>>> WELCOME BACK TO "MORNING JOE."
JOE." HERE WITH US NOW, THE FORMER
BRITISH PRIME MINISTER TONY
BLAIR.
BLAIR. GREAT TO HAVE YOU ON BOARD.
A LOT TO GET TO THIS HOUR.
WE WANT TO BRING YOU UP TO DATE
ON THE DEVELOPMENTS OVERNIGHT
AND THEN JUMP WITH OUR
DISCUSSION WITH YOU.
JUST HOURS AGO THE U.S. AND FIVE
ARAB ALLIES LAUNCHED THEIR FIRST
AIRSTRIKES AGAINST MILITANTS IN
SYRIA.
SYRIA. THIS VIDEO WHERE A LARGE
EXPLOSIONS CAN BE SEEN FROM A
DISTANCE APPEARS TO SHOW THE
AFTERMATH OF ONE OF THE FIRST
AIRSTRIKES.
AIRSTRIKES. AT LEAST 50 AIRSTRIKES HAVE HIT
TARGETS SO FAR.
MANY ON ISIS'S SELF-DECLARED
CAPITAL.
CAPITAL. AT LEAST 20 MEMBERS OF ISIS WERE
KILLED.
KILLED. NBC NEWS LEARNED THE FOCUS OF
THE OPERATION INCLUDES ISIS
HEADQUARTERS, COMMAND CENTERS,
TRAINING SITES AND WEAPONS
FACILITIES.
FACILITIES. ISIS IS VOWING TO RETALIATE AND
BLAMING SAUDI ARABIA FOR ALLOW
ING THE ATTACKS TO OCCUR.
WE CAN GO ON TO REPORT THAT
RICHARD ENGEL, WHO HAS BEEN
COVERING THIS FROM THE GET GO IS
REFERRING TO THE CRITICISM THAT
PRESIDENT OBAMA GAVE ISIS TIME
TO PREPARE BY ANNOUNCING HIS
STRATEGY.
STRATEGY. IN ONE TWEET HAD WROTE, TOLD
ISIS HAD TIME TO MOVE INTO
CIVILIAN AREAS.
CIVILIAN AREAS. HIDE WEAPONS.
HIDE WEAPONS. NOW THEY'RE ON THE MOVE.
EXPECT FOLLOWUP FROM ALL SIDES.
>> THERE WERE SEVERAL OTHERS.
THERE'S ONLY ONE
COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF WHO HAS ALL
THE INFORMATION.
THE INFORMATION. IT'S EASY TO CRITICIZE FOR WHAT
HE DID OR DIDN'T DO.
YOU KNOW BETTER THAN ANYBODY
WHICHEVER WAY IT BREAKS, THE
OTHER SIDE IS GOING TO BE
CRITICAL.
CRITICAL. WHAT'S THE GREAT CHALLENGE HERE?
THEN EVEN 2003 SEEMS QUAINT.
WE'RE JUST GOING AFTER A GUY
THAT'S RUNNING A COUNTRY.
RIGHT NOW IT JUST SEEMS LIKE
WE'RE FIRING MISSILES INTO THE
DESERT.
DESERT. WE DON'T KNOW WHERE WE'RE GOING.
>> I THINK THE PRESIDENT IS
RIGHT TO ASYSTEMABLE THE BROADER
COALITION.
COALITION. YOU HAVE TO DO THAT.
IT IS A LITTLE LIKE THE COLD WAR
IN THE SENSE THAT YOU'VE GOT
ISIS.
ISIS. YOU'VE GOT PRBS IN YEMEN, LIBYA,
BOKO HARAM, YESTERDAY THERE WERE
PEOPLE IN CHINA WHERE THE MUSLIM
POPULATION IS.
POPULATION IS. IT'S THE BIGGEST SECURITY
PROBLEM.
PROBLEM. THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IN THE UK IS
SECURITY TERMS NOW.
FRANCE AND GERMANY, THE SAME.
SO I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE
TO GET INTO A SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT
RHYTHM AND UNDERSTAND THIS IS
NOT -- THIS IS BOING TO LAST
BEYOND THIS PRESIDENT, THIS
PRIME MINISTER, IT'S GOING TO
LAST FOR A SIGNIFICANT PERIOD OF
TIME.
TIME. >> YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A BATTLE
AGAINST ISLAMIC EXTREMISTS THAT
WANT TO WAGE WAR AGAINST WESTERN
CIVILUATION, BUT CIVILIZATION
ITSELF.
ITSELF. >> IT'S INTERESTING THAT THEY
IMMEDIATELY CRITICIZE SAUDI
ARABIA BECAUSE THEY WANT TO TURN
IT BACK AND SAY YOU GUYS ARE
LINING UP WITH THE WESTERN AND
INFIDEL AGAINST ISLAM.
WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS UNDERSTAND
THIS IS A BATTLE OF MODERATION
VERSUS EXTREMISM.
VERSUS EXTREMISM. >> IT ALSO MAKES US, IT PUTS US
IN A POSITION WHERE WE HAVE TO
MAKE SOME TOUGH CHOICES.
WE HAVE TO START ASKING WHO
WANTS TO KNOCK DOWN BUILDINGS IN
WASHINGTON AND LONDON AND WHO
DOESN'T.
DOESN'T. ASSAD DOES NOT.
ISIS DOES.
ISIS DOES. ASSAD IS A TERRIBLE PERSON, BUT
AT THE SAME TIME, ASSAD RUNNING
SYRIA IS PREFERABLE TO ISIS.
>> HERE'S THE THING THAT'S
REALLY IMPORTANT.
REALLY IMPORTANT. I THINK WE HAVE LOST THE
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ARAB
REVOLUTIONS THAT STARTED A FEW
YEARS AGO.
YEARS AGO. THESE AREN'T GOING TO STAY IN
POWER.
POWER. ASSAD HAS KILLED OVER 200,000 OF
HIS PEOPLE.
HIS PEOPLE. THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE DISPLAYED
SINCE THE SECOND WORLD WAR.
SO THESE OLD REGIMES ARE NOT
GOING TO STAY IN POWER.
THE ISSUE IS WHEN YOU GET RID OF
THE OLD REGIME, THAT'S WHEN THE
NEXT BATTLE BEGINS.
AND THEN IT'S A FIGHT BETWEEN
WHAT I WOULD CALL THE OPEN
MINDED PEOPLE THAT WANT TO BE
CONNECTED TO THE WORLD AND SHARE
THE THOUGHTS WE SHARE AND THESE
RADICAL ISLAMISTst THAT WANT TO
CREATE A SOCIETY THAT IS NOT
COMBATABLE WITH THE MODERN
WORLD.
WORLD. >> TO YOUR POINT EXACTLY, IT'S
NOT ABOUT STAMPING OUT ISIS.
IT'S ABOUT TRYING TO ERADICATE
AN IDEOLOGY THAT COULD DESTROY
THE WORLD IF GOTTEN OUT OF
CONTROL.
CONTROL. WHICH IS WHY THE PRESIDENT
WORKING WITH OTHER COUNTRIES AND
ENGAGING THEM IN A REAL WAY
ALMOST SEEMS LIKE THE ONLY WAY
TO GO.
TO GO. >> WE HAVE SEEN HOW DIFFICULT
OVER THE LAST DECADE TO STAMP
OUT THE IDEOLOGY.
>> IT'S NOT JUST BOMBS.
>> IT'S A CRITICAL COALITION.
YOU SAID RECENTLY, MR. PRIME
MINISTER, UNLESS YOU'RE PREPARED
TO FIGHT THESE PEOPLE ON THE
GROUND, YOU MAY CONTAIN THEM,
BUT YOU WON'T DEFEAT THEM.
YOU'RE NOT ALONE IN THAT
ANALYSIS.
ANALYSIS. WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE US THIS
MORNING?
MORNING? WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
>> I THINK, AGAIN, YOUR
ADMINISTRATION IS SENSIBLE IN
MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE ALSO HELP
THE SYRIAN OPPOSITION THAT CAN
DO SOME OF THIS FIGHTING ON THE
FWROUND.
FWROUND. I KNOW GENERAL ALLEN WHO IS IN
CHARGE OF THE OPERATION.
HE'S SUPER SMART AND A GOOD MAN.
AND OVER TIME BECAUSE YOU'RE
BUILDING A O COALITION, YOU'RE
ADDRESSING WHAT FRANKLY WAS A
WEAKNESS OF STRATEGY POST 9/11,
POST 2003.
POST 2003. YOU'RE CREATING A BROAD
COALITION.
COALITION. A LOT OF THESE ARAB COUNTRIES
AND COUNTRIES IN THE MIDDLE
EAST, THEY KNOW THIS IS THEIR
FIGHT AND THEY HAVE TO BE THERE.
BUT THE OTHER THING THAT WE HAVE
TO DO BECAUSE THIS IS A PROBLEM
IN THE FAR EAST AND IN AFRICA AS
WELL AS NORTH AFRICA.
WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE
EDUCATION SYSTEMS AROUND THE
WORLD WHICH ARE TEACHING
LITERALLY MILLIONS OF YOUNG
PEOPLE A VIEW OF THE WORLD THAT
IS BASED ON RELIGIOUS PREJUDICE.
UNLESS WE HAVE A LONG-TERM PLAN
TO ROOT OUT THOSE EDUCATION
SYSTEMS, KIDS WHO ARE TAUGHT A
FORM OF RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION,
YOU'RE INCUBATING THIS PROBLEM
IN SOME OF THESE SYSTEMS.
IF YOU TAKE A COUNTRY LIKE
PAKISTAN, IT'S NOT BEEN IN THE
NEWS.
NEWS. YOU HAVE HAD A MILLION PEOPLE
DISPLACED IN THE LAST WEEKS AS
THE PAKISTANI ARMY IS BATTLING.
>> SO PRESIDENT OBAMA SPEAKING
TOMORROW BEFORE THE U.N. GENERAL
ASSEMBLY.
ASSEMBLY. WHAT DO YOU THINK THE CHALLENGES
ARE FROM YOUR POINT OF VIEW IN
TERMS OF HOW HE ADDRESSES THE
WORLD ON THIS?
>> I THINK HE'S GOT A GREAT.
OPPORTUNITY TO UNITE THE WORLD.
IN A WAY HE PARTICULARLY I THINK
IS ABLE TO COME AND SAY, LOOK,
I'M NOT SOMEONE WHO STARTED TO
GET INTO THIS IT SITUATION, BUT
HERE IS THE THREAT.
IT'S A THREAT THAT CONCERNS ALL
OF US.
OF US. IT'S NOT ABOUT CHRISTIANS VERSUS
MUSLIMS.
MUSLIMS. IT'S NOT ABOUT THE WEST VERSUS
ISL
ISL ISLAM, IT'S ABOUT EVERYBODY WHO
BELIEVES IN A A WORLD IN WHICH
PEOPLE TRY TO LIVE WITH EACH
OTHER ACROSS THE BOUNDARIES OF
CULTURE AND FAITH AND WANT TO
USE FAITH AS A SOURCE OF
DIVISION AND CONFLICT.
I THINK HE'S GOT A CHANCE TO
RALLY THE WORLD TO THAT
ESSENTIAL BATTLE.
ESSENTIAL BATTLE. IT'S GOING TO TAKE TIME.
LIBYA IS POTENTIALLY THE NEXT
FLASH POINT.
FLASH POINT. YOU'LL FIND A LOT OF PEOPLE
COMING FROM ISIS INTO LIBYA AS
WELL.
WELL. THERE AGAIN, THERE ARE PEOPLE
THAT WE CAN WORK WITH THERE.
WE HAVE TO TRY TO HELP THEM.
IT'S A LONG, HARD BATTLE.
YOU TAKE KENYA AS A COUNTRY.
MAKING WORLDS OF PROGRESS.
NOW ITS PROGRESS IS IN JEOPARDY
AS A RESULT OF THE EXTREMISM
COMING AND KILLING PEOPLE.
BL WHAT COUNTRY IN THE MIDDLE
EAST IS NOT UNDER THREAT FROM
ISIS?
ISIS? YOU LOOK AT JORDAN, SAUDI
ARABIA, I SUPPOSE THE GENERALS
WHO HAVE RETAINED SOME CONTROL
IN EGYPT, BUT THE ENTIRE REGION
IS IN A STATE OF TURMOIL.
WOULD YOU BE SHOCKED IF ANY
COUNTRY FELL OVER THE NEXT SIX
MONTHS IN THE MIDDLE EAST?
>> IN A WAY, IT'S A DIFFICULTY.
THE OTHER THING THAT'S
HAPPENING, WHICH IF YOU LIKE THE
GOOD NEWS.
GOOD NEWS. >> WE'D LIKE SOME DPOOD NEWS.
>> IF YOU LOOK TO GOOD NEWS,
WHAT IS HAPPENING IS I'M SEEING
THIS TWICE A MONTH IN THE MIDDLE
EAST.
EAST. YOU'RE SEEING FROM FIRST TIME
PEOPLE STEPPING UP AND STEPPING
FORWARD AND SAYING THIS IS
WRONG, WE HAVE TO FIGHT IT, IT'S
OUR PROBLEM.
OUR PROBLEM. WE'RE GOING TO DEAL WITH IT.
IF YOU'RE IN A COUNTRY LIKE
JORDAN WHERE THE KING HAS DONE A
GREAT JOB OF TRYING TO SHEPARD
HIS COUNTRY THROUGH THESE LAST
FEW YEARS, THE REST OF THE
REGION IS SAYING WE DON'T WANT
THAT HERE.
THAT HERE. SO IN A WAY, YOU'RE ALSO
BUILDING SUPPORT FOR THE
ALTERNATIVE AND PROGRESSIVE
VISION FOR THE FUTURE.
I THINK THAT'S THE GOOD NEWS IN
THE REGION.
THE REGION. >> LET'S GO TO THE PEACE
PROCESS.
PROCESS. IS YOUR HEAD SORE FROM BANGING
IT AGAINST THE WALL YET?
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DOING THAT FOR
A A LONG TIME.
>> IT'S STILL IMPORTANT.
.
. IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE OF THIS
OTHER ISSUE.
OTHER ISSUE. IF YOU COULD GET PEOPLE IN A
STATE OF ISRAEL, IT'S QUITE A
GOOD THING.
GOOD THING. >> RIGHT NOW, WHAT'S THE
GREATEST CHALLENGE?
GREATEST CHALLENGE? NET
NET WHAT'S THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE?
>> THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IS TO
PROVE ON THE GROUND YOU CAN DEAL
WITH THE SECURITY PROBLEM OF THE
ISRAELIS AND THE OCCUPATION
PROBLEM OF PALESTINIANS.
I THINK IF EVERYTHING IN THE
GROUND WAS GOING WELL, I DON'T
THINK IT WOULD BE HARD TO PUT
PEOPLE IN A ROOM AND WORK OUT
WHERE THE BORDERS KBO.
IT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE
GROUND.
GROUND. YOU HAVE THIS CONFLICT.
GAZA IS A STRIP OF LAND, 2
MILLION PEOPLE, AVERAGE AGE 19,
QUARTER OF OF THE POPULATION
UNDER AGE 5.
SOME HAVE BEEN THROUGH THREE
WARS NOW.
WARS NOW. ROCKETS COMING OUT OF GAZA,
RETALIATION BY ISRAEL.
>> BEFORE THE LATEST ROUND OF
FIGHTING IN GAZA IN JULY, HAMAS
WAS SCENE AS BEING ON THE RUN,
WEAKENED.
WEAKENED. THEY HAD HAD TO GO TO
PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY AND
BASICALLY SUE FOR PEACE.
DID THE ATTACKS IN JULY
STRENGTHEN HAMAS?
STRENGTHEN HAMAS? >> SHORT-TERM, YES, BECAUSE THEY
APPEAR TO BE STANDING UP TO THE
ISRAELIS.
ISRAELIS. IF YOU THINK OF THE SACRIFICE OF
THE PEOPLE FOR THAT, HOWEVER,
ONE GOOD THING OUT OF ALL OF
THIS HAS BEEN THE WORLD OF EGYPT
IN SUPPORTING THE PEACE PROCESS
AND NOW THEIR ROLE WILL BE
CRITICAL IN MOVING THE SITUATION
FORWARD IN GAZA.
>> AS WE BOUNCE AROUND THE
WORLD, IF I MAY, ASK YOU ABOUT
THE SCOTTISH INDEPENDENCE VOTE.
>> WHAT HAPPENED THERE?
WE WERE SURE THEY WOULD BREAK
FREE OF THEIR BONDS.
>> ARE YOU SURPRISED AT ALL BY
THE OUTCOME?
THE OUTCOME? >> NOT SURPRISED, BUT RELIEVED.
>> WHY DO YOU SAY THAT?
>> THE CONSEQUENCES WOULD HAVE
BEEN BAD FOR THE UK, VERY BAD
FOR EUROPE.
FOR EUROPE. NOT GREAT FOR THE WORLD.
>> HOW DID IT COME TO THE POINT
WHERE YOU'RE NOW DEEPLY
RELIEVED?
RELIEVED? HOW DID IT PERCOLATE OUT OF
NOWHERE?
NOWHERE? >> WE THINK PEOPLE
UNDERESTIMATED THE STRENGTH OF
FEELING.
FEELING. BUT IT'S DONE.
>> SO WHAT SHOULD BRITISH
LEADERS FROM LONDON LEARN FROM
THIS?
THIS? THIS WAS A CLOSE CALL.
THEY MADE A LOT OF PROMISES.
SOME OF THE BANKS MADE THREATS.
BUT WHAT DID LONDON LEARN ABOUT
HOW MAYBE THEY NEED TO DRAW
SCOTLAND IN A BIT MORE?
>> I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO DO
THAT.
