>> Chris: DAVID SPUNT
REPORTING FROM DELAWARE.
DAVID, THANK YOU.
AND JOINING US NOW, THE
PRESIDENT’S NATIONAL SECURITY
ADVISOR JAKE SULLIVAN.
JAKE, WELCOME BACK TO
"FOX NEWS SUNDAY."
>> Jake: THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> Chris: JAKE, AS DAVID JUST
REPORTED, ON FRIDAY MORNING, THE
PRESIDENT INDICATED THAT HE WAS
GOING TO STICK WITH THE REFUGEE
CAP SET BY PRESIDENT TRUMP LAST
YEAR.
NOT THE 62,500 REFUGEES THE
ADMINISTRATION PROMISED IN
FEBRUARY TO ALLOW INTO THE U.S.,
BUT INSTEAD JUST 15,000 REFUGEES
THIS YEAR.
THEN, UNDER A STORM OF
CRITICISM, THE PRESIDENT BACKED
DOWN WITHIN HOURS FRIDAY
AFTERNOON AND SAID HE WILL SET A
HIGHER CAP IN MAY.
JAKE, WHAT HAPPENED?
>> Jake: WELL, FIRST OF ALL,
WE FACED TWO PROBLEMS WHEN WE
CAME IN.
THERE WAS THE PROBLEM OF THE
CAP, 15,000 AND THERE WAS A
PROBLEM OF THE ALLOCATION, WHICH
WAS THAT THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION HAD SAID ZERO
PEOPLE CAN COME FROM AFRICA,
EFFECTIVELY ZERO PEOPLE COULD
COME FROM THE MIDDLE EAST AND SO
THE PRESIDENT WANTED TO GO WITH
THIS INTO STEPS.
THE FIRST STEP WAS TO CHANGE THE
ALLOCATION SO THAT PEOPLE IN
AFRICA COULD LITERALLY GET ON
PLANES THIS WEEK AND THE SECOND
WOULD BE TO RAISE THE CAP AS WE
WERE FIXING THE SYSTEM AND ITS
PROCESSING.
HE TOOK THE FIRST STEP THIS PAST
WEEK, HE WILL TAKE THE SECOND
STEP IN THE WEEKS AHEAD AND I
THINK THERE WAS SOME
MISUNDERSTANDING ON FRIDAY ABOUT
THE IMPORT OF HIS DECISION
FRIDAY MORNING, WHICH WAS
FOCUSED ON THE ALLOCATION, NOT
ON THE CAP.
>> Chris: BUT IN FACT IN THE
PRESIDENTIAL DETERMINATION OF
THE PRESIDENT SIGNED THAT WAS
ISSUED ON FRIDAY, IT TALKED
ABOUT 15,000.
IT DID TALK ABOUT MAYBE GOING
HIGHER LATER BUT IT SET THE CAP
AT 15,000 AT THIS POINT.
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE POINTED
OUT, INCLUDING SOME DEMOCRAT
ACCENTED IS LIKE
RICHARD BLUMENTHAL HANDLING
REFUGEES IN HANDLING THE FLOW OF
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION AT THE
BORDER ARE TWO SEPARATE PATHS
DONE BY TWO SEPARATE PROGRAMS
AND THEY SUGGEST THE REAL
PROBLEM HERE, THE REAL REASON
YOU WERE STICKING WITH THE TRUMP
CAP UNTIL YOU GOT BLOWBACK WAS
BECAUSE YOU GOT A CRISIS AT THE
BORDER AND SUDDENLY YOU DIDN’T
WANT THAT MANY IMMIGRANTS COMING
ACROSS THE BORDER INTO THE
COUNTRY.
>> Jake: WELL, FIRST OF ALL,
THE OFFICE OF REFUGEE
RESETTLEMENT IS THE SAME OFFICE
THAT HANDLES BOTH UNACCOMPANIED
CHILDREN AT THE BORDER AND
REFUGEES COMING IN FROM AROUND
THE WORLD.
SO AS IT TURNS OUT,
PRESIDENT BIDEN AND HIS TEAM HAD
TO DIG INTO WHETHER WE COULD
ALLOCATE THE RESOURCES
EFFECTIVELY TO BE ABLE TO GET
FOLKS INTO THE REFUGEE PIPELINE
AND INTO THE UNITED STATES.
