SECOND MOST IMPORTANT FIGURE
IN IRAN.
AND THIS IS GENERAL
SOLEIMANI.
HE HAS BEEN TO THE MIDDLE
EAST PROBABLY MORE THAN ANY
OTHER ACTIVE OFFICIAL.
SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM JOINS
US NOW.
HE IS CHAIRMAN OF THE
JUDICIARY COMMITTEE.
MEMBER OF THE SENATE FOREIGN
RELATIONS COMMITTEE.
HE DOESN'T NEED NOTES TO
KNOW WHAT SOLEIMANI HAS DONE
TO AMERICANS IN THE PAST.
SIR, FIRST OFF, SENATOR, HOW
SIGNIFICANT IS THIS MOVE AND
WHAT HAS SOLEIMANI DONE IN
THE PAST TO AMERICANS THAT
YOU HAVE SEEN?
>> WELL, HE HAS KILLED, I
MEAN CONE SHAPED IEDs THAT
KILLED OVER 600 AMERICANS
CAME FROM IRAN.
HOW SIGNIFICANT IS THIS?
WE KILLED THE MOST POWERFUL
MAN IN IRAN SHORT OF THE
AYATOLLAH.
HE WAS THE RIGHT FIST OF THE
AYATOLLAH, AND WE TOOK THE
AYATOLLAH'S ARM OFF.
BUT HERE -- THIS IS NOT AN
ACT OF REVENGE FOR WHAT HE
HAS DONE IN THE PAST.
THIS WAS A PREEMPTIVE STRIKE
PLANNED TO TAKE OUT THE
ORGANIZE EARLY OF ATTACKS
YET TO COME.
THE INTELLIGENCE WAS VERY
STRONG THAT SOLEIMANI WAS
ORCHESTRATING CHAOS IN IRAQ
AT OUR EXPENSE AND
THROUGHOUT THE REGION.
THE PRESIDENT WAS INFORMED
OF THESE POTENTIAL ATTACKS.
AND HE ACTED.
THIS WAS A DEFENSIVE STRIKE
TO NEUTRALIZE FUTURE ATTACKS
THAT WERE BEING PLANNED AND
EXECUTED BY SOLEIMANI AND
THE POPULAR MOTION IN
LIMINIZATION FRONT THE
SHIITE MILITIAS IN IRAQ.
STEVE: SENATOR, IT WAS
PREEMPTIVE BECAUSE BAD
THINGS WERE COMING.
THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
BELIEVED.
THE WORRY NOW IS THE
RETALIATION BECAUSE THE
IRANIANS HAVE PLEDGED
CRUSHING RESPONSE.
YOU SAY NEXT STOP THEIR OIL
FIELDS.
>> WELL, WHAT I'M TRYING TO
DO IS CREATE DETERRENCE.
SO THIS WAS A PREEMPTIVE
ATTACK THAT LET EVERYBODY IN
THE WORLD KNOW FROM NORTH
KOREA JUST ANYBODY ELSE THAT
IF YOU COME AFTER AMERICANS,
ON PRESIDENT TRUMP'S WATCH
YOU DO AT YOUR PERIL.
ALL THE THINGS THAT
SOLEIMANI HAD DONE IN THE
PAST WERE REAL.
BUT HE IS NOT DEAD TODAY
BECAUSE OF WHAT HE DID IN
THE PAST.
HE IS DEAD TODAY BECAUSE HE
MISCALCULATED WHAT PRESIDENT
TRUMP WOULD DO REGARDING
FUTURE ATTACKS.
SO, WHAT ARE THEY THINKING
ABOUT TEHRAN RATE KNEW?
REVENGE.
WHAT ARE THEY THINKING ABOUT
INSIDE IRAQ?
ALL OF THESE SHIITE MILITIAS
ARE GOING TO HAVE THREE DAYS
OF MOURNING.
WHAT KIND OF DEMAND AND
CONTROL DO THEY HAVE
REGARDING TEHRAN DECISIONS
TO STRIKE AND WHAT KIND OF
STRIKES ARE THEY
CONTEMPLATING?
HOW WOULD YOU STOP
RETALIATION?
THROUGH DETERRENCE?
WHAT'S THE ONE THING THE
REGIME CAN'T AFFORD TO LOSE?
STEVE: OIL.
