SET A CLEAR STANDARD AND THE
GENERAL SAYING THEY WERE 105
TOTAL MISSILES FIRED, THREE
TARGETS, ALCHEMICAL WEAPONS
FACILITIES.
ABBY: WE'VE GOT COMPLETE
COVERAGE WE WANT TO BRING IN FOX
NEWS MILITARY ANALYST LT.
COLONEL OLIVER NORTH, GERALDO
RIVERA AND ARIZONA CONGRESSMAN
MARTHA MCSALLY WHO OF COURSE IS
AN AIR FORCE VETERAN.
THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE,
GET YOUR TAKE ON WHAT WE JUST
HEARD.
THE BIG TAKEAWAY, ONE NO
CIVILIAN CASUALTIES ALL PLANES
WERE ABLE TO LAND SAFELY, ALL
MISSILES WERE ABLE TO REACH
THEIR TARGET.
WHAT DO YOU SAY A MISSION
ACCOMPLISHED?
>> OH, ABSOLUTELY.
LOOK JUST A LITTLE HISTORICAL
NOTE.
32 YEARS AGO TOMORROW THE REAGAN
ADMINISTRATION STRUCK TERROR
TARGETS IN LIBYA BOTH IN THE
GAZA AND TRIPOLI.
IT TOOK US 10 DAYS TO PICK THE
TARGETS AND TO GIVE THE
ASSIGNMENTS OUT TO THOSE WHO
CARRIED IT OUT.
FRANCE BY THE WAY IN THAT
PARTICULAR MISSION DENIED US
OVERFLIGHT RIGHTS AN THIS TIME
FRANCE IS IN IT WITH US.
THE BOMBING WHICH OCCURRED ON
THE FIFTH OF APRIL WE COULDN'T
RESPOND TO IT UNTIL 10 DAYS OUT,
THIS TIME IT'S A WEEK OUT, AND
WE LOST AN AIRCRAFT IN THAT AND
THIS CASE NOT A SINGLE U.S.
ASSET WAS ENDANGERED BY THE
SYRIAN AIRCRAFT FIRE.
I THINK THAT WHAT YOU'VE GOT
TODAY IS A FAR MORE EFFECTIVE
MILITARY AT ACCOMPLISHING LIMIT
ED GOALS, WITH AN
APPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF FORCE.
NOW, WHETHER THIS IS GOING TO
STOP ASSAD, ALL THOSE QUESTIONS
ABOUT WHAT'S NEXT AND EVERY TIME
IT'S ASKED, THE SPOKESMAN FOR
THE ADMINISTRATION AT THE WHITE
HOUSE OR THE PENTAGON COME BACK
AND SAY THAT IT'S UP TO ASSAD
AND IT IS UP TO ASSAD AND YOU
COULD BE ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN
WHETHER THEY SAY IT OR NOT WE
CAN SAY IT, IF ASSAD USES
CHEMICAL WEAPONS AGAIN, THE NEXT
STRIKE IS GOING TO BE EVEN MORE
SIGNIFICANT THAN THIS ONE WITH
105 STANDOFF AND CRUISE MISSILES
GRIFF: THAT'S A GOOD POINT WANT
TO BRING IN CONGRESSWOMAN MC
SALLY.
WE HEARD FROM THIS BRIEFING THAT
GENERAL MCKENZIE USED THE WORDS
CRIPPLED, DEGRADING SAYING THEY
HAD STRUCK REALLY AT THE HEART
OF THE CHEMICAL WEAPONS
PRODUCTION FACILITIES.
ARE YOU CONFIDENT THAT THAT HAS
BEEN ACHIEVED AND HOW CONCERNED
ARE YOU THAT WE MAY YET SEE
ANOTHER ATTACK?
>> WELL, LOOK I JUST WANT TO
SAY I'M SO PROUD OF THE MEN AND
WOMEN IN UNIFORM HAVING BEEN
INVOLVED IN THIS ATTACK IN THE
MILITARY IT TOOK A WHOLE LOT OF
EFFORT FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO
PRECISELY HIT THESE TARGETS AND
DO IT IN SUCH AN INCREDIBLE WAY
WITH SUCH PRECISION TO GO AFTER
THEM AND SO SURE WE'LL LOOK AT
THE DAMAGE ASSESSMENT AFTERWORDS
BUT AS YOU COULD SEE FROM THE
PHOTOS, I MEAN, THERE WERE VERY
SPECIFIC TARGETS TO DEGRADE
THEIR CHEMICAL CAPABILITIES AND
THEIR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
AND ALSO, THOSE ARE THE
OPERATIONAL GOALS, BUT THE
SEA-TAC GOALS WERE TO SEND A
MESSAGE USING MASS DESTRUCTION
WILL NOT BE TOLERATED BY THE
CIVILIZED WORLD SO I'M VERY
PROUD AND I STAND WITH THE
PRESIDENT FOR THIS DECISION AND
NOW THE NEXT STEPS ARE UP TO
ASSAD AND PUTIN AND ARE THEY
GOING TO CONTINUE TO GO DOWN
THIS ROAD?
THIS CANNOT BE TOLERATED.
REMEMBER RUSSIA USED CHEMICAL
WEAPONS IN LONDON AND NORTH
KOREA IS WATCHING AS WELL
KILLING HIS OWN HALF BROTHER
WITH THE NERVE AGENTS SO THIS IS
A VERY STRONG MESSAGE STRATEGIC
ALLY AND OPERATIONALLY.
PETE: GERALDO YOU'VE COVERED
THAT REGION FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
YOU KNOW IT WELL AS YOU SAID
FROM THE PODIUM THERE'S NO
MATERIAL RESISTANCE FROM SYRIA
MEANING WHETHER EN THEY DID
SHOOT IT WAS AFTER OUR MISSILES
HIT . ASSAD WOULD NOT HAVE TAKEN
THAT RESPONSE WITHOUT RUSSIA
TELLING HIM TO DO SO AT SOME
LEVEL.
WHAT DOES THAT SAY TO YOU ABOUT
RUSSIA'S RESPONSE TO SOME
AMERICAN STRENGTH HERE?
GERALDO: WELL FIRST OF ALL I
THINK THAT IT IS A HUGE WIN FOR
PRESIDENT TRUMP.
I HAD MY DOUBTS BECAUSE I FEARED
THAT THE RETALIATORY STRIKE WAS
IN COLD BLOOD, TOO MUCH TIME HAD
PASSED.
I WAS WRONG, THIS WAS A DRAMATIC
AND PROPORTIONAL STRIKE.
IT WAS AWESOME.
I'M DELIGHTED THAT THE BRITISH
AND THE FRENCH JOINED IN US THIS
AWESOME AIR ARMADA WHICH
ACCOMPLISHED EXACTLY WHAT THE
PENTAGON WANTED IT TO AND IT
SENT A MESSAGE TO ASSAD IN TERMS
OF RUSSIA AND I THINK THE
RESPONSE FROM PUTIN HAS BEEN
RELATIVELY MUTED.
THE SAME THING ABOUT CHINA.
EVEN IRAN, EVEN SYRIA ITSELF ALL
SEEM TO HAVE COME TO THE
CONCLUSION THAT ASSAD HAD IT
COMING.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE WITH EGO FROM
HERE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT OUR STRATEGIC
GOAL IS IN SYRIA.
IS IT PARTITION OF THE COUNTRY?
WHAT IS IT?
IS IT THE OUTING OF ASSAD?
I HOPE THAT WE DON'T STICK
AROUND TO BUILD A NATION HERE,
BUT IN TERMS OF THIS MILITARY
STRIKE, I THINK THAT IT HIT
EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANTED IT TO.
THIS SYRIAN AIR DEFENSE
CAPABILITY WAS SHOWN TO BE WOEFU
L IN THE FACE OF OUR MODERN
WEAPONS AND IT REALLY DOES
APPEAR THERE WAS NO WAG THE DOG
VIBE FROM THIS.
NOBODY SUSPECTS THAT PRESIDENT
TRUMP DID THIS TO DETRACT FROM
OR DISTRACT I SHOULD SAY FROM
THIS DOMESTIC WOES.
THIS WAS IN EVERY REGARD I
WOULDN'T NECESSARILY SAY MISSION
ACCOMPLISHED BUT I WILL SAY THAT
ASSAD CROSSED THE RED LINE,
TRUMP SAID DON'T CROSS THE RED
LINE AND IF YOU DO YOU'LL BE
PUNISHED I PROMISE YOU YOU'LL BE
HURT AND HE WAS PUNISHED HE WAS
HURT AND I APPLAUD THE PRESIDENT
AND OUR MEN AND WOMEN AND OUR
ARMED FORCES THEY'VE DONE A
MAGNIFICENT JOB, AND
CONGRESSWOMAN AND COLONEL NORTH
ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
ABBY: OLLIE, NOT EVERYONE AGREES
THAT THIS WAS THE RIGHT WAY TO
APPROACH THIS, YOU HAVE A NUMBER
OF DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS WHO SAYS
THERE WAS NO PLAN, THERE WAS NO
STRATEGY, NO AUTHORIZATION.
YOU HAVE SERVED THIS COUNTRY FOR
SO MANY YEARS.
HOW IMPORTANT IS IT AT A TIME
LIKE THIS FOR THE NATION TO COME
TOGETHER TO SUPPORT THE
WHAT THE PRESIDENT IS TRYING TO
DO HERE AND WHEN THEY CROSSED
THE RED LINE A DICTATOR AND
ANOTHER NATION THAT WE ACT ON
THAT.
>> WAS THAT FOR ME?
ABBY: OLLIE, UP TO YOU.
>> WELL LOOK, FIRST OF ALL I
WANT TO COME ALSO BACK TO WHAT I
SAID AT THE BEGINNING AND
EVERYBODY REINFORCED THAT.
THIS WAS A LIMITED OBJECTIVE AND
THE APPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF FORCE
WAS USED ON IT.
THE FACT THAT WE'VE GOT TWO
OTHER ALLIES ENGAGED IN THIS ONE
OF WHICH 32 YEARS AGO WOULDN'T
LET US OVER FRANCE.
WE DIDN'T ASK FRANCE TO JOIN US
IN THE ATTACK ON LIBYA.
ALL WE WANT TO DO IS FLY THE FB
111S FROM ENGLAND OVER FRANCE
TO ATTACK LIBYA.
LOOK AT THE WORLD IS STANDING
WITH US ON THIS IDEA THAT YOU
CANNOT USE CHEMICAL WEAPONS
AGAINST ANYBODY.
CERTAINLY NOT CIVILIANS, AND SO
I LOOK AT THIS, ALL THESE
QUESTIONS BEING ASKED ABOUT CAN
WE BELIEVE THE RUSSIANS?
LOOK THE RUSSIANS LIE ABOUT
EVERYTHING.
HOW DO YOU KNOW THEY'RE LYING?
THEIR LIPS ARE MOVING.
>> [LAUGHTER]
>> THE IDEAS THAT THE RUSSIANS
ARE GOING TO TELL THE TRUTH
ABOUT ANYTHING IN THIS THING IS
FOOLISHNESS.
AND WHAT I'M SUGGESTING TO YOU
IS WHAT WE OUGHT TO BE FOCUSED
ON IS THE REACTION OF THE ASSAD
REGIME AND THEIR ENABLERS ON THE
GROUND IN SYRIA.
FORGET THE REST OF IT.
THEY CAN SCREAM ALL THEY WANT
BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS WHAT'S
HAPPENING INSIDE SYRIA RIGHT NOW
TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS SYRIAN
CIVIL WAR DOESN'T SEE ANY
FURTHER USE OF THOSE CHEMICAL
WEAPONS.
GRIFF: CONGRESSWOMAN MCSALLY IF
I CAN JUST INTERJECT REAL QUICK
WE ARE HEARING FROM YOUR
COLLEAGUES MANY DEMOCRAT MEMBERS
SAYING THE PRESIDENT SHOULD HAVE
SOUGHT AUTHORIZATION.
WHAT DO YOU SAY?
>> WELL LET ME JUST SAY IN THIS
ENVIRONMENT A LOT OF THE
DEMOCRATS ARE GOING TO RESIST
LITERALLY EVERYTHING THE
PRESIDENT DOES AND SOME ARE
AUDITIONING FOR PRESIDENT
THEMSELVES, SO THAT'S NOT
HELPFUL.
IN THIS CASE, I BELIEVE THE
PRESIDENT HAD CLEAR AUTHORITIES
UNDER THE CONSTITUTION AS
ARTICLE TO AUTHORITIES, THE WAR
POWERS ACT, THE AUMF.
HE HAD ALL OF THE AUTHORITY HE
NEEDS.
AS SOON AS I LANDED LAST NIGHT
WHEN I GOT BACK TO TUCSON I HAD
A PHONE CALL FROM THE UNDER
SECRETARY OF STATE CALLING
ME TO GIVE US THE INFORMATION.
WE ARE IN VERY CLOSE CONTACT
WITH THE APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES
AND THE LEADERSHIP.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO BE MOVING
FORWARD, BUT I THINK THIS IS
JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE
DEMOCRATS RESISTING EVERYTHING
THE PRESIDENT DOES AND THE
HIPOCRACY OF HOW THEY TREAT HIM
VERSUS PREVIOUS DEMOCRAT
PRESIDENTS.
PETE: GERALDO OLLIE NORTH
POINTED OUT HOW FRANCE TREATED
US DIFFERENTLY AND THE SAME
COULD BE SAID OF THE UK IN 2013
PRESIDENT OBAMA EFFECTIVELY
STOOD DOWN ON THE RED LINE IN
LARGE PART BECAUSE THE
PARLIAMENT IN THE UK SAID WE
DON'T WANT ANY PART OF SYRIA AND
NOW HERE THEY ARE DIRECTLY
ALIGNEDED WITH US TAKING THIS
STAND ON THE USE OF CHEMICAL
WEAPONS . WHAT DOES THAT SAY
ABOUT PRESIDENT TRUMP'S
LEADERSHIP IN HIS APPROACH IN
THE WORLD AND SPECIFICALLY TO
THIS PROBLEM?
>> WELL IT'S OBVIOUS I COVERED
THE LIBYA STRIKES OVER 30 YEARS
AGO AND I REMEMBER THE CONTORTED
APPROACH OF OUR BOMBERS WAS SO
PROLONGED THAT MANY IN THE NEWS
BUSINESS NEW THE STRIKE WAS EN
ROUTE AND WE VOLUNTARILY KEPT
QUIET ABOUT IT UNTIL THEY WERE
CARRIED OUT BECAUSE WE DIDN'T
WANT TO ENDANGER OUR AIR MEN
COMING ON THOSE F1 11S BUT WE
HAVE A SITUATION HERE WHERE
CLEARLY FRANCE, BRITAIN AND THE
UNITED STATES STOOD TOGETHER.
THIS WAS AGAIN A PROPORTIONAL
DRAMATICALLY EFFECTIVE ATTACK.