BRET. >> Bret: IN AFGHANISTAN, GREG,
THANK YOU BETA SPOKE WITH
SECRETARY OF STATE MIKE POMPEO
EARLIER TODAY ABOUT THE PEACE
AGREEMENTS AND THE AFGHANS PRESI
RELEASE TALIBAN PRISONERS AND
STARTING ASKING IF IT HAPPENED
IF IT COULD AVOID THE NEW DEAL.
>> THERE’S A LONG SERIES OF
DISCUSSIONS THAT BEEN TAKEN
PLACE OVER MONTHS AND MONTHS AND
IT SHOULD NOT SURPRISE ANYONE AS
IT HAPPENS THAT THE DAYS BREAK
AND IT WILL BE A BUMPY ROAD TO
GOING FORWARD IF YOU LOOK AT THE
AGREEMENT.
AGREEMENT. PROVISION ABOUT THE EXCHANGE OF
PRISONERS AND IT TALKS ABOUT THE
DISCUSSIONS OF THE RELEVANT
PARTIES GOING FORWARD.
IF WE HAVE A TEAM ON THE GROUND
AS WERE SITTING HERE NOW.
WORKING TO DELIVER NOT ONLY ON
THE ELEMENTS, THAT’S AN
IMPORTANT CONFIDENCE BUILDING
MEASURE.
MEASURE. BUT DELIVERING ON THE LARGER
TASK WHICH IS TO KEEP THE LEVELS
OF VIOLENCE DOWN AND GETTING THE
TEAMS POSTED.
TEAMS POSTED. THE FIRST TIME IN 20 YEARS,
SOMETHING THAT THE PREVIOUS TWO
ADMINISTRATIONS COULD NOT
ACHIEVE.
ACHIEVE. IF A COMMITMENT TO BREAK WITH
AL QAEDA, IT CAN VENT TO SIT DOW
THE OTHER SIDE HAS NOT BEEN DONE
BEFORE.
BEFORE. THAT SNAPS THAT THE END NEXT
CALL WE ARE DETERMINED TO GET
THERE.
THERE. >> THEY SPOKE WITH THE TALIBAN
AND THE RESUMING THE OPERATIONS
AGAINST THE AFGHAN GOVERNMENT
AND THE FORCES AND NOT U.S.
TROOPS.
TROOPS. THAT’S WHAT THEY SAID IN
RESPONSE TO THE PRESIDENT.
ABOUT THE TALIBAN PRISONER ISSUE
BETA HOW’S THAT GOING TO WORK?
>> JUST WATCH WHAT REALLY
HAPPENS.
HAPPENS. PAY LESS ATTENTION TO
STATEMENTS, PAY LESS ATTENTION
TO THINGS THAT PEOPLE SAY.
WATCH WHAT HAPPENS ON THE GROUND
AND THERE’S BEEN A LOT OF WORK
DONE.
DONE. DETAILED LEVELS ABOUT HOW THIS
WILL PROCEED IN SO FAR, SO GOOD,
WE ARE JUST HOURS INTO IT.
I’M SURE WE WILL HAVE DAYS WHEN
WE START TO SAY THAT THE
PROBLEMS ARE HERE, BUT WHERE
DETERMINED AND IT’S OUR MISSION.
TO PROTECT AMERICA FROM THE
THREAT OF TERRORISM FROM
AFGHANISTAN TO REDUCE THE COST.
I WANT TO SEE FEWER AMERICANS
HAVING TO MAKE THE THIRD,
FOURTH, FIFTH TRIP THERE.
FEWER AMERICANS THAN EVER HAVE
THE CHANCE TO BE AT THEIR LOVED
ONES AND THAT’S THE MISSION AND
WHAT THE AGREEMENT IS AIMING TO
ACHIEVE GREATER >> Bret:
PRESIDENT AS A CANDIDATE WAS
VERY CRITICAL OF PRESIDENT OBAMA
ABOUT IT A LOT.
WE WERE SENDING A TIMELINE.
FOR THE WITHDRAWAL OF U.S.
TROOPS.
TROOPS. >> WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS
FUNDAMENTALLY DIFFERENT FROM
WHATWHAT THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATIO
DID WE COMPASS WHAT THEY TRY TO
DO BUT COULD NOT.