HE IS ABSOLUTELY COMMITTED TO
MAKING SURE THAT NOT ONLY IS
AMERICA WELCOMING TO REFUGEES,
NOT ONLY DO WE GET PEOPLE ON
PLANES IMMEDIATELY BY CHANGING
THOSE ALLOCATIONS, WHICH WERE
ROOTED IN XENOPHOBIA AND EVEN
RACISM, BUT ALSO THAT WE RAISE
THE CAP.
HE IS COMMITTED TO THAT AND HE
WILL FOLLOW THROUGH ON THAT.
>> Chris: NEW SUBJECT, THERE’S
BEEN A LOT OF PUSHBACK TO THE
PRESIDENT’S DECISION TO PULL ALL
U.S. TROOPS OUT OF AFGHANISTAN
BY 9/11.
SENATE REPUBLICAN LEADER
MITCH McCONNELL SAYS THAT WE
ARE OPENING THE DOOR FOR THE
TALIBAN TO COME BACK AND RAISING
THE POSSIBILITY SO WILL TERROR
GROUPS LIKE ISIS AND QAEDA.
TAKE A LOOK AT
SENATOR McCONNELL.
>> APPARENTLY WE ARE TO HELP OUR
ADVERSARIES RING IN THE
ANNIVERSARY OF THE 9/11 ATTACKS
BY GIFT-WRAPPING THE COUNTRY AND
HANDING IT RIGHT BACK TO THEM.
>> Chris: WHY DID THE
PRESIDENT OVERRULE THE PENTAGON,
AND HOW CAN HE BE SO CERTAIN,
GIVEN THE FACT THAT THE PENTAGON
ISN’T AND THE CIA ISN’T THAT
AL QAEDA AND ISIS WON’T
RECONSTITUTE IN A NEW
AFGHANISTAN, AND ALSO, WHAT
HAPPENS TO THE MILLIONS OF YOUNG
AFGHAN WOMEN WHO HAVE BEEN
ALLOWED TO GO TO SCHOOL AND TO
LEAD FULL LIVES?
WHAT HAPPENS TO THEM IF THE
TALIBAN TAKES OVER?
>> Jake: WELL, CHRIS, THAT’S A
NUMBER OF QUESTIONS.
LET ME TRY TO TAKE EACH OF THEM
IN TURN.
WITH RESPECT TO THE TERRORIST
THREAT FROM AFGHANISTAN,
PRESIDENT BIDEN IS NOT GOING TO
TAKE HIS EYE OFF THE BALL.
HE SAID IN HIS SPEECH THAT WE
WOULD MAINTAIN CAPABILITIES IN
THE REGION TO BE ABLE TO DEAL
WITH ANY THREAT RECONSTITUTES
AND OUR INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY
MADE CLEAR THIS WEEK IN PUBLIC
TESTIMONY THAT WE WILL HAVE
MONTHS OF WARNING BEFORE
AL QAEDA OR ISIS COULD HAVE AN
EXTERNAL PLOTTING CAPABILITY
FROM AFGHANISTAN, SO WE ARE
KNOCKING TO TAKE OUR EYE OFF OF
ALL, BUT THEN SECOND, AND THIS
IS REALLY CRITICAL, THE
TERRORIST THREAT HAS CHANGED
DRAMATICALLY SINCE WE WENT TO
WAR IN AFGHANISTAN 20 YEARS AGO.
AL QAEDA IS IN YEMEN AND SYRIA
AND SOMALIA.
ISIS IS A CROSS THAT BORDER
REGION IN IRAQ AND SYRIA AND IN
MULTIPLE COUNTRIES IN AFRICA, SO
TO REALLY PROTECT THIS COUNTRY
FROM THE TERRORIST THREAT, WE
NEED TO ALLOCATE OUR RESOURCES
AND CAPABILITIES ACROSS A RANGE
OF COUNTRIES AND CONTINENTS, NOT
JUST FOCUS THEM ON AFGHANISTAN.
AND FINALLY, ON THE QUESTION OF
WOMEN AND GIRLS,
PRESIDENT BIDEN -- SORRY, I CAN
STOP THERE IF YOU’D LIKE.
>> Chris: WELCOME A REAL
QUICKLY IF YOU CAN GIVE ME AN
ANSWER TO THAT, IT’S AN
IMPORTANT ISSUE.
>> Jake: SO ON THE ISSUE OF
WOMEN AND GIRLS, PRESIDENT BIDEN
SAID IN HIS SPEECH THAT THE
UNITED STATES WOULD CONTINUE TO
PROVIDE CIVILIAN AND
HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TO HELP
PROTECT THEIR RIGHTS, BUT MORE
THAN THAT, THAT THE
UNITED STATES WOULD CONTINUE TO
FINANCE THE AFGHAN NATIONAL
DEFENSE AND SECURITY FORCES.
WE HAVE TRAINED AND EQUIPPED
300,000 AFGHAN FORCES TO DEFEND
THEIR COUNTRY AND THEIR PEOPLE.
AND SEVEN YEARS AGO NATO SAID
THAT AT THE END OF THE YEAR, AT
THE END OF 2014, WE WOULD
TRANSITION FULL RESPONSIBILITY
FOR THEM.
PRESIDENT BIDEN DETERMINES THAT
IT IS FINALLY TIME TO DO SO.
>> Chris: BUT JOE BIDEN WAS
JUST AS CONFIDENT BACK IN 2011
ABOUT PULLING ALL U.S. FORCES
OUT OF IRAQ.
THERE HE WAS THEN.
>> President Biden: THERE WERE
SKEPTICS.
SKEPTICS WHO SAID "DON’T MOVE
TOO FAST, WHAT IF THE IRAQIS
AREN’T READY TO TAKE ON THIS
RESPONSIBILITY"?
THE IRAQ SECURITY FORCES PROVED
TO BE MORE THAN READY.
>> Chris: JAKE, YOU KNOW WHAT
HAPPENED AS WELL AS I DO, ISIS
GREW, ENDED UP SEIZING 40% OF
THE TERRITORY IN IRAQ IN THE
U.S. ENDED UP HAVING TO SEND
BACK 5,000 TROOPS BECAUSE THEY
LEFT TOO EARLY.
CAN YOU GUARANTEE THAT WON’T
HAPPEN IN AFGHANISTAN?
>> Jake: I CAN TELL YOU THAT
PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS NO INTENTION
OF SENDING FORCES BACK TO
AFGHANISTAN BUT AT THE SAME
TIME, HE HAS NO INTENTION OF
TAKING OUR EYE OFF THE BALL.
WE HAVE THE CAPACITY FROM
REPOSITIONING OUR CAPABILITIES
OVER THE HORIZON TO CONTINUE TO
SUPPRESS THE TERRORIST THREAT IN
AFGHANISTAN.
I CAN’T MAKE ANY GUARANTEES
ABOUT WHAT WILL HAPPEN INSIDE
THE COUNTRY.
NO ONE CAN.
ALL THE UNITED STATES COULD DO
IS PROVIDE THE AFGHAN SECURITY
FORCES, THE AFGHAN GOVERNMENT
AND THE AFGHAN PEOPLE RESOURCES
AND CAPABILITIES, TRAINING AND
EQUIPPING THEIR FORCES,
PROVIDING ASSISTANCE TO THEIR
GOVERNMENT.
WE HAVE DONE THAT AND NOW IT IS
TIME FOR AMERICAN TROOPS TO COME
HOME AND THE AFGHAN PEOPLE TO
STEP UP TO DEFEND THEIR OWN
COUNTRY.
>> Chris: JAKE, YOU SAY THAT
WE -- THAT THE PRESIDENT WANTS
TO FOCUS ON THE THREATS OF 2021,
NOT THE THREATS OF 2020.
I WANT TO TALK TO ABOUT ONE OF
THOSE, AND THAT’S IRAN.
THEY SAY THAT THEY ARE MAKING
PROGRESS IN TALKS INDIRECT WITH
THE U.S. ON RESUMING THE IRAN
NUCLEAR DEAL.
