>>> THIS IS CNN BREAKING NEWS.
>> AND THAT BREAKING NEWS ON
THIS FRIDAY MORNING, GROWING
CONCERNS ABOUT AN ESCALATING
CONFLICT IN THE MIDDLE EAST
AFTER THE U.S. AND BRITISH
MILITARIES LAUNCHED RETALIATORY
STRIKES AGAINST MULTIPLE HOUTHI
TARGETS IN YEMEN.
NEW VIDEO RELEASED BY THE UK
DEFENSE MINISTRY OVER THE COURSE
OF THE LAST SEVERAL HOURS, FIVE
PEOPLE WERE KILLED AND SIX
INJURED ACCORDING TO A HOUTHI
MILITARY SPOKESPERSON.
A U.S. MILITARY OFFICIAL SAYS A
SIGNIFICANT PERCENTAGE OF HOUTHI
ASSETS WERE DESTROYED.
16 LOCATIONS WERE HIT INCLUDING
A COMMAND CENTER, WEAPONS DEPOT
AND LAUNCH CENTERS THAT WERE
TARGETED.
>> THIS COMES AFTER WEEKS OF
ATTACKS ON COMMERCIAL SHIPS IN
THE RED SEA.
ATTACKS THAT HAVE FORCED 2,000
SHIPS TO DIVERT THOUSANDS OF
MILES AROUND THE RED SEA.
THAT IS CAUSING MAJOR DELAYS AND
DIRECTLY IMPACTING THE GLOBAL
ECONOMY, AND THE U.S. FOR WEEKS
HAS TRIED TO PREVENT THE
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR FROM SPREADING
CONFLICT IN THE REGION
REPEATEDLY WARNING THE HOUTHIS
ABOUT POSSIBLE RETALIATION.
>> IT DOESN'T STOP.
THERE WILL HAVE TO BE
CONSEQUENCES, AND UNFORTUNATELY
IT HASN'T STOPPED BUT WE WANT TO
MAKE SURE THAT IT DOES, AND
WE'RE PREPARED TO DO THAT.
>> THOSE WARNINGS HAVE TURNED TO
ACTION, AND PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS
NOT RULED OUT MORE MILITARY
ACTION, SAYING, QUOTE, I WILL
NOT HESITATE TO DIRECT FURTHER
MEMBERS TO PROTECT OUR PEOPLE
AND THE FREE FLOW OF
INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE AS
NECESSARY.
WE HAVE TEAM COVERAGE ON THIS
IMPORTANT MORNING.
EXPERTS ARE STANDING BY AND
NATASHA BERTRAND IS AT THE
PENTAGON.
THERE HAVE BEEN WARNINGS FOR
WEEKS THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN.
IT HAS HAPPENED.
WHAT ARE THE EXPECTATIONS GOING
FORWARD?
>> THE HOUTHIS ARE ALREADY
RESPONDING AND THEY ARE SAYING
THAT THEY ARE GOING TO
RETALIATE, THE EXTENT TO WHICH
THEY ACTUALLY CAN AFTER THE
STRIKES LAST NIGHT REMAINS
UNCLEAR.
THE HOUTHI DEPUTY FOREIGN
MINISTER RELEASED A STATEMENT
SAYING, QUOTE, OUR COUNTRY WAS
SUBJECTED TO A MASSIVE
AGGRESSIVE ATTACK.
AMERICA AND BRITAIN WILL
UNDOUBTEDLY PREPARE A HEAVY
PRICE AND BEAR ALL THE DIRE
CONSEQUENCES OF THIS BLATANT
AGGRESSION.
THE HOUTHIS HAD BEEN WARNED FOR
SEVERAL WEEKS AND MONTHS THAT IF
THEY DID NOT STOP THEN THE U.S.
WOULD NOT HESITATE TO STRIKE
BACK, AND WOULD NOT HESITATE TO
TAKE ACTION TO MAKE THEM STOP.
OF COURSE THE U.S. WAS ABLE TO
PULL TOGETHER THE COALITION OF
COUNTRIES TO SUPPORT A RESPONSE,
A VERY CONTROVERSIAL ONE, ONE
THAT WAS ACTIVELY DEBATED WITHIN
THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION FOR
QUITE SOME TIME BECAUSE THEY
WERE HESITANT ABOUT ESCALATING
THE WAR ANY FURTHER AND HESITANT
ABOUT UPSETTING A DELICATE TRUCE
THAT HAS BN BROKERED BY THE
U.S. AND INSIDE YEMEN FOR THE
LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
THE HOUTHIS ARE AN IRAN-BACKED
GROUP THAT EMERGED IN THE '90s
OUT OF THE YEMEN CIVIL WAR.
THE MEMBERS BELONG TO A BRANCH
OF SHIA ISLAM.
THEY ARE A POWERFUL GROUP.
OVER THE COURSE OF SEVERAL YEARS
OF A WAR WITH SAUDI ARABIA, THE
SAUDIS WERE NOT ABLE TO DEGRADE
THEM TO THE POINT THAT THEY WERE
NO LONGER ABLE TO CONTROL THAT
SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF YEMEN.