THEY NEVER GOT THE TELA BEEN TO
BREAK WITH AL QAEDA AND IF YOU E
CONDITIONS AND THE VIOLENCE
LEVEL COMES DOWN AND IF THE
SECURITY POSTURE FOR THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IS
REDUCED, THEN AND ONLY THEN,
WILL WE BEGIN TO DELIVER A
FOOTPRINT INSIDE.
FOOTPRINT INSIDE. YOU CAN SEE THE DEAL ITS PUBLIC,
YOU CAN SEE THE TWO CLASSIFIED
IMPLEMENTATION MILITARY EFFORTS
OF THOSE BUT IT’S OUT THERE FOR
THE WORLD TO SEE AND THE
CONFIDENCE THAT OVER TIME, WE
WILL GET TO ANOTHER PLACE.
>> Bret:>> THE MOST AND PREVARIC
THAT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN PLACE,
NOT JUST TALIBAN A BREAKING TIES
WITH AL QAEDA BUT ALL TERRORIST
GROUPS.
GROUPS. IN OUR DISCUSSION, THAT’S GOING
TO BE ONE OF THE MOST
FUNDAMENTAL ISSUES.
FUNDAMENTAL ISSUES. THIS REQUIRES VERIFICATION AND
REASSURANCES.
REASSURANCES. AS YOU KNOW, THE TALIBAN HAS A
LONG HISTORY WITH AL QAEDA
DETAILED IN THE NET 9/11
COMMISSION REPORTS ON THIS
WEEKEND, THE NATION ON CBS, YOU
SAID IT WAS A STRICT CUT AND YOU
SAID THE TALIBAN WOULD NOW WORK
AGAINST AL QAEDA AND THEY MADE A
BREAK.
BREAK. AL QAEDA IS MENTIONED TWICE IN
THE PASSAGES IN THE REPORTS IN
THE LANGUAGE.
THE LANGUAGE. IT SAYS IT WILL NOT ALLOW ANY OR
OTHER INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS
INCLUDING AL QAEDA TO USE ON THE
SOIL OF AFGHANISTAN TO
COMPROMISE THE SECURITY OF THE
UNITED STATES OR ITS ALLIES.
THE ANNOUNCING OF AL QAEDA?
>> WHEN YOU’RE SAYING YOU’RE NOT
QUICK TO LET THEM OPERATE,
THEY’VE DONE IT FOR 20 YEARS,
THEY’RE NOT GOOD TO LET THEM
OPERATE ANYMORE AND THAT’S A
CENTRAL PROVISION AND THAT’S ONE
IN 20 YEARS, I KNOW, IT’S WHAT
THEY ARE TRYING TO GET EXACTLY
THAT LANGUAGE.
THAT LANGUAGE. WE GOT IT.
WHAT’S MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE
LANGUAGE, BRET, THE EXECUTION
AND THE VERIFICATION MATTERS AND
WE WILL HAVE THE ABILITY TO SEE
WHAT THEY ARE DOING AND REALLY
LIVING UP TO THE COMMITMENT AND
THE EXPECTATION.
THE EXPECTATION. I MET WITH THEM MYSELF WHEN I
WAS THERE AND I LOOK THEM IN THE
EYE, THEY REVALIDATED THE
COMMITMENT.
COMMITMENT. NOW, THEY HAVE TO EXECUTE AND WE
WILL BE ABLE TO SEE SOME OF THE
WORLD WILL BE ABLE TO SEE, IF
THEY TRULY LIVE UP TO THE
OBLIGATION.
OBLIGATION. IT’S IMPORTANT, THAT’S THE
REASON WE WENT THERE, BRET, YOU
KNOW THAT.
KNOW THAT. I THINK ABOUT 9/11, YOU CAN FEEL
THE EMOTION OF THE DAY AND I
KNOW ALL AMERICANS CAN.
WE WENT THERE TO DEFEAT
AL QAEDA, WE CRUSH THEM.
WE PUT REAL COST ON THE TALIBAN
OVER THE PAST MONTH AND THAT’S
WHY THEY CAME TO THE TABLE AND
HAVING THE DISCUSSION AND WHY AM
HOPEFUL THAT ALL PARTIES IN
AFGHANISTAN WILL TAKE SERIOUSLY
THE COMMITMENT TO TRY TO REACH
THE POLITICAL RESOLUTION THAT’S
THE ONLY PATH FORWARD FOR THE
AFGHANS.
