TALKED ABOUT HIS ROLE IN MEDIA
REPORTS.
RIGHT NOW WE ARE ALSO WAITING,
EVERYBODY, ON THE STATE
DEPARTMENT.
THEY WILL BE BRIEFING THE PUBLIC
AS PRESIDENT TRUMP CONSIDERS
THESE MILITARY OPTIONS.
WHAT IS HE GOING TO DO TO
RESPOND TO THE CHEMICAL ATTACK
IN SYRIA.
THIS IS NOT ONE THAT THE
WHITE HOUSE CAN SIT BY AND
ALLOW.
THEY'RE WORKING IN COORDINATION
WITH OUR ALLIES SPECIFICALLY IN
EUROPE THAT WE DO NEED TO TAKE
ACTION ON THIS BUT U.N.
AMBASSADOR NIKKI HALEY SAYS IT
IS IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE ALL
THE INFORMATION BEFORE WE MAKE A
DECISION.
HERE SHE IS, WATCH.
>> DON'T RUSH DECISIONS LIKE
THIS.
IF YOU RUSH DECISIONS LIKE THIS,
YOU MAKE A MISTAKE.
WHAT WE'RE MAKING SURE WE HAVE
ALL THE INFORMATION TO KNOW IF
WE DO SOMETHING, WHAT WILL
HAPPEN, HOW WILL IT HAPPEN AND
WILL IT HURT ANYONE?
>> NOW WE DO KNOW THAT IT WAS A
CHEMICAL ATTACK.
WE DO KNOW, OUR OWN INTELLIGENCE
HAS CONFIRMED THAT, BUT NIKKI
HALEY SOUNDING A LITTLE BIT LIKE
MADELEINE ALBRIGHT THERE, LOOK
WE NEED TO EXAMINE THIS, WE NEED
TO BE CAREFUL AND WE NEED TO BE
ASSURED FOR WHAT WE'RE DOING.
LET'S GO TO RETIRED
LIEUTENANT-GENERAL JERRY BOYKIN
WHO JOINS ME NOW.
GENERAL, HOW WOULD YOU BE
APPROACHING THIS.
>> I'M SORRY, SAY AGAIN PLEASE?
TRISH: HOW SHOULD WE APPROACH
THE PROBLEM IN SYRIA AND BASHAR
ASSAD AND WHAT HE HAS DONE TO
HIS PEOPLE?
>> FIRST OF ALL I THINK THE
PRESIDENT'S TIMING HAS TO BE
PERFECT ON THIS BECAUSE THE
WORLD IS WATCHING.
I THINK WHEN YOU'RE IN A
COALITION AS WE ARE NOW, HE HAS
BROUGHT IN AT LEAST THREE OTHER
COALITION MEMBERS, YOU GOT TO
GET IT RIGHT FROM THE VERY
BEGINNING.
I THINK NEED TO COME BACK AT
BASHAR AL-ASSAD NOT ONLY A VERY
DEVASTATING ATTACK ON HIS
MILITARY CAPABILITIES BUT ONE
THAT WILL SEND HIM AND REST OF
THE WORLD A VERY DISTINCT
MESSAGE WE'RE NOT GOING TO STAND
BY AND WATCH PEOPLE BE KILLED
WITH THESE CHEMICAL WEAPONS
WHICH ARE WEAPONS OF MASS
DESTRUCTION AND I WOULD JUST
REMIND EVERYBODY THAT SAYS WE
NEED TO STAY OUT OF SYRIA.
WE'VE BEEN IN SYRIA FOR QUITE
SOME TIME AND NOW IS THE TIME
FOR TO US ACT TO STOP THIS
GENOCIDE.
TRISH: IT'S COMPLICATED IN THAT
RUSSIA HAS BACKED BASHAR
AL-ASSAD.
WE CAN'T BACK ANYBODY WHO HAS
DONE THE ATROCIOUS THINGS HE HAS
DONE, YET WE'RE NOT WILLING,
GENERAL, TO TAKE HIM OUT
ENTIRELY.
HOW COME?
>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL I'M NOT
SURE THAT IS ACTUALLY TRUE BUT
ANYTIME YOU TRY TO TAKE A PERSON
OUT AND IN MY 36 YEARS IN
SPECIAL OPERATIONS, THAT IS A
VERY DIFFICULT THING TO DO.
AND BY THE WAY, WE DO HAVE THE,
THE CIA HAS COVERT AUTHORITIES
TO DO THAT JUST AS THE MILITARY
BUT THE POINT IS --
TRISH: DON'T WE HAVE A U.N.
RESOLUTION AGAINST THAT, BY THE
WAY, OR DOES IT NOT APPLY TO
SOMEBODY LAUNCHING CHEMICAL
ATTACKS ON ITS PEOPLE?
>> UNITED NATIONS IS A DIFFERENT
ISSUE ALL TOGETHER BUT AMERICA
HAS AN EXECUTIVE ORDER CALLED
EXECUTIVE ORDER 12333, TALKS
ABOUT HOW WE DON'T ASSASSINATE
PEOPLE FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES.
WE'RE AT WAR HERE, WE'RE AT WAR
IRAQ.
WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND AND ACCEPT
THAT.
TAKING BASHAR AL-ASSAD OUT IS
FAR MORE DIFFICULT THAN PEOPLE
THINK.
LIKE KIM JONG-UN.
FIRST OF ALL YOU HAVE TO KNOW
WHERE HE IS.
YOU HAVE TO KNOW TO THE MINUTE
WHERE HE IS.
SECONDLY YOU HAVE TO GET TO HIM.
REMEMBER UNDER RONALD REAGAN WE
DROPPED BOMBS ON GADHAFI'S TENT.
THE PROBLEM WAS HE WAS NOT IN
THE TENT AT THE TIME.
THIS IS A DIFFICULT OPERATION
BUT FROM MY PERSPECTIVE I SEE
NOTHING IMMORAL FOR TAKING OUT A
EVIL DESPOT LIKE BASHAR
AL-ASSAD.
TRISH: WE DID THAT IN IRAQ.
WHAT WE FOUND OUT EFFECTIVELY
YEARS DOWN THE ROAD IS ISIS.
IF YOU TAKE BASHAR AL-ASSAD OUT
AND YOU DO NOT HAVE A PLAN FOR
WHO IS GOING TO GO IN, GENERAL,
WHAT KIND OF CHAOS DO YOU THEN
HAVE?
>> I THINK THAT IS A VERY
SERIOUS CONCERN.
THE TIMING HAS TO BE RIGHT, WHY
I SAID THAT IN THE BEGINNING.
THE TIMING OF WHAT WE DO HAS TO
BE ABSOLUTELY PERFECT IN THIS.
BUT LET ME SAY THIS.
I, FIRST OF ALL THERE ARE WORSE
OPTIONS THAN BASHAR AL-ASSAD.
THAT WOULD BE THE RESURGENCE OF
ISIS AND AL QAEDA AND OTHER
ENTITIES LIKE THEM THAT WOULD
FORM SOME KIND OF A COALITION TO
GOVERN SYRIA.
WHAT THAT MEANS IS, ISRAEL IS AT
RISK.
ANY CHRISTIANS THAT ARE LEFT
THERE WILL BE KILLED BECAUSE
THEY HAVE ALREADY SHOWN THEIR
NOT ONLY THEIR PROPENSITY TO DO
THAT BUT TEAR INTENT TO DO THAT
COULD YOU WIND UP WITH A WORSE
THING THAN YOU HAVE NOW WITH
BASHAR AL-ASSAD IN POWER.
I DON'T DENY THAT FOR ONE
MINUTE.
TRISH: WELL, I GUESS GOES BACK
TO WHY WE NEED TO BE
EXTRAORDINARILY CAREFUL ABOUT
THE MOVES WE MAKE AT THIS POINT
IN TIME WHILE MAKING IT CLEAR