>> THE ABILITY TO REFINE
OIL.
WHAT PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS
DONE IS UPPED THE ANTE AS
HIGH AS YOU CAN UP IT.
HE HAS KILLED THE MOST KONST
SEQUENTIAL MILITARY LEADER
IN IRAN HE HAS KILLED THE
GUY SPREADING TERROR
THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.
WHEN YOU SAY THAT IRAN IS
THE LARGEST STATE SPONSOR OF
TERRORISM, THE QUESTION IS
WHO LEADS THAT EFFORT?
IT WAS SOLEIMANI.
THEY WILL NOT LET THIS GO
UNANSWERED.
STEVE: SENATOR, HAVE YOU
SPOKEN TO THE PRESIDENT?
IS THIS WHAT HE IS THINKING
OR IS THIS WHAT YOU ARE
THINKING?
>> THIS IS WHAT I AM
THINKING.
I WAS BRIEFED ABOUT THE
POTENTIAL OPERATION WHEN I
WAS DOWN IN FLORIDA.
I APPRECIATE BEING BROUGHT
INTO THE ORBIT.
I REALLY APPRECIATE
PRESIDENT TRUMP LETTING THE
WORLD KNOW YOU CANNOT KILL
AN AMERICAN WITHOUT
IMPUNITY.
WE WILL STAND UP FOR OUR
PEOPLE AND THAT IS AN AN
ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL
MESSAGE.
WHAT WILL CHANGE IRAN?
HOW WE RESPOND?
THEY ARE GOING TO COME AFTER
US WITH A VENGEANCE IF WE DO
NOT RE-SET THE TABLE PRETTY
QUICKLY.
IF I WERE THE PRESIDENT, I
WOULD PUT ON THE TABLE
TARGETS IN IRAN NOT IRAQ.
ECONOMIC TARGETS THAT CRUSH
THE ECONOMY.
>> THE MAXIMUM PRESSURE
CAMPAIGN HAS WORKED.
WHAT WOULD TAKE IT TO THE
NEXT LEVEL WOULD BE DESTROY
THE ABILITY OF THE IRANIANS
TO REFINE OIL AND SELL IT.
THE OIL REFINERIES ARE THE
LAST THING THEY HAVE IN
TERMS OF AN ECONOMY.
APES AINSLEY SENATOR
TONIGHT'S AIRSTRIKE RISK
PROVOKING FURTHEST CAN A
LABOR RELATION OF VIOLENCE
AMERICA AND THE WORLD CANNOT
AFFORD TO HAVE TENSIONS
ESCALATE TO THE POINT OF NO
RETURN.
ILHAN OMAR IS SAYING THAT
THIS WAS CONSPIRACY THEORY
THAT THE PRESIDENT JUST
WANTS DISTRACTION FROM THE
IMPEACHMENT TRIAL.
ADAM SCHIFF SAID THE WORLD
IS BETTER OFF WITHOUT
SOLEIMANI BUT CONGRESS
DIDN'T AUTHORIZE THE ATTACK.
WHAT'S YOUR RESPONSE?
DO YOU THINK CONGRESS SHOULD
HAVE MADE THE DECISION OR
THE PRESIDENT SHOULD HAVE
CONSULTED CONGRESS?
>> THE LAST GROUP OF PEOPLE
YOU WANT TO TALK TO ABOUT
THIS IS DEMOCRATS IN
CONGRESS, REPUBLICANS IN
CONGRESS.
OKAY?
AS TO OMAR, WHAT PRESIDENT PRESI
AS TO OMAR, WHAT PRESIDENT PRESE
AS TO OMAR, WHAT PRESIDENT PREST
TRUMP DID SAVE THOUSANDS OF
LIVES AND OUR ALLIES.
THE ATTACKS THEY WERE
PLANNING AGAINST AMERICAN
INTERESTS WERE REAL.
THE KILLING THE CONTRACTOR
IS FORESHADOWING OF WHAT WAS
TO COME.
TO ALL OF THOSE DEMOCRATS
WHO CRITICIZING THE
PRESIDENT I WAS AWARE OF
WHAT HIS OPTIONS WERE.
THEY WERE ABOUT TO UNLEASH
HOLY HELL ON OUR PEOPLE ON
IRAQ AND THROUGHOUT THE
REGION AND THE PRESIDENT
DIVISIVELY TOOK ACTION.