THAT. I THINK THE OTHER THING IS AS
GLOBALIZATION CHANGES THE WORLD
SO FAST, PEOPLE SEARCH FOR
POINTS OF IDENTITY.
THEY FEEL THAT THEY ARE
POWERLESS IN THE FORCES THAT
CHANGED THEIR LIVES.
I THINK IN A SENSE THAT THAT
TYPE OF INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENT,
WHICH YOU SEE ALSO IN SPAIN AND
ELSEWHERE IN EUROPE, IT'S NOT
EITHER UNNATURAL OR
INEXPLICABLE.
INEXPLICABLE. >> BEFORE WE CLOSE, OBVIOUSLY,
ISIS IS THE CENTRAL FOCUS OF THE
HEADLI
HEADLI HEADLINES TODAY.
HEADLINES TODAY. ESPECIALLY WITH THE U.N. GENERAL
ASSEMBLY IN NEW YORK.
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CRITICISM
FOR PRESIDENT OBAMA'S FOREIGN
POLICY HERE AT HOME IN
WASHINGTON.
WASHINGTON. I'M JUST WONDERING WHAT THE
POINT OF VIEW IS FROM ACROSS THE
POND IN TERMS OF HOW HE'S
HANDLING THIS.
HANDLING THIS. BECAUSE WE ARE SEEING A
CONVERGENCE HERE.
CONVERGENCE HERE. >> I THINK THAT'S THE RIGHT
THING.
THING. HE'S IN A REALLY GOOD POSITION
TO UNITE THE WORLD.
MOST PEOPLE THINK PERHAPS HE
WENT THROUGH THE POST 9/11
DECISIONS.
DECISIONS. I KNOW HOW TOUGH IT IS, BUT HE'S
DOING THE RIGHT THING.
HE'S BUILD IING THE COALITION A
YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BEAT THIS
THING.
THING. I THINK THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE
LEARNED OVER THE YEARS, UNLESS
THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT AMERICA
AND A FEW KEY ALLIES, BUT IT HAS
TO BE A BROADER COALITION THAT
CROSSES THOSE BOUNDARIES OF
FAITH AND CULTURE.
IF YOU GET A COALITION AGAINST
EXTREMISM.
EXTREMISM. >> I HAVE TO ASK YOU THE
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS.
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS. ARE YOU FOLLOWING THE PREMIER
LEAGUE THIS YEAR?
>> OF COURSE.
>> YOUR CLUB IS VERY UGLY RIGHT
NOW.
NOW. MY CLUB LIVERPOOL IS VERY UGLY.
IT'S A BIZARRE START TO THIS
CAMPAIGN.
CAMPAIGN. >> WHAT A GREAT LEAGUE IT IS.
IT'S THE BEST LEAGUE IN THE
WORLD FOR SURE.
>> WILL YOUR MANAGER SURVIVE?
>> I THINK HE PROBABLY WILL AT
LEAST SHORT-TERM.
LEAST SHORT-TERM. SOMETIMES WHEN I SEE OTHER
LEADERS, I REALIZE HOW DIFFICULT
IT IS.
IT IS. BUT THE ONLY THING THAT'S
POTENTIALLY MORE DIFFICULT THAN
BEING A LEADER OF A COUNTRY IS
BEING A LEADER OF A FOOTBALL
CLUB.
CLUB. >> ESPECIALLY NEW CASTLE.
THEY ARE A TOUGH CREW.
>> WE ARE STARTING SLOWLY.
WE'RE KBETING INTO GEAR.
>> MR. PRIME MINISTER, THANK YOU
FOR COMING.
FOR COMING. >> TONY BLAIR, THANK YOU FOR
COMING.
COMING. IT'S ALWAYS GREAT TO SEE YOU.
>>> STILL AHEAD ON "MORNING
JOE," ADMIRAL JOHN KIRBY JOINS
US LIVE.
US LIVE. AND LATER WE'LL SPEAK TO FORMER
ISRAELI PRESIDENT.
ISRAELI PRESIDENT. >>> UP NEXT, DID YOU UPGRADE
YOUR SMART PHONE TO AN iPHONE 6
OR 6 PLUS?
>> NO, I'M STILL ON BLACKBERRY.
>> I LOVE IT.
I'M SAMSUNG.
I'M SAMSUNG. >> I'M LOYAL.
>> YOU'RE LOYAL.
THE SALES NUMBERS ARE IN AND IT
LOOKS LIKE APPLE HAS HIT ANOTHER
RECORD.
RECORD. >>> AND STANDSING BY YOUR MAN.