY RECORD, AND HE DOESN’T KNOW NEW HAMPSHIRE.
ALEX: IS DISENGAGING FROM SYRIA IN SOME WAY DISRESPECTFUL OR DISHONORING THE MEMORY OF JAMES FOLEY?
MR. MESSNER: NO.
I DON’T THINK SO.
I THINK WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD IN A WAY THAT PROTECTS OUR ALLIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST.
IS REALLY SO IMPORTANT.
THEY ARE OUR CLOSEST ALLY.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE SECURED.
JORDAN IS AN ALLY.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE SECURE.
IT IS TIME THAT WE STOP THESE ENDLESS WARS.
IT IS TI THAT WE FOCUS ON OUR FRIENDS WHO WILL HELP US.
IT IS TIME THAT WE BRING THE TROOPS HOME.
WE CAN’T GO ON LIKE THIS FOREVER AND EVER.
AND IT I TRAGIC WHAT HAPPENED TO JAMES FOLEY.
I MIGHT SAY THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP DEFEATED ISIS AND HE HAS HELD TERRORISTS ACCOUNTABLE.
HE KILLED SOLEIMANI.
HE KILLED AL-BAGHDADI.
AND THOSE WERE GOOD THINGS.
TO RID THE WORLD OF THOSE TERRORISTS.
ALEX WE KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO MR. FOLEY.
HOW DO YOU JUSTIFY THE CONTINUED PRESENCE OF AMERICAN TROOPS IN A REGION THAT DOES NOT SEEM TO WANT US THERE?
SEN. SHAHEEN: I THINK AND AFGHANISTAN, WE KNOW WHY WE ARE THERE.
WE ARE THERE BECAUSE WE WANT TO ENSURE TERRORISTS NO LONGER HAVE A FOOTHOLD THERE TO ATTACK THE UNIT STATES.
THAT IS ALSO THE REASON WE WENT INTO SYRIA AND IRAQ SO WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT TERRORISTS CAN’T ATTACK THE UNITED STATES.
WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT.
WE HAVE THOUSANDS OF ISIS DETAINEES AROUND THE WORLD.
WE NEED TO ENSURE THOSE ICS -- THOSE ISIS DETAINEES GO BACK TO THE COUNTRIES THEY CAME FROM.
BECAUSE THERE IS HOTBED ON THE BORDER BETWEEN IRAQ AND SYRIA.
I’M PROUD OF THE WORK I DID WITH THE FOLEY FOUNDATION AND THE FOLEY FAMILY TO BRING BACK TO THE UNITED STATES THE BEATLES, WHO ARE ACCUSED OF BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MURDER OF
JAMES FOLEY AND THREE OTHER AMERICAN I WORKED WITH THE NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR O’BRIEN AND WITH O MILITARY TO ENSURE THEY CAN COME BACK TO STAND TRIAL IN
CIVILIAN COURT SO WE CAN HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE AND SHOW THE REST OF THE TERRORISTS