AFGHANS. >> Bret: WOULD YOU SAY TO
SKEPTICAL AMERICANS THAT SAY
THIS HEAD OF THE ELECTION AND TH
ABOUT LIVING UP TO AN
ELECTION PROMISE AND NOT REALLY
ABOUT THE SPECIFICS IN THE DEAL
ON THE GROUND?
>> THEY ARE WRONG.
BESIDES, PROMISES BETTER,
THEY’RE TRYING TO LIVE UP TO ALL
THE COMMITMENTS THAT WE MAKE.
IT’S A GOOD THING THE PRESIDENT
MADE THE COMMITMENT AND A GOOD
THING WE ARE ON THE PAD.
IF THAT’S NOT WHY IT TOOK PLACE,
IT TOOK US LONGER THAN WE HAD
WISHED TO REACH THE PLACE AND
THESE WERE HARD FOR
NEGOTIATIONS.
NEGOTIATIONS. THE TALIBAN EXPRESSED INTEREST
IN HAVING THE NO-GO SHE HAITIANS
AND PRESIDENT TRUMP GAVE THE
DEPARTMENT
THE AUTHORITY TO GO AFTER THEM. WE NOW HAVE A TIMELINE AND
EXPENSE PAST THE ELECTION AND
ITS CONDITIONS FACED.
WE HAVE THE OBLIGATION TO GET
THIS RIGHT FOR THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE AND WE GOT TO KEEP
AMERICA SAFE FROM ATTACKING AND
THEN AFGHANISTAN AND GET THE
FOOTPRINT RIGHT SO WE HAVE THE
RESOURCES AND CAPABILITY TO WHAT
WE SHOULD DO.
WE TOOK ALL DOWN ALL THESE PEOPL
IN THE PRESIDENT HAS A CLEAR
RECORD AND KEEPING AMERICA SAFE
AND DETERMINED TO CONTINUE TO DO
THAT EVERYWHERE INCLUDING
AFGHANISTAN.
AFGHANISTAN. >> Bret: JOHN BOLTON, FORMER
NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR
CALLING THIS A OBAMA-STYLE DEAL.
HE ALSO TWEETED OUT NORTH KOREA
IN TRUE FORM RESUMES BALLISTIC
MISSILE TESTING YET AGAIN FILING
U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL
RESOLUTIONS AND U.S. POLICIES
FILING THE REALITY THAT
NORTH KOREA WILL NEVER
VOLUNTARILY STOP PURSUING
DENUCLEARIZATION.
DENUCLEARIZATION. >> THEY MADE A REAL COMMAND TO
TRY TO FIND A PATH FORWARD AND
ALMOST TWO YEARS AGO THEY MADE A
COMMAND TO DENUCLEARIZE AND WERE
TRYING TO ACHIEVE THAT IN THE
PATH FORWARD FOR KOREANS IS VERY
CLEAR.
CLEAR. WE ARE HOPING THEY WILL CHOOSE
IT AND USING EVERY DIPLOMATIC
WILL THAT WE HAVE.
>> Bret: MUST THINK I’M A
CORONAVIRUS, ARE YOU CONSIDERING
MOVING STAFF AND A PLACE BESIDE
CHINA OUT OF A SPREADING
CORONAVIRUS ENVIRONMENT?
CORONAVIRUS ENVIRONMENT? ITALY, EUROPE, OTHER PLACES.
>> GOOD QUESTION, BRET, THEY ARE
RUNNING THE ELEMENT AND WE ARE
WORKING WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE
WE GET IT RIGHT AND WE WANT TO
KEEP SURE THAT OUR TEAM IS SAFE
NOT ONLY THE TIP OF OTHER PEOPLE
THAT FALL UNDER THE
STATE DEPARTMENT IN COUNTRIES
AROUND THE WORLD AND WE WANT TO
MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP OUR
SOLDIERS AND AIRMEN SAFE AS WELL
WELL.
WELL. THE COMPLICATED DECISION-MAKING
PROCESS AND CONSTANTLY
EVALUATING BOTH THE RIGHT NUMBER
OF PEOPLE TO HAVE AND WHERE WE