THE QUESTION NOW IS WILL THESE
MASSIVE STRIKES REALLY OVER 60
LOCATIONS WERE TARGETED, OVER 60
TARGETS HIT BY 16 LOCATIONS IN
THE U.S. AND UK, IS THAT ENOUGH
TO DEGRADE THE HOUTHI
CAPABILITIES TO CONTINUE THE
STRIKES ON RED SEA SHIPPING.
THAT REMAINS AN OPEN QUESTION.
A SENIOR MILITARY OFFICIAL DID
SAY LAST NIGHT THAT THE
PERCENTAGE OF THE TARGETS THAT
WERE HIT IS QUOTE, SIGNIFICANT,
PHIL.
>> NATASHA BERTRAND, LIVE FROM
THE PENTAGON.
>> LET'S BRING IN ANALYST FOR
THE "NEW YORK TIMES," DAVID
SANGER, AND MILITARY ANALYST,
AND RETIRED AIR FORCE COLONEL
CEDRIC LEIGHTON.
GOOD TO SEE BOTH OF YOU THIS
MORNING.
I
PICKING UP WHERE NATASHA LEFT
OFF, ONE OF THE THINGS HE WROTE
THAT STOOD OUT WAS THE REAL
NEED.
THE CREDIBILITY OF U.S. POWER
WAS ON THE LINE.
AN IMPERATIVE TO ESTABLISH
DETERRENCE, BECAUSE THE CALLS
FOR DETERRENCE WERE NOT WORKING.
WHEN WILL THE U.S. KNOW WHETHER
THAT WAS EFFECTIVE AND THAT GOAL
WAS ACHIEVED?
>> IT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION
BECAUSE THE FINE LINE IS
ESTABLISHING DETERRENCE AND THE
PROVOCATION OF A CONTINUING WAR.
THAT'S BEEN THE DEBATE TAKING
PLACE WITHIN THE WHITE HOUSE FOR
WEEKS NOW.
THEY COULD HAVE DONE THESE
STRIKES TWO WEEKS AGO.
THEY COULD HAVE DONE THEM TWO
MONTHS AGO.
THE REASON THEY DIDN'T WANT TO
WAS THAT THEY WERE CONCERNED
ABOUT OPENING ESSENTIALLY A
THIRD FRONT IN THE WAR.
OBVIOUSLY GAZA'S ONE,
INCREASINGLY LEBANON AND THE
HEZBOLLAH ATTACKS THERE ARE
SECOND, AND HERE THEY WANTED TO
DO SOMETHING THAT WOULD
BASICALLY QUIET THIS PROBLEM.
AND OF COURSE IT'S THE RED SEA
PROBLEM THAT IS GOING TO MOST
AFFECT CONSUMER PRICES.
IT'S THE RED SEA PROBLEM THAT'S
GOING TO MOST AFFECT WHETHER
SHIPPING RESUMES.
WE NOW HAVE SEEN A WIDE VARIETY
OF COMPANIES SAY THEY CAN'T GET
PARTS OR CAN'T GET PARTS ON TIME
BECAUSE THEY'VE HAD TO CLOSE OFF
RED SEA.
>> YEAH, IT'S A HUGELY
CONSEQUENTIAL GEOPOLITICAL ISSUE
RIGHT NOW.
COLONEL LEIGHTON WHEN YOU STEP
BACK AND LOOK AT THE SCALE OF
THE OPERATION LAST NIGHT, A
JOINT OPERATION WITH THE U.S.
AND ITS ALLIES, WHAT DOES IT
TELL YOU ABOUT THE INTENT HERE?
>> THE INTENT, I THINK, AND GOOD
MORNING TO YOU, IS TO MAKE SURE
THAT THE HOUTHIS REALLY CAN'T
CUT TRADE IN THE RED SEA,
TRANSIT THROUGH THE RED SEA, AND
SO AS A RESULT OF THAT, THE WAY
THAT THEY DID THIS WAS REALLY
DESIGNED TO HIT THE HOUTHIS
HARD, HIT THEM ONCE OR MAYBE
TWICE AND THEN HOPEFULLY THAT
WILL BE IT.
BUT I THINK WE HAVE TO BE
PREPARED FOR MORE ACTIONS TO
HAPPEN FOR THE HOUTHIS TO
RESPOND TO ONE WAY OR THE OTHER
BECAUSE THEY WILL HAVE SOME IN
SPITE OF THE SUBSTANTIAL
STRIKES, THEY WILL HAVE WAYS TO
TRY TO REACH OUT AND ATTACK
SHIPPING IN THE RED SEA AND IN
OTHER AREAS AS WELL.
>> COLONEL, TO THAT POINT, WHAT
ARE YOU WATCHING FOR, THEN, IN
THE COMING DAYS, AND WHERE ARE
YOU WATCHING?
>> WHAT I'M LOOKING AT, ERICA,
ARE, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE
MOVEMENTS THAT THE HOUTHIS ARE
GOING TO UNDERTAKE.
YOU KNOW, ARE THEY GOING TO BE
ABLE TO REPAIR SOME OF THEIR
DAMAGED RADARS TO THEIR
AIRFIELDS, ARE THEY GOING TO BE
ABLE TO LAUNCH DRONE STRIKES?
