THANK YOU FOR YOUR GREAT
REPORTING.
JOINING US NOW TO DISCUSS THE
DIPLOMATIC FALLOUT IN THE WEAK W
DIPLOMATIC FALLOUT IN THE WEAK K
DIPLOMATIC FALLOUT IN THE WEAK E
OF THE AIR STRIKES IS DOUGLAS
SOLEMAN.
HE SERVED IN BAGHDAD FROM 2016
THROUGH LAST YEAR.
HE'S NOW THE PRESIDENT OF THE
ARAB GULF STATES INSTITUTE.
AMBASSADOR, YOU HEARD WHAT
BENJAMIN HALL REPORTED FROM
JORDAN.
HE SAID THE U.S. -- THE IRANIAN
MILITARY IS NOT CAPABLE OF GOING
TOE TO TOE WITH THE U.S.
MILITARY AND SO THE GROUND WAR
OPTION FOR THEM IS OFF THE
TABLE.
DOES THAT SQUARE WITH YOU?
>> WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THE WAY
THAT THE INTERNATIONAL PRESS IS
CHARACTERIZING PRESIDENT TRUMP'S
DECISION TO STRIKE QASEM
SOLEIMANI IS EITHER A COMPLETE
AND TOTAL FAILURE OR UNMITIGATED
SUCCESS.
I SEE IT RATHER AS AN
OPPORTUNITY.
WHAT YOU HAVE RIGHT NOW IS AN
OPPORTUNITY TO GO BACK TO USING
SOME TRADITIONAL DEPLOY MASSEY
TO TRY TO -- DIPLOMACY TO TRY TO
DEESCALATE THE SITUATION.
PRESIDENT TRUMP IN HIS REMARKS
YESTERDAY WAS VERY CLEAR THAT HE
DID NOT WANT REGIME CHANGE IN
IRAN, THAT HE DIDN'T WANT TO
CAUSE A WAR.
SECRETARY POMPEO IN HIS
CONVERSATION WITH THE IRAQI
PRESIDENT YESTERDAY ALSO AGREED
THAT THE SITUATION SHOULD BE
CALMED AND DEESCALATED AND SAUDI
ARABIA ISSUED STATEMENTS SAYING
IT IS NOW TIME TO FIGURE OUT HOW
TO MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT
CONTINUING USE OF VIOLENCE.
THE HE QUESTION NOW IS HOW CAN
THE UNITED STATES EXERCISE ITS
DI BLOW
DIPLLOW
DIPLOMW
DIPLOMATIC STRENGTH, THE
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CLOSE
ALLEYS IN THE REGION AND IN
EUROPE TO PREVENT IRAN FROM
TAKING THE NEXT VIOLENT STEP HE
WAS TALKING ABOUT IN THE REPORT.
GILLIAN: IT'S INTERESTING YOU
SAY YOU THINK THERE'S AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR DIPLOMACY HERE.
YOU BECAUSE
.OU BECAUSE
.BE BECAUSE
.BECAECAUSE
.BECAUSAUSE
.BECAUSEUSE
.BECAUSE SE
.BECAUSE SOMEBODY WHO DOESN'T
THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR
DIPLOMACY IS SENATOR RAND PAUL.
I WANT YOU TO HAVE YOU TAKE A
LISTEN TO WHAT HE SAID AND GET
YOUR REACTION.
>> IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE THE
IRANIANS ARE GOING TO SHRINK NOW
AND SAY YOU KILLED OUR LEADING
GENERAL AND WE'RE GOING TO DO
NOTHING?
I ALSO THINK WITH THE DEATH HAD
OF SOLEIMANI, YOU HAVE THE DEATH
OF DIPLOMACY.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY CHANCE
IRAN WILL SPEAK TO US AGAIN ON
DIPLOMACY.
GILLIAN: THE DEATH OF
DIPLOMACY, HE SAYS.
