SHOOTS AND KILLS A BLACK WOMAN INSIDE HER OWN HOME IN SECONDSTE
>>> THE TURKISH BACKED OFFENSIVE
IN NORTHERN SYRIA IS ESCALATING
AS THE U.S. ANNOUNCES A FURTHER
PULLBACK FROM THE COUNTY.
ABOUT 1,000 TROOPS ARE EXPECTED
TO EXIT THE COUNTRY LEAVING
KURDISH FORCES TO TURN TO BASHAR
AL ASSAD AND VLADIMIR PUTIN FOR
HELP TRYING TO STRIKE A DEAL TO
BRING REINFORCEMENTS IN IN AN
EFFORT TO REPEL THE ONGOING
TURKISH INCURSION.
TURKISH INCURSION. THIS MORNING THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION AND COMING ARE
PROMISEING CRIPPLING SANCTIONS O
TURKEY.
TURKEY. >> I THINK YOU KNOW IT IS AN
EVOLVING SITUATION, WE’RE
MONITORING THE SITUATION
CAREFULLY.
CAREFULLY. THE SANCTIONS ARE READY TO GO.
WE’LL BE UPDATING THE PRESIDENT
THIS MORNING.
THIS MORNING. >> THERE’S GOING TO BE CRIPPLING
SANCTIONS IMPOSED BY THE
CONGRESS TO SUPPLEMENT WHAT
PRESIDENT TRUMP’S ADMINISTRATION
HAS DONE.
HAS DONE. WE’RE GOING TO SEND A SIGNAL TO
TURKEY THAT IS UNMISTAKABLE IN
THE WORLD AND WE’LL BREAK HIS
ECONOMY UNTIL HE STOPS THE
BLOODSHED.
BLOODSHED. >> THE TURKISH-LED OFFENSIVE
SHOWS NO SIGN OF SLOWING DOWN.
OVER THE WEEKEND TURKEY CLAIMED
IT CAPTURED AT LEAST ONE BORDER
TOWN ON THE SYRIAN SIDE.
SOMETHING NBC NEWS HAS NOT BEEN
ABLE TO VERIFY.
KURDISH FORCES DISPUTE IT.
DESPITE REPORTS OF THE ISIS FLAG
BEING FLOWN IN THE SYRIAN
COUNTRYSIDE ON SUNDAY, BOTH
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE MARK ESPER
AND DONALD TRUMP DEFENDED THE
REMOVAL OF U.S. TROOPS.
>> WE’RE FACING U.S. FORCES IN A
TRAP BETWEEN A SYRIAN/RUSSIAN
ARMY MOVING NORTH TO TAKE ON THE
TURKISH ARMY MOVING SOUTH.
I SPOKE WITH THE NATIONAL
SECURITY TEAM YESTERDAY.
WE ALL TALKED ON THE PHONE.
I TALKED TO THE PRESIDENT.
HE IS CONCERNED AND SO LAST
NIGHT HE DIRECTED THAT WE BEGIN
A DELIBERATE WITHDRAW FROM THE
NORTHERN PART OF SYRIA.
>> THE KURDS ARE INTENDING TO
LEAVE.
LEAVE. THAT’S GOOD.
THAT’S GOOD. LET THEM HAVE THEIR BORDERS.
WITH YOU I DON’T THINK OUR
SOLDIERS SHOULD BE THERE FOR THE
NEXT 50 YEARS SS GUARDING A BORD
BETWEEN TURKEY AND SYRIA WHEN WE
CAN’T GUARD OUR OWN BORDERS AT
HOME.
HOME. >>> JOINING ME NOW IS KIER
SIMMONS AND PETER CROWLEY.
YOU’VE BEEN MONITORING THE
SITUATION THERE SINCE THE
OFFENSIVE BEGAN.
OFFENSIVE BEGAN. DESCRIBE WHAT IS HAPPENING ON
THE MILITARY FRONT AS WELL AS
THE HUMANITARIAN FRONT.
>> WE SPENT THE DAY OPPOSITE THE
TOWN OF KABANI.
YOU WILL REMEMBER THAT, THAT’S
WHERE U.S. FORCES TOGETHER WITH
THE KURDISH FORCES FOUGHT
AGAINST ISIS AND WON.
THE U.S. BASE ABOVE KABANI IS
EVACUATED.
EVACUATED. AND THEY’RE WAITING FOR THE
ARRIVAL OF RUSSIAN-BACKED SYRIAN
FORCES.
FORCES. WHAT A WEEK FOR THAT ONE TOWN.
IN A SENSE THAT TOWN’S STORY IS
THE STORY OF SYRIA NOW WITH
CHANGING ALLIANCES AND A
CHANGING PICTURE ON THE GROUND.
IT IS THE FOG OF WAR, SO I COULD
GO THROUGH THE DIFFERENT TOWNS
THAT APPEAR TO BE FOUGHT OVER
AND THE MAIN HIGHWAY, THE M4
THROUGH SYRIA, WHICH SEEMS TO BE
DISPUTED AND THERE ARE CLASHES
OVER THAT.
OVER THAT. IN THE END IT’S DIFFICULT TO
TELL HONESTLY BECAUSE SOME --
MUCH OF THIS FIGHTING IS FROM
TURKISH-BACKED MILITIAS, SO NOT
THE REGULAR TURKISH ARMY, BUT A
RAGTAG GROUP OF FIGHTERS, THAT
INCLUDES ISLAMISTS AND REBELS
WHO HAVE FOUGHT AGAINST
PRESIDENT ASSAD FROM THE
BEGINNING.
BEGINNING. NOW, OF COURSE, THAT GOES TO
EXPLAIN WHY THE SITUATION NOW IS
SO DELICATE.
SO DELICATE. AS THE KURDS DO A DEAL WITH
PRESIDENT ASSAD IN DAMASCUS,
THERE ARE THOSE ASSAD FORCES
COMING UP THROUGH THE COUNTRY
THAT COULD MEET WITH THOSE
TURKISH-BACKED MILITIA WHO HAVE
ALWAYS VOWED TO FIGHT AGAINST
DAMASCUS.
DAMASCUS. IT’S A TRICKY SITUATION.
IN THE BACKGROUND PRESIDENT
PUTIN IS ABLE TO PICK UP THE
PHONE TO PRESIDENT ASSAD AND
ERDOGAN.
ERDOGAN. YOU ASKED ABOUT THE HUMANITARIAN
SITUATION.
SITUATION. WE STILL HAVE THE SITUATION OF
JUST THOUSANDS OF CIVILIANS WHO
HAVE FLED.
HAVE FLED. WE’VE SEEN SOME OF THOSE
CIVILIANS CELEBRATING IRONICALLY
AS PRESIDENT I SAD’SASSAD’S FORC
ARRIVED IN THE KURDISH AREAS,
THAT TELLS YOU HOW DESPERATE
THEY’VE BEEN FACED WITH THE
TURKISH MILITARY.
TURKISH MILITARY. THE HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IS
NOT GOOD.
NOT GOOD. THERE ARE DOZENS OF CASUALTIES.
YOU COULD SAY PERHAPS YOU MIGHT
HAVE EXPECTED MORE, BUT WHAT
PEOPLE REALLY FEAR IS THAT THIS
ALL LEADS TO A CLASH BETWEEN
TURKEY AND THE SYRIAN ARMY, AND
OF COURSE THE SYRIANS BACKED BY
IRAN AND RUSSIA AND JUST WHERE
ALL THAT LEADS.
ON THE OTHER HAND, I MENTIONED
PUTIN, PERHAPS PUTIN IS ABLE TO
GET A DEAL DONE THAT PREVENTS
THAT KIND OF CLASH.
I DON’T THINK WE COULD BE
CONFIDENT OF THAT.
>> LET’S TALK ABOUT THE
DEVELOPMENTS CONCERNING A LOT OF
NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES.
NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES. THE POSSIBILITY OF HUNDREDS IF
NOT THOUSANDS OF ISIS FIGHTERS,
SYMPATHIZERS, THEIR FAMILY
MEMBERS BEING LET OUT OF PRISONS
AS A RESULT OF THE TURKISH
SHELLING OR PERHAPS ESCAPING
BECAUSE TURKISH FORCES PULL AWAY
FROM SOME OF THOSE SECURE
LOCATIONS WHERE THEY WERE
DETAINED WHAT ARE YOU HEARING
ABOUT WHAT’S HAPPENING IN SOME
OF THESE SIGHTS AND THE RETURN,
IF YOU WILL, OF THE RANKS OF
ISIS BACK INTO THE THEATER OF
OPERATIONS?
OPERATIONS? >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. IT’S PRETTY CLEAR THAT AT LEAST
SOME ISIS MEMBERS WHO WERE IN A
CAMP TOWARDS THE SOUTH HAVE
ESCAPED.
ESCAPED. MOST OF THOSE ARE WOMEN AND
CHILDREN.
CHILDREN. SOME OF THEM ARE SERIOUS ISIS
FANATICS.
FANATICS. AND IT DOES APPEAR THAT SOME OF
THE JAILERS F YOU’D ER S FSHGSJA
KURDISH PRISONS WHERE MORE
SERIOUS ISIS FIGHTERS ARE HAVE
WALKED AWAY.
WALKED AWAY. IT’S IN THE KURDS INTEREST TO
SAY ITIES FIGHTSIS FIGHTERS WILL
RELEASED BECAUSE THAT PUTS
PRESSURE ON AMERICA.
THE REALITY IS THAT IF PRESIDENT
ASSAD’S FORCES ARE FLOODING
ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THEY HAVE NO
SYMPATHY WITH ISIS.
SO IF THEY CAPTURE THOSE ISIS
MEMBERS, THEN I THINK THEIR
FUTURE IS PRETTY BLEAK.
IT’S DIFFICULT TO KNOW.
THAT’S THE HONEST TRUTH.
THIS IS A MOVING, SHIFTING
CONFLICT.
CONFLICT. A CHANGING EVERY HOUR.
EXACTLY HOW THIS IS GOING TO
SHAPE UP IS DIFFICULT.
CERTAINLY ISIS IS TRYING TO
REGROUP AND TRYING FOR A
RESURGENCE IN THE CHAOS.
>> LET ME BRING IN MY COLLEAGUE,
RICHARD ENGEL INSIDE NORTHERN
SYRIA FOR US.
HE HAS MANAGED TO JOIN US.
ALL RIGHT.
ALL RIGHT. SO IT SEEMS LIKE WE JUST LOST
THAT CONNECTION WE WERE TRYING
TO ESTABLISH WITH HIM AT THE TOP
OF THE HOUR.
PJ, LET ME COME TO YOU AND TALK
ABOUT THIS.
ABOUT THIS. WE CAN ALMOST GO POINