THE U.S. DISPATCHING 1,000
TROOPS TO THE MIDDLE EAST
TONIGHT AS IRAN RAMPS UP ITS
ENRICHMENT OF URANIUM DAYS AFTER
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ACCUSED
THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF
ORCHESTRATING AN ATTACK ON OIL
TANKERS.
THE U.S. DOES NOT WANT WAR WITH
IRAN.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME HE SAID WE
ARE CONSIDERING A QUOTE FULL
RANK OF OPTIONS TO DEAL WITH THE
THREAT FROM TEHRAN.
>> I WAS AWAY AT DISNEY WORLD
OVER THE WEEKEND.
WE PROMISED THE KID WHEN WE GOT
OUT OF SCHOOL WE WOULD DO THIS.
OF COURSE, WE HAD TO TAKE THEM
ON THE ICONIC RIDE "IT'S A SMALL
WORLD" AT THE MAGIC KINGDOM.
I USED TO LOVE THE RIDE AS A KID
AND IT'S BEAUTIFUL AS EVER.
YOU KNOW WHAT IN THE WORLD
SEEMED LIKE ONE BIG AWESOME
TOTALLY HAPPY INCREDIBLE PLACE.
WHAT AN ASPIRATIONAL IDEA.
UNATTAINABLE, HOWEVER.
THAT'S THE REALITY.
THIS LATEST CONFLICT WITH IRAN
SHOWCASE THAT.
THERE ARE TOO MANY
SELF-INTERESTED ACTORS IN THE
WORLD AND THEY ARE WILLING TO GO
TO GREAT LENGTHS IN AN ATTEMPT
TO PUSH THEIR OWN AGENDA SO THEY
CAN GET AHEAD.
WHETHER THEY ARE OUTRIGHT
STEALING FROM US HIKE CHINA, OR
IN THE CASE OF IRAN, ATTEMPTING
TO DRAG US INTO A WAR IN AN
ATTEMPT TO REINSTATE A DEAL THAT
WAS ECONOMICALLY SPEAKING NOT SO
GOOD.
NOT SO GOOD FOR US.
YOU KNOW, NOT EVEN SO GOOD FOR
THEM.
THAT'S THE TRUTH OF IT.
IT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER.
PRESIDENT TRUMP OFFERED TO
RENEGOTIATE WITH THEM.
THEY HAVE THUMBED THEIR NOSE
REPEATEDLY AT THAT.
SO PRESIDENT TRUMP NEED TO BE
CAREFUL RIGHT NOW.
AND I AM SURE HE WILL BE.
BECAUSE HE KNOWS THERE ARE
SELF-UNDERRED PEOPLE EVERYWHERE.
ACTUALLY INCLUDING RIGHT HERE IN
AMERICA.
THERE MAY BE A LOT OF AMERICANS
WHISPERING TO THE IRANIANS THAT
THEY JUST NEED TRUMP OUT OF THE
WHITE HOUSE.
AND THEN THE DEMOCRATS CAN
REINSTATE THAT DEAL.
WHILE WAITING FOR A NEW WHITE
HOUSE, THEY ARE KIND OF DUMB.
ON IRAN'S PART ANYWAY.
NUMBER ONE, BY RECENT POLLING I
SUSPECT TRUMP MIGHT GET
RE-ELECTED.
IF THE IRANIANS SIT DOWN AT THE
TABLE WITH THE PRESIDENT AND
NEGOTIATE SOMETHING NEW, THE
DEMOCRATS AREN'T GOING TO TEAR
IT UP.
OF COURSE, THAT REELECT THING IS
PREDICATED UPON A STRONG ECONOMY
AND PEACE.
HARD IN
PERD IN
PEAC IN
PEACE N
PEACE -- IN OTHER WORDS,
PEOPLE LIKE A STRONG ECONOMY AND
PEACE.
NO WORLD WAR III OR PROLONGED
MILITARY CONFLICT WITH IRAN.
BUT THERE ARE POLITICALLY
MOTIVATED, SELF-INTERESTED
PEOPLE EVERYWHERE, INCLUDING IN
AMERICA.
AND THERE ARE PEOPLE IN AMERICA
THAT WOULD LIKE NOTHING MORE
THAN TO SEE US ENGAGE IN A WAR
WITH IRAN BECAUSE THEY KNOW WAR
COULD VERY WELL SPELL THE END OF
TRUMP 2020.
SO IRAN MAY ACTUALLY BE EVEN
COUNSELED RIGHT NOW TO BE AS BAD
AN ACTOR AS IT CAN BE ON THE
WORLD TABLE, ALL IN A DELIBERATE
EFFORT TO PROVOKE A U.S.
MILITARY RESPONSE.
WE KNOW WASHINGTON HAS BECOME
UNGOVERNABLE THANKS TO THE
BITTER PARTISANSHIP.
TOO MANY PARTISAN ACTORS PUTTING
POLITICS BEFORE COUNTRY.
AS A RESULT, THE IRAN CONFLICT
WILL PROVE TO BE A REAL TEST FOR
DONALD J TRUMP.
HE MUST FOLLOW HIS INSTINCTS AND
STAY FAR AWAY FROM THE NOISE
IRAN IS TRYING TO MAKE.
FOR NOW HE SHOULD SANCTION SANG
SANG SOME MORE.
-- AND SANCTION SOME MORE,
MAKING IT ECONOMICALLY PAINFUL.
IRAN IS TRYING TO PLAY IT HAND.
BUT HERE IS THE REALITY.
IT DOESN'T HAVE A HAND TO PLAY.
HERE WITH US IS RETIRED MAJOR
GENERAL, BOB SCALES.
MIKE POMPEO VIEWS IT AS A
DEFENSIVE MOVE.
WHY IS IRAN DOING ALL THIS NOW?
>> AS FAR AS THE IRANIANS ARE
CONCERNED, THREE WORD,
SANCTIONS, SANCTIONS AND
SANCTIONS.
A LOT OF MY MILITARY FRIENDS
LIKE TO COMPARE NORTH KOREA WITH
IRAN AS IF THEY WERE COMPATIBLE
AND SIMILAR ENEMIES.
IT'S NOT TRUE.
HALF OF THE IRANIAN POPULATION
IS YOUNGER THAN 35.
THEY HAVE ACCESS TO SOCIAL MEDIA
AND TWITTER AND ALL THE REST.
THEY KNOW WHAT LIFE IS LIKE IN
THE WEST AND THEY ARE GETTING
SICK AND TIRED OF THE MULLAHS
CRAMMING THEIR LIBERTIES AND
DESTROYING THEIR WAY OF LIFE.
IRAN IS I TINDER BOX.
AND THE LAST THING THE FULLAS
CAN PUT UP WITH IS TO SEE THEIR
ECONOMY FALL, UNABLE TO EXPORT A
SINGLE BARREL OF OIL.
SO THERE IS A TWO-PRONGED
APPROACH.
ONE IS TO THREATEN WITH NUCLEAR
WEAPONS AND THE OTHER IS CONDUCT
A SILLY CAMPAIGN ATTEMPTING TO
MINE SHIPS IN THE STRAIT OF
HORMUZ.
WE ON THE OTHER HAND ARE TRYING
TO BUILD AND PUT TOGETHER A
COALITION OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE
INTEREST IN THE PERSIAN GULF,
MAINLY EUROPE AND JAPAN BEFORE
WE CONTEMPLATE TAKING MILITARY
ACTION, TRISH.
>> BEFORE EVERYONE GETS AHEAD OF
THEMSELVES ON THIS.
I KNOW IT'S EASY TO SAY.
YOU SAY YOU WANT TO MESS WITH
US, BOOM, DONE, OVER.
YOU ARE GOING TO WISH YOU NEVER
ENTERTAINED THOSE THOUGHTS.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME IF WE GO
MARCHING TOWARD SOME KIND OF WAR
WITH IRAN, I FEEL THAT'S EXACT
HI WHAT THEY WANT.
THE MULLAHS WANT IT.
THERE ARE OTHER UNDER NATIONAL
ACTORS THAT WANT IT.
I'M NOT GOING TO GET POLITICAL
ON YOU.
BUT THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE IN THE
U.S. THAT WOULD ALMOST LIKE TO
SEE THAT CONFLICT BECAUSE THEN
THAT'S BAD FOR DONALD TRUMP AND
HE'S LESS LIKELY TO GET ELECTED.
IRAN WOULD LIKE THE CONFLICT
BECAUSE THEN THEY THINK IF HE
DOESN'T GET ELECTED IN 2020
BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE UPSET ABOUT
THE INTERNATIONAL SCENE.
MAYBE WE CAN GET A DEMOCRAT IN
AND REINSTATE THAT OLD PLAN.
THAT PLAN IS NOT A GOOD ONE FOR
ANYONE.
INCLUDING ONE FROM AN ECONOMIC
PERSPECTIVE.
THEY COULD HAVE GONE THE MORE
U.S. INVESTMENT AND THEY COULD
HAVE BEEN ON A BETTER PLAIN.
THE' PRESIDENT OFFERED TO
CONSIDER RENEGOTIATION.
HE OFFERED TO SIT DOWN WITH THEM
AND THEY THUMB THEIR NOSE AT IT?
>> WE HAVE A TENDENCY IN THIS
TOWN TO OVERUSE THE "W" WAR.
A STRIKE AGAINST IRAN WOULDN'T
BE A WAR.
WE SHOULDN'T START DIGGING
FALLOUT SHELTERS JUST YET.
THIS IS A SITUATION THAT HAS TO
BE MANAGED BY THE
ADMINISTRATION.
AND I THINK SECRETARY POMPEO IS
DOING A BRILLIANT JOB AT IT.
KEEP ADDING FORCES INTO THE
REGION TO TELL THE IRANIANS WE
ARE NOT BACKING DOWN.
NUMBER TWO, FIND SOME ALLIES
WILLING TO JOIN US.
NOT ALLIES WHO HAVE AN
IDEOLOGICAL MIND MELD WITH US.
BUT ALLIES WHO GET THEIR FOSSIL
FUELS THROUGH THE PERSIAN GULF.
FINALLY, DON'T TAKE THE IRANIAN
BAIT.
AT THE END OF THE DAY ALL WE
CARE ABOUT IS KEEPING THE
STRAITS OPEN AND PREVENT THESE
GUYS FROM DEVELOPING A NUCLEAR
WEAPON.
>> THEY THINK THEY ARE PEOPLE IN
IRAN THAT WANT TO SEE SO KIND OF
CONFLICT.
THERE ARE PEOPLE HIGH UP AND THE
MULLAHS THAT MAY WANT THIS
CONFLICT.
AND THAT'S WHY IT'S IMPORTANT
FOR EVERYBODY TO KEEP THEIR HEAD
CLEAR AND STRAIGHT AND
UNDERSTAND THE MOTIVATIONS OF
TONIGHT SELF-INTERESTED ACTORS.
CHINESE PRESIDENT XI JINPING IS
HEADING TO NORTH KOREA FOR HIS
FIRST STATE VISIT WITH KIM
JONG-UN.
' HIGHLIGHTING CHINA'S VALUE IN
PUSHING NORTH KOREA TO ELIMINATE
ITS NUCLEAR PROGRAM.
>> I THINK XI IS GETTING A
LITTLE TENSE RIGHT NOW.
FOR THE LAST 60, 70 YEARS, THE
NORTH KOREANS HAVE ALWAYS DANCED
TO THE CHINESE TUNE.
THEN ALONG COMES DONALD TRUMP
HOP THREW A WRENCH IN THE
SECOND.
THE LAST THING THE CHINESE WANT
IS A FREE NORTH KOREA AND
UNIFIED WITH SOUTH KOREA WITH
THE SOUTH KOREANS IN CHARGE.
IT GOES BACK TO ECONOMICS.
THE NORTH KOREANS ARE BEING
CRUSHED UNDER THESE SANCTIONS
AND THEY ARE DESPERATE TO FIND A
WAY OUT.
ONE OF THE WAYS TO GET OUT FROM
UNDERNEAR THIS IS TO STRIKE A
NEW DEAL WITH THE CHINESE AND
XI.
I DON'T THINK XI IS GOING ALONG
WITH IT.
TRISH: I LIKE THE CHINESE
BECAUSE IT'S A WAY TO INFLUENCE
THE CHINESE.
THESE ARE LIVES WE ARE TALKING
ABOUT, SO IF THERE IS A WAY TO
INFLUENCE ECONOMICALLY WITHOUT
HAVING TO COST ANY AMERICAN
LIVES, THAT'S THE WAY TO GO.
>> I GUESS I WOULD PUT IT LIKE
THIS.
WE ARE THE MOST OF POWERFUL
ECONOMIC ENGINE ON THE FACE OF
THE EARTH.
THE DOLLAR IS THE CORNER OF THE
REALM FOR THE PLANET.
WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN RELUCTANT TO
PUSH AROUND OUR ECONOMIC CLOUD.
I WOULD RATHER FACE SOMEBODY OFF
WITH SANCTIONS THAN SEND ANOTHER