FIRST OF ALL, IS THAT TRUE, AND
SECONDLY, AS PART OF A DEAL WITH
IRAN, WOULD WE BE WILLING TO
ENGAGE IN A STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS
WHERE WE LIFT SANCTIONS AS THEY
MOVE BACK IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE
AGREEMENT, OR DO THEY HAVE TO
RESEND ALL THEIR VIOLATIONS,
INCLUDING NOW 60% IN RICHMOND
BEFORE WE LIFT ANY SANCTIONS?
>> Jake: SO FIRST, THE TALKS
IN VIENNA HAVE BEEN CONSTRUCTIVE
IN THE SENSE THAT THERE IS REAL
EFFORT UNDERWAY THERE WITH THE
PERMANENT FIVE MEMBERS OF THE
SECURITY COUNCIL, PLUS GERMANY
ON THE ONE HAND, AND IRAN AND
THE OTHER HAND, TO GET ON THE
TABLE ALL OF THE ISSUES RELATED
TO BOTH SANCTIONS AND NUCLEAR
ISSUES SO THAT WE COULD END UP
BACK IN THE DEAL ON A COMPLIANCE
OR COMPLIANCE BASIS.
I’M NOT GOING TO NEGOTIATE ON
TELEVISION ON THE QUESTION OF
HOW THAT COMPLIANCE FOR
COMPLIANCE ISSUE PLAYS OUT.
WHAT I WILL SAY IS THAT THE
UNITED STATES IS NOT GOING TO
LIFT SANCTIONS UNLESS WE HAVE
CLARITY AND CONFIDENCE THAT IRAN
WILL FULLY RETURN TO COMPLIANCE
WITH ITS OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE
DEAL, THAT IT WILL PUT A LID ON
ITS NUCLEAR PROGRAM, THAT IT WIL
EXPAND ITS BREAK UP TIME, IT
WILL REDUCE THE LEVEL OF
ENRICHMENT AND THE SCOPE OF
ENRICHMENT IN ITS COUNTRY AND
UNTIL WE HAVE CONFIDENCE IN ALL
OF THOSE THINGS, THE
UNITED STATES IS NOT GOING TO
MAKE ANY CONCESSIONS AT ALL.
>> Chris: FINALLY, AND I’VE
GOT A MINUTE LEFT FOR THIS, WHAT
DID WE LEARN THIS WEEK ABOUT
JOE BIDEN’S FOREIGN POLICY?
IS THERE A BITING DOCTRINE?
>> Jake: WELL, I WOULD LIKE LET
PRESIDENT SPEAK TO THAT RATHER
THAN TRY TO CHARACTERIZE IT FOR
HIM BUT I WILL SAY THIS, CHRIS:
PRESIDENT BIDEN BELIEVES THAT
THE UNITED STATES SHOULD BE
APPROACHING THE CHALLENGES OF
THE SECOND QUARTER OF THE
21ST CENTURY FROM A POSITION OF
STRENGTH.
THAT MEANS INVESTING HERE AT
HOME SO WE HAVE A STRONG
FOUNDATION.
IT MEANS PUTTING EMPHASIS ON OUR
ALLIES, LIKE JAPAN, WHOSE
PRIME MINISTER VISITED ON
FRIDAY.
IT MEANS REJOINING INTERNATIONAL
INSTITUTIONS LIKE THE
PARIS CLIMATE AGREEMENT SO THAT
THE UNITED STATES IS WRITING
ROLES AND NOT LEAVING THEM TO BE
WRITTEN BY CHINA.
AND FINALLY, IT DOES MEAN ENDING
THE FOREVER WAR IN AFGHANISTAN
SO THAT WE ARE SET UP TO FIGHT
THE BATTLES OF THE NEXT 20 YEARS
AND NOT JUST THE LAST 20 YEARS.
AND ACROSS ALL OF THESE
DIMENSIONS, PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS
PUT VALUES FRONT AND CENTER IN
HIS FOREIGN POLICY.
HE BELIEVES THIS IS THE MOMENT
WHAT DEMOCRACIES NEED TO PROVE
THEY CAN DELIVER FOR THEIR
CITIZENS, THAT OURS IS THE
SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT THAT WILL
ULTIMATELY WIN OUT IN THE LONG
RUN, NOT AUTOCRACY.