>>> WELCOME BACK, WE HAVE BREAKING NEWS THIS MORNING.
OUR OWN RICHARD ENGEL WHO IS ON
THE GROUND SAYS THE PAUSE IN
FIGHTING IS MOSTLY HOLDING BUT
WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING AT ARE
IMAGES ARE BOMBING AND GUNFIRE
CAN BE HEARD LESS THAN 24 HOURS
AFTER THE U.S. AND TURKEY
REACHED WHAT VP PENCE CALLED A
CEASE FIRE DEAL.
TURKEY AGREEING TO STOP THEIR
OFFENSIVE FOR FIVE DAYS GIVING
TIME TO WITHDRAW FROM THE REGION
BUT IT IS UNCLEAR THIS MORNING
IF EITHER SIDE IS GOING TO
COMPLY.
COMPLY. STILL PRESIDENT TRUMP SEEMS VERY
HAPPY WITH THE DEAL.
>> THE KURDS WERE GREAT.
I WANT TO GRATE AND THANK
PRESIDENT ERDOGAN.
PRESIDENT ERDOGAN. SHE A FRIEND OF MINE.
HE IS A HELL OF A LEADER, A
TOUGH MAN, A STRONG MAN, AND HE
DID THE RIGHT THING.
>> JOINING US NOW TO DISCUSS, A
FORMER ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF
STATE.
STATE. AND AT THE NATIONAL SECURITY
COUNCIL FOR THE FIRST TWO YEARS
AT THE SYRIAN CRISIS ADVISING
PRESIDENT OBAMA.
PRESIDENT OBAMA. IE, WE HAVE THE EXPERTS.
WHAT DID YOU THINK?
>> WE GOT STEAM ROLLED AGAIN.
PRESIDENT TRUMP AND HIS
CO-HARTS, WE HAVE GOTTEN STEAM
ROLLED AND THEY’RE SPINNING IT
OR IF THEY ACTUALLY BELIEVE THAT
WE GOT A GOOD DEAL OUT OF THIS.
SO THIS DEAL THAT THEY STRUCK IS
BAD FOR A FEW REASONS.
FIRST IT SHOWS THE UNITED STATES
IS NOT REALLY A FORCE TO BE
RECKONED WITH, RIGHT?
WHATEVER TURKEY WANTS.
AND NOW WE HAVE GIVEN THEM WHAT
WE WANTED IN A POSSIBLY LESS
VIOLENT WAY.
VIOLENT WAY. >> TURKEY WANTS THE KURDS OUT OF
THAT REGION.
THAT REGION. THEY’RE GOING TO GET THAT, BUT
THERE JUST WON’T BE BLOODSHED,
IS THAT THE CASE?
>> RIGHT, WE BELIEVE THAT, BUT
THERE WILL EVENTUALLY.
YOU A SITUATION THAT WAS
RELATIVELY STABLE IN A REGION
THAT IS NOT AT ALL STABLE,
RIGHT?
RIGHT? WE TOOK THAT AND WE MADE IT
UNSTABLE.
UNSTABLE. SECOND, CIRCUMSTANCETURKEY SAYS
THROUGH WHAT THEY SAY THEY WANT
TO, IN THAT 20 MILE BUFFER ZONE,
WE’RE TALKING ABOUT A POSSIBLE
CONFLICT, RIGHT?
CONFLICT, RIGHT? THEY MAY NOT HAVE EVEN BEEN FROM
THAT REGION.
THAT REGION. WHEN YOU HAVE A SITUATION WHERE
YOU HAVE DIFFERENT RELIGIONS,
TRIBES, AND AREA WHERE’S IT IS
KILL OR BE KILLED, YOU COULD BE
REIGNITING THIS.
REIGNITING THIS. >> THE PRESIDENT SAY IT’S IS A
GREAT DAY FOR CIVILIZATION, BUT
I WANT TO SHARE WHAT MITT ROMNEY
SAID YESTERDAY.
SAID YESTERDAY. >> THE ANNOUNCEMENT IS BEING
PORTRAYED AS A VICTORY, BUT IT
IS FAR FROM A VICTORY.
IT VIOLATES ONE OF OUR MOST
SACRED DUTIES.
SACRED DUTIES. WHAT WE HAVE DONE TO THE KURDS
WILL STAND AS A BLOODSTAIN.
THERE WAS NO CHANCE FOR
DIPLOMACY?
DIPLOMACY? ARE WE SO WEEK AND INEPT THAT
TURKEY FORCED THE HAND OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA?
TURKEY?
TURKEY? >> I THINK HE IS LARGELY RIGHT.
THERE IS ALWAYS A CONTRADICTION
IN THE U.S. POLICY, WE ARE
ALLIED WITH THE KURDS, WE DO
MOST OF THE HEAVY LIFTING.
BUT TURKEY IS A NATO ALLY AND
SEES THE VAN GUARD OF THE SYRIAN
DEMOCRATIC FORCES AS A THREAT TO
TURKEY.
TURKEY. BUT IN CONFRONTING THIS, WE HAVE
DONE IT IN THE WORST POSSIBLE
WAY.
WAY. AT BEST YOU CAN SAY THE CEASE
FIRE PUT A BAND AID ON A VERY
DEEP SEVENTY INFLICTED WOUND.
AND THAT STRESS, THAT STRAINING
ALREADY, IT IS NOT GOING TO
HOLD.
HOLD. MEANWHILE WHATEVER DOES HAPPEN
GOING FORWARD IN SYRIA, YOU KNOW
WITH THE WITHDRAWAL OF U.S.
FORCES FROM NORTHERN SYRIA, THEY
WILL NOT BE A FACTOR IN HOW THIS
UNFOLDS.
UNFOLDS. >> THEN WHAT IS THE SOLUTION?
THAT THE PRESIDENT DECIDED TO
WITHDRAW TROOPS.
WITHDRAW TROOPS. WE KNOW THE SITUATION IS
SERIOUS.
SERIOUS. >> I FEAR IT IS A LITTLE TOO
LITTLE TOO LATE.
>> REALLY?
>> REALLY? >> YEAH, FIRST WE HAVE UNLEASHED
THIS SITUATION NOW.
AND ON TOP OF IT, ONE OF THE
THINGS WE TAKEN ABOUT WHAT IRAN
AND RUSSIA STAND TO GAIN.
THEY’RE MURDERS.
THEY’RE MURDERS. THEY ALIGNED WITH THEM BECAUSE
THEY HAVE NO CHOICE.
THAT ALIGNMENT STILL EXISTS.
IT IS SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST
OUT THERE.
OUT THERE. SO RUSSIA AND IRAN WILL NOW HAVE
INFLUENCE IN THE REBEYOND WHERE
THE KURDS ARE.
SO WE HAVE MADE IT MUCH WORSE,
AND THE NOTION THAT BY THE WAY
THAT WE CAN SANCTION OUR WAY TO
FIX THIS, AS YOU KNOW I LOVE
SANCTIONS, I WAS IN THE TREASURY
FOR A LONG TIME AND THEY’RE NOT
GOING TO WORK IN THIS REGARD.
I’M NOT SAYING THAT TRUMP CAN’T
OBLITERATE TURKEY, BUT TO SAY
THAT SANCTIONS ARE THE FICTION,
THAT IS JUST NOT HOW IT WORKS.
>> PJ, I WANT TO SHARE THIS AND
IT IS LONG BUT I THINK IT IS
IMPORTANT.
IMPORTANT. RETIRED NAVY ADMIRAL IS OUT WITH
AN OP-ED AND HE WRITES THIS.
IF OUR PROMISES ARE MEANINGLESS,
HOW WILL OUR ALLIES EVER TRUST
US.
US. IF WE CANNOT HAVE FAITH IN OUR
PRINCIPALS WHY WOULD THEY JOIN
OUR MILITARY.
OUR MILITARY. IF WE ARE NOT THE CHAMPIONS OF
THE GOOD AND RIGHT, WHO WILL
FOLLOW US.
FOLLOW US. IF NO ONE FOLLOWS US, ARE WILL
THE WORLD END UP.
TWO DAYS BEFORE THIS, ONE OF THE
PRESIDENT’S 2020 ADVISORS, HIS
DAURL
DAURL DAUGHTER-IN-LAW SAID MOST
AMERICANS WOULD HAVE TO GOOGLE
WHAT A KURDS IS.
WHAT IS JR. TAKE IN WILL THEY
HAVE A LASTING IMPACT ON THE
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION?
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION? >> I THINK ALREADY YOU’RE SEEING
A RECORRAL COLLATION OF SECURITY
INTERESTS IN THE REGION.
FOR EXAMPLE, HOW THIS FITS IN
WITH THE BROADER STRATEGY OF
MAXIMUM PRESSURE ON IRAN IS
ANYONE’S GUESS.
ANYONE’S GUESS. YOU KNOW WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO
CONFRONT IRAN IN THEIR EXPANSION
IN REGIONAL INFLUENCE AND YET
WE’RE ALREADY SEEING THAT IN
LIGHT OF THE TRUMP DECISION ON
SYRIA, THE TRUMP DECISION NOT TO
RESPOND LAST MONTH TO THE
DOWNING OF AN AMERICAN DRONE,
THEY’RE SEEKING A BACK CHANNEL
TO TEHRAN.
TO TEHRAN. THERE WILL BE AN ACCOMMODATION
TO IRAN AND NOT A CONFRONTATION.
I THINK OUR BROADER STRATEGY IS
IN TATTERS.
IN TATTERS. YOU KNOW WE’RE IN RETREAT,