NOW, HOW DO YOU PREVENT THIS
FROM REALLY GOING BAD?
PUT ON THE TABLE QUICKLY IN
MY VIEW THE CONSEQUENCES OF
RETALIATION BY IRANIANS.
THEY HAVE GOT TO KNOW WHAT
COMES NEXT.
WE TOOK OUT THE NUMBER ONE
MILITARY MIND OF IRAN.
OKAY.
THE NEXT THING WE NEED TO
PUT ON THE TABLE IS THE
NUMBER ONE ECONOMIC ENGINE
OF IRAN IS THE OIL
REFINERIES.
THE PRESIDENT HAS TO
CONVINCE THE AYATOLLAH THAT
IF HE RETALIATES, OUR
RESPONSE WILL BE GREATER
THAN THE MARKET WILL BEAR.
BRIAN: SENATOR, THERE IS NO
DIEWNT ABOUT
DOEWNT ABOUT
DOUBNT ABOUT
DOUBTT ABOUT
DOUBT AABOUT
DOUBT ABOOUT
DOUBT ABOUTT
DOUBT ABOUT IT.
GEORGE BUSH AND BARACK OBAMA
HAD SHOTS AT HIM.
DID THEY MAKE A MISTAKE NOT
TAKING THOSE SHOTS?
>> WELL, SEE, THIS IS ALWAYS
COMPLICATED.
WHEN THE PRESIDENT BROUGHT
IT UP TO ME, MOBILIZATION
FRONT.
THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF
PEOPLE IN IRAQ BEING ARMED
BY IRANIANS.
THESE SHIITE MILITIAS ARE
THE ONES THAT ATTACKED OUR
EMBASSY.
I'M WORRIED ABOUT THE
STABILITY OF THE IRAQI
GOVERNMENT TODAY.
I HAVE NO IDEA HOW THEY ARE
GOING TO RESPOND.
SOLEIMANI WAS KIDDING IN
BAGHDAD ON IRAQI SOIL.
THE REASON ACTION TAKEN
ABOUT TO OPERATIONALs
FURTHER ACTION.
I HOPE THEY UNDERSTAND WE
ARE NOT GOING TO ALLOW OUR
SOLDIERS BE ATTACKED BY
OUTSIDE INTERESTS LIKE
SOLEIMANI AND PEOPLE ARE
GOING TO PAY A PRICE IF YOU
COME AFTER AN AMERICAN EVEN
IN IRAQ.
WE NEED THEM TO REJECT THE
SOLEIMANI MODEL AND EMBRACE
THE FACT THAT OUR TROOPS ARE
GOING TO BE PROTECTED.
THEY NEED TO HELP US PROTECT
OUR TROOPS.
I'M LOOKING TO THE IRAQIS TO
UP THEIR GAME WHEN IT COMES
TO HELPING US PROTECT
AMERICANS.
BRIAN: LAWMAKERS IN PLACE.
THEY WILL VOTE TO EXPEL US.
>> SOME.
OKAY.
SO THIS THE KURDS HAVE NO
LOVE FOR THE IRANIANS.
THE SUNNI IRAQIS HAVE NO
LOVE.
YOU HAVE GOT SHIITE IRAQIS.
SOME OF THEM SPENT TIME IN
IRAN DURING THE WAR.
THEY HATED SADDAM BUT THEY
ARE MOSTLY SHIITE
NATIONALISTS.
THEY ARE IRAQI NATIONALISTS.
THEY HAVE TIES TO THE
AYATOLLAH, BUT THERE IS AN
ELEMENT INSIDE OF IRAQ THAT
ARE COMPLETELY WEDDED TO THE
QUDS FORCE AND THOSE ARE THE
ONES I WORRY ABOUT.
BUT THE OVERWHELMING OPINION
OF IRAQS IS THEY DON'T WANT
IRAN TO RUN IRAQ.
BRIAN: I WOULD THINK NOT.
>> TIME TESTING OF THE IRAQI
POLITICAL SYSTEM AND THEIR
MILITARY SYSTEM.
THEY HAVE GOT TO CHOOSE
BETWEEN THE AYATOLLAH AND
US.
STEVE: IT'S QUITE A CHOICE.