>> AS AN AMERICAN DIPLOMAT FOR
35 YEARS, I HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT
DIPLOMACY IS NEVER DEAD AND
THERE'S ALWAYS A SOLUTION AS AN
ALTERNATE TO THE USE OF
VIOLENCE.
THE CONCERN IS HOW DO WE
CONVINCE THE IRANIANS THAT THEIR
BEST PATH FORWARD IS NOT TO
INCREASE VIOLENCE.
THEY MADE SO MANY PROMISES TO AN
ANGRY IRANIAN PEOPLE THAT SEE
ONLY RED RIGHT NOW, THAT THEY
MAY FEEL THEY HAVE TO DO
SOMETHING AS BENJAMIN NOTED IN
HIS REPORT FROM OMAN TO JUSTIFY
THE STATEMENTS THEY MADE.
THE HE REALITY IS, HOWEVER, WE
NEED TO BE WORKING BEHIND THE
SCENES AND I ASSUME THAT
SECRETARY POMPEO, THE STATE
DEPARTMENT, THE DEFENSE
DEPARTMENT ARE TALKING TO OUR
ALLIES IN KUWAIT, OMAN, IN
QATAR, IN EUROPE.
PEOPLE HAVE DIFFERENT
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE IRANIAN
REGIME.
AND WHILE MANY PEOPLE DON'T LIKE
THE STRIKES THAT KILLED QASEM
SOLEIMANI THIS PAST WEEK, WHAT
IT HAS DONE IS RESTORED A
MEASURE OF DETENSE ON --
DETERRENCE ON IRANIAN ACTIONS.
IRAN WAS EMBOLDENED BECAUSE
THROUGH MOST OF 2009, THROUGH
STRIKES ON OIL TANKERS, STRIKES
ON SAUDI ARABIA'S CIVILIAN
INFRASTRUCTURE AND STRIKES ON
THE OIL PROCESSING FACILITY, THE
UNITED STATES TOOK LITTLE ACTIO
ACTION.
GILLIAN: THEY'RE CONTINUING TO
HOLD PRESS
HOLD PRISS
HOLD PRISONERS IN VIOLATION OF
INTERNATIONAL LAW.
>> IT'S BEEN CLEAR FOR THE PAST
YEAR AND-A-HALF THAT IN IRAQ AND
WITH REGARD TO IRAN'S ACTIONS
AND IRANIAN PROXY ACTIONS, AN
AMERICAN CASUALTY WAS THIS
ADMINISTRATION'S RED LINE.
THAT WAS MET ON DECEMBER 27th
WHEN A R BARRAGE OF 31 ROCKETS
SEEMED TO ME TO HAVE BEEN MEANT
TO CAUSE A CASUALTY AND CROSS
THAT AMERICAN RED LINE.
HAVING TRIED FOR THE PAST YEAR
TO GOAD THE UNITED STATES INTO
WHAT IRAN HOPED WOULD BE AN
OVERREACTION.
THEN THE STRIKE OR THE ATTACK ON
THE L
THE EMBASSY AND THE STRIKE ON
SOLEIMANI, THOSE ARE THE FOUR
BIGGEST HE'S CLAY
BIGGESTESE'S CLAY
BIGGESTES CS CLAY
BIGGESTES CRACLAY
BIGGESTES CRAIGAY
BIGGESTES CRAIGSLISTING EVENTS
IN THE -- ESCALATING EVENTS.
THEY ARE TRYING TO FIND WAYS TO
COOL DOWN THE SITUATION, USE OUR
FRIENDS IN THE REGION LIKE THE
SAUDIS, KUWAITIS, OMANYS AND
MAYBE THE QATARIS TO MESSAGE TO
IRAN AND MAKE SURE THEY
UNDERSTAND THEIR ACTIONS TAKEN
IN THE NEXT COMING DAYS WILL BE
MET WITH SIMILAR AMERICAN AMERIA
MET WITH SIMILAR AMERICAN AMERIN
MET WITH SIMILAR AMERICAN AMERIA
MET WITH SIMILAR AMERICAN AMERIB