THAT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST
IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF THIS.
ARE THEY GOING TO BE LAUNCHING
CRUISE MISSILES AND BALLISTIC
MISSILES AGAINST THE TARGETS IN
THE RED SEA, AND WILL THEY ALSO
TRY TO GO AFTER TARGETS IN SAUDI
ARABIA OR EVEN ISRAEL AS A
RESULT OF THIS.
AND WILL OTHERS JOIN THEM.
WILL THE IRANIANS SHOW THEIR
HAND?
I DON'T THINK THEY WILL AT THIS
POINT IN TIME, BUT IT'S
DEFINITELY SOMETHING TO WATCH,
AND WILL OTHER IRANIAN PROXIES
ALSO JOIN IN THIS?
THOSE IRANIAN PROXIES EXTENDING
FROM IRAQ TO LEBANON TO GAZA,
THEY COULD POTENTIALLY DO
SOMETHING.
HAMAS IN GAZA IS GOING TO BE
OCCUPIED WITH THE ISRAELIS BUT
OTHERS ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO
DO SOMETHING THAT COULD UPSET
THE BALANCE PERHAPS IN IRAQ,
PERHAPS IN SYRIA, AND PERHAPS IN
OTHER PARTS OF THE MIDDLE EAST.
>> DAVID, WE KNOW WHITE HOUSE
OFFICIALS INFORMED CONGRESSIONAL
LEADERSHIP IN ADVANCE OF THESE
STRIKES THAT THEY WERE GOING TO
BE HAPPENING.
HOWEVER, YOU DID HEAR FROM SOME
HOUSE DEMOCRATS IN PARTICULAR
WHO ARE RAISING SERIOUS CONCERNS
ABOUT THE LEGAL AUTHORITY BEHIND
THIS, USING THE WORDS REAL
RETALIATORY AND DEFENSIVE, WE'LL
HEAR THE RATIONALE.
LISTEN TO WHAT RO KHANNA HAD TO
SAY.
>> THE CONSTITUTION REQUIRES IF
THERE'S NOT AN IMMINENT THREAT
OF SELF-DEFENSE THAT HE HAS TO
COME TO CONGRESS AND HERE WE
KNOW BY YOUR OWN REPORTING THAT
THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE
DECEMBER.
HE'S ASSEMBLED AN ENTIRE
INTERNATIONAL COALITION.
HE CERTAINLY SHOULD HAVE COME TO
CONGRESS SO WE CAN DISCUSS
WHETHER THIS ACTUALLY COULD PUT
MORE AMERICAN TROOPS AT RISK.
I'M CONCERNED ABOUT RETALIATION
IN IRAQ, AND WHETHER IT COULD
DRAW US INTO A MIDDLE EAST WAR.
>> DAVID, WE COULD HAVE A
SIX-HOUR DISCUSSION ABOUT WAR
POWERS AND HOW THIS HAS BEEN
OPERATED OVER THE COURSE OF
SEVERAL DECADES, MOVING AWAY
FROM CONGRESS, BUT DO YOU THINK
THOSE CONCERNS HAVE MERIT?
>> THERE IS SOME MERIT TO THEM,
BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS
THE WAR POWERS ACT HAS RARELY
BEEN USED IN ADVANCE OF THESE
THINGS.
WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS THE PRESIDENT
ISSUE A NOTIFICATION PROBABLY IN
THE NEXT FEW HOURS ABOUT WHY HE
ENGAGED HERE.
I DON'T THINK THE PRESIDENT IS
GOING TO HAVE A HARD TIME MAKING
THE CASE.
IT WAS A WEEK AGO THAT WE SAW
THE HOUTHIS OPEN FIRE ON U.S.
NAVY HELICOPTERS AND THEY
RESPONDED BY SINKING THOSE THREE
SHIPS, AND THERE WERE A BARRAGE
OF 21 MISSILES AND DRONES THAT
CAME IN THE DIRECTION OF
AMERICAN FORCES, BUT I THINK THE
PRESIDENT IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO
ESTABLISH A PRETTY GOOD CASE FOR
WHY HE TOOK THESE OUT ON THE
GROUND.
THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, THE
LESSON WE LEARNED FROM DEALING
WITH THE SOMALI PIRATES AND
OTHER CASES IS YOU HAVE TO
ACTUALLY GET AT THEIR ON-SHORE
FACILITIES.
AND THE QUESTION CEDRIC RAISED
CORRECTLY IS HAVE THEY GOTTEN
ENOUGH OF THOSE TO HOBBLE THE
ABILITY OF THE HOUTHIS TO COME
BACK, AND THERE'S THE BIGGER
QUESTION OF IRAN, WHICH IS
OBVIOUSLY THAT WE ARE NOT
STRIKING INSIDE IRAN, BUT IT'S
IRAN THAT IS AT LEAST
COORDINATING IF NOT CONTROLLING
THESE GROUPS.
>> DAVID SANGER, CEDRIC
LEIGHTON, APPRECIATE YOUR
INSIGHT AS ALWAYS.