THE ACCIDENT.
OFFICIALS EXPECT POWER TO BE
RESTORED SOMETIME TODAY.
>> Jon: NEW INFORMATION FROM
THE MIDDLE EAST NOW.
ISRAEL SENDS A STARK WARNING TO
IRAN AFTER CONDUCTING AIR
STRIKES OVER THE WEEKEND
AGAINST IRANIAN AND SYRIAN
FORCES IN SYRIA.
>> I HAVE BEEN WARNING FOR
SOMETIME ABOUT THE DANGERS OF
IRAN’S MILITARY ENTRENCHMENT IN
SYRIA.
IRAN SEEKS TO USE SYRIAN
TERRITORY TO ATTACK ISRAEL FOR
ITS PROFESSED GOAL OF
DESTROYING ISRAEL.
ISRAEL HOLDS IRAN AND SYRIAN
HOST RESPONSIBLE FOR TODAY’S
AGGRESSION AND WE’LL CONTINUE
TO DO WHATEVER IS NECESSARY TO
PROTECT OUR SOVEREIGNTY AND OUR
SECURITY.
>> Jon: JOINING US NOW IS
DANIEL DAVIS, MILITARY EXPERT.
THE ISRAELIS HAVE BEEN TRYING
TO STAY OUT OF THIS SYRIAN WAR
AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
THEY WENT AFTER WHAT THEY SAY
ARE IRANIAN TARGETS.
IRAN DENIES THEY HAD ANY
PERSONNEL THERE.
WHERE IS THE TRUTH?
>> WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT
ACTUALLY HAPPENED.
IRAN CAN DENY IT ALL DAY LONG.
IN THE END IT’S PRETTY CLEAR
THEY DID LOOSE SOME TROOPS.
INDEPENDENT REPORTING CONFIRMS
THIS.
ISRAEL HAS THE RIGHT TO DEFEND
THEMSELVES.
WHEN YOU HAVE WHETHER IT WAS
SYRIAN OR ISRAELI DRONE
ENTERING THEIR AIRSPACE THEY
HAVE THE RIGHT TO SHOOT IT DOWN
AND RETALIATE AS THEY DID.
YOU THINK AT SOME POINT SYRIA
AND IRAN WOULD REALIZE ISRAEL
IS SERIOUS ABOUT THEIR SECURITY
AND YOU CAN’T PLAY AROUND WITH
THEM.
>> Jon: THEY HAD AN ISRAELI
F-16 SHOT DOWN A COUPLE OF DAYS
BACK.
THE PILOTS EJECTED AND ESCAPED
BUT THAT’S THE FIRST TIME
ISRAEL HAS LOST A WAR PLANE
SINCE WHAT, 1982?
>> 1982.
WHAT APPARENTLY HAPPENED WAS
THEY WERE SWAMPED WITH A NUMBER
OF MORE THAN A DOZEN
ANTI-AIRCRAFT MISSILES, ONE OF
WHICH GOT CLOSE ENOUGH TO
DISABLE THE AIRCRAFT.
THAT DIDN’T WORK OUT VERY WELL
FOR SYRIA OR IRAN EITHER.
IN RETALIATION ISRAEL WENT BACK
AND COMPLETELY WIPED OUT A
NUMBER OF DIFFERENT BATTERIES.
THE NET/NET WAS A WIN FOR
ISRAEL.
I THINK SYRIA WILL REALLY
CONSIDER AGAIN BEFORE THEY
ALLOW THEIR AIRSPACE AND
PERSONNEL TO BE USED AS A
SURROGATE BY IRAN TO DO
ANYTHING TO ISRAEL.
>> Jon: THAT’S THE QUESTION.
COULD THIS THING CONTINUE TO
ESCALATE UPWARDS FROM HERE?
>> I DON’T THINK SO.
CERTAINLY SYRIA DEFINITELY
CANNOT AFFORD TO HAVE YET
ANOTHER MILITARY ENEMY BECAUSE
THEY ARE STILL FIGHTING FOR
THEIR LIVES IN THERE.
IRAN IS STRUGGLING AS THEY ARE,
THEY’RE STILL STRUGGLING
INTERNALLY.
THE LAST THING THEY NEED IS TO
ADD TO THEIR DIFFICULTIES AND
THEY ALSO DON’T WANT TO SPAWN
THE MILITARY FROM THE ISRAELI
DEFENSE FORCE, THE MOST
POWERFUL ONE IN THE REGION,
AGAINST THEIR ASSETS THERE.
SO THEY WANT TO TRY TO BE UNDER
THE RADAR.
THIS TIME THEY WENT TOO FAR.
>> Jon: THE RUSSIANS ARE
PROPPING UP THE SYRIAN
GOVERNMENT.
WHAT ARE THE DANGERS OF RUSSIAN
INVOLVEMENT MAYBE AGAINST
ISRAEL HERE?
>> THAT IS ONE OF THE DEFINITE
PROBLEMS THAT ANRIKTS THE WHOLE
AREA.
THE WHOLE SYRIA THING EXPOSES
HOW FRAGILE AND CHAOTIC THE
WHOLE MIDDLE EAST IS.
RUSSIA DOESN’T HAVE AN INTEREST
IN WAR AGAINST ISRAEL.
HIGH-LEVEL NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN
THE NATIONS ARE DECONFLICTING.
RUSSIA IS ON A DELICATE
TIMELINE.
THEY WANT TO DEFEND THEIR OWN
INTERESTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST
BUT NOT EXPAND IT INTO
SOMETHING THEY DON’T WANT TO
GET INTO.
IT’S A DANGER.
I THINK WE CAN NAVIGATE THIS.
>> Jon: IRAN AND NORTH KOREA
ARE THE TWO REMAINING MEMBERS
OF THE AXIS OF EVIL.
THE NORTH KOREANS ARE ISSUED AN
INVITATION TO A SUMMIT MEETING
AT THE HANDS OF KIM JONG-UN’S
LITTLE SISTER.
THE SOUTH KOREA PRESIDENT KIND
OF REBUFFED THE INVITATION A
LITTLE BIT.
AT LEAST DODGED IT.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE
PROSPECTS?
WHAT ARE THE NORTH KOREANS
TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH HERE?
>> FIRST OF ALL LET ME
REINFORCE THERE WILL BE NO WAR
ON THE KOREAN PENINSULA UNLESS
WE START ONE WITH A PREVENTIVE
MILITARY STRIKE AND I HOPE THE
ADMINISTRATION, THROUGH VICE
PRESIDENT PENCE’S OVERTOURS TO
HAVE TALKS WITH NORTH KOREA
INDICATE A SHIFT IN STRATEGY.
THE ULTIMATE OBJECTIVE OF THE
UNITED STATES IS TO PREVENT
NORTH KOREA FROM USING ANY OF
THEIR NUCLEAR WEAPONS WHICH
THEY’VE HAD FOR OVER A DECADE
BOTH NOW AND INTO THE FUTURE.
SO WE DON’T WANT TO START A WAR
THAT WOULD ACTUALLY PREVENT OR
CAUSE THE VERY THING WE’RE
TRYING TO PREVENT BUT WE ALSO
HAVE TO RECOGNIZE DIPLOMACY