ARTHEL: VERY FLUID SITUATION.
RICK LEVENTHAL, THANK YOU VERY
MUCH.
ERIC: WHAT COMES NEXT?
INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EXPERT
FOR THE MIT SECURITY STUDIES
PROGRAMS IS WITH US.
HE MET WITH OFFICIALS ABOUT THE
IRAN NUCLEAR PROGRAM AND
TESTIFIED ABOUT IRAN BEFORE THE
U.S. SENATE.
EXPELLING FOREIGN FORCES MEANING
US, OUR TROOPS, IS THIS
UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE FOR THE
STRIKE AND DO YOU THINK THEY
WILL GO THROUGH WITH THIS.
>> DEFINITELY, ERIC, THIS IS
UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE OF THE
STRIKE.
IRAQ REACTING TO THE FACT THAT
WE CARRIED OUT AN ASSASSINATION
ON THEIR OWN TERRITORY AND
KILLED SOME OF THEIR PEOPLE.
THAT WAS POLITICALLY
UNACCEPTABLE.
THERE ALREADY CAUGHT BETWEEN THE
U.S. AND IRAN AS IT WAS.
AND THIS JUST PUSHED IT OVER THE
EDGE.
WILL THEY ACTUALLY DO IT, ERIC?
I DON'T KNOW.
THIS IS MORE OF A SALVO.
IRAQ HAS A LOT OF PROBLEMS RIGHT
NOW.
MOST OF IT HAVING TO DO WITH
REFORM AND PROTEST MOVEMENT AND
THEIR OWN INTERNAL PROBLEMS.
THEY MAY BE JUST SOUNDING OFF
NOW.
I SORT OF DOUBT WHETHER THEY
FULLY PULL THE TRIGGER ON THAT.
BECAUSE THAT IS MORE
COMPLICATIONS IN A LOT FOR THEM
WHICH IS ALREADY DEEPLY
COMPLICATED.
ERIC: THEY HAVE A LOT OF
PROBLEMS WITH IRAN.
HOW DO YOU PREVENT FROM BECOMING
A SATELLITE OF TEHRAN?
WE SAW PROTESTS ON THE STREETS
IN BAGHDAD AGAINST THE
THEOCRATIC REGIME OF TEHRAN.
HOW DO OFFICIALS PUSH BACK
AGAINST THAT.
>> IRAN WAS THE COUNTRY THAT
KILL AD LOT OF ISIS WHEN ISIS
INVADED IRAQ.
THEY HAVE A POSITIVE BILATERAL
RELATIONSHIP.
THERE WILL BE TENSIONS.
IRAN WILL TRY TO ININFLUENCE
IRAQ AND SOMETIMES IT WILL
OVERPLAY ITS HAND.
WE SAW THE RESULT OF IRAN DOING
THAT EARLIER IN THE MONTH WHEN
YOU HAD PROTESTERS IN IRAQ
PROTESTING IRANIAN INFLUENCE.
RIGHT NOW WE YANKED THE RUG ON
THAT, RIGHT?
THEY WERE MAD AT US.
THEY WERE MAD AT IRANIANS.
THEY WERE PROTESTING THEM.
THAT WAS ALL BEFORE, THE FOCUS
IS ON US BECAUSE WE WENT TO
CARRY OUT THIS ASSASSINATION.
YOU'RE RIGHT, UNINTENDED
CONSEQUENCE.
I EXPECT THERE WILL BE MORE TO
FOLLOW.
ERIC: HERE IS SECRETARY OF STATE
MIKE POMPEO THIS MORNING ON
FOX NEWS SUNDAY TALKING ABOUT
THE IRAQI DECISION.
>> WE'VE BEEN IN THE COUNTRY.
WE'VE BEEN SUPPORTING IRAQI
SOVEREIGNTY.
WE'RE TALKING DOWN THE TERRORIST
THREAT AGAINST THE IRAQI PEOPLE.
THE PRIME MINISTER IS THE
RESIGNED PRIME MINISTER.
HE IS ACTING PRIME MINISTER.
HE IS UNDER ENORMOUS THREATS
FROM VERY IRANIAN LEADERSHIP IT
IS WE'RE PUSHING BACK AGAINST.
WE'RE CONFIDENT THAT THE IRAQI
PEOPLE WANT THE UNITED STATES TO
BE THERE TO FIGHT THE
COUNTERTERROR CAMPAIGN.
WE'LL DO ALL THE THINGS WE NEED
TO DO TO KEEP AMERICA SAFE.
ERIC: DO YOU THINK THAT WILL
HAPPEN?
>> I THINK THAT IS REALLY A
BIZARRE THING TO SAY.
WE'RE SAYING WE DON'T CARE WHAT
IRAQ THINKS.
WE'LL STAY IN IRAQ WHETHER THEY
WANT US OR NOT.
I DOUBT THAT IS TRUE.
I DON'T THINK IRAQ WILL GO ALL
THE WAY THROUGH.
THEY PASSED THE RESOLUTION
THROUGH THE PARLIAMENT BUT DON'T
COME TO THE ULTIMATE CONCLUSION.
MORE OPEN FIGHT WITH IRAN, THE
WORSE IT PUTS IRAQ IN THEIR
POSITION.
THEY ARE LITERALLY PHYSICALLY
CAUGHT BETWEEN US.
SO THIS SORT OF CONTINUING TO
MAKE THREATS, WE'RE GOING TO HIT
52 IRANIAN TARGETS.
WE'RE GOING TO ATTACK THEIR
CULTURAL CENTERS, THAT IS NOT
HELPING IRAQ.
THEY WANT TO PUSH US AWAY.
THEY DON'T WANT ANY PART OF
THAT.
ERIC: THE SECRETARY OF STATE
MADE IT VERY CLEAR WE'LL GO
AFTER THE DECISIONMAKERS.
JEH JOHNSON, OBAMA OFFICIAL SAID
SOLEIMANI WAS A LAWFUL MILITARY
OBJECTIVE.
HERE IS WHAT THE SECRETARY OF
STATE SAID THIS MORNING ON
"FOX NEWS SUNDAY."
>> IN 2015 THE OBAMA-BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION ESSENTIALLY
HANDED POWER TO THE IRANIAN
LEADERSHIP.
ACTED AS A QUASI-ALLY OF THEIRS,
UNDERWRITING THEM, UNDERWRITING
VERY MILITIAS KILL AMERICANS,
RESOURCES MONEY THEY HAD TO
BUILDOUT THE FORCES THROUGHOUT
THE SHIA CRESCENT WAS PROVIDED
BY THE NUCLEAR DEAL.
WE ALLOWED EUROPEANS TO GO DO
BUSINESS THERE.
PILED UP THE CASH.
ALL THESE THINGS ARE THE VERY
CHALLENGE THAT THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION HAD TO CORRECT.
ERIC: FINALLY, HOW DO YOU THINK
THIS WILL PLAY OUT, JIM.
>> WOW.
THAT TOOK A LOT OF CHUTZPAH.
THEY BROKE THE AGREEMENT.
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WENT IN
AND TRASHED THE AGREEMENT.
EVERYTHING WE SINCED
EXPERIENCED, DOWNING OF DRONES,
ATTACK ON AIR RAMCO IN
SAUDI ARABIA, ATTACK ON BASES,
NOW THIS BACK AND FORTH.
NONE OF THAT HAPPENED WHEN WE
HAD THE NUCLEAR AGREEMENT.
NONE OF THAT HAPPENED.
WHEN PRESIDENT TRUMP GOT OUT OF
THE NUCLEAR AGREEMENT HE
PROMISED THAT IRAN WOULD BEHAVE
PEACEFULLY.
THEY COULD --
ERIC: JIM.
ERIC: IRAN HAS BEEN ATTACKING
DID.
>> THAT IS OPPOSITE.
ERIC: IRAN HAS BEEN ATTACKING
THE WEST.
ISRAEL, THE BOMBING OF THE --
ARGENTINA.
ON AND ON.
>> NONE THAT HAPPENED DURING THE
IRAN DEAL.
TALK ABOUT WHAT IRAN DEAL
BETWEEN 2015 AND TIME THAT
MR. TRUMP BROKE THE IRAN DEAL.
THEY DID NONE OF THIS.
NONE OF IT.
THEY BROKE IT AND SAID, WE'LL
FORCE THEM TO DO OUR WILL.
WE'LL MAKE THEM SUBMIT AND ALL
WILL BE PEACEFUL AND EXACT
OPPOSITE HAS HAPPENED.
NOW THE U.S. IS IN THE BUSINESS
AND TO PICK UP ON YOUR POINT,
ERIC, WE'RE SAYING WE WILL
ASSASSINATE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
OF OTHER COUNTRIES, NOT SINCE
WORLD WAR II HAS THE U.S. EVER
DONE THAT.
WELCOME TO A NEW WORLD WHICH
OTHER COUNTRIES THEY MAY DECIDE
WANT TO ASSASSINATE US FOR
WHATEVER REASON.
THAT IS NOT A WORLD WE WANT TO
GET INTO.
WE'VE CROSSED A LINE HERE.
WE'RE CREATING A MORE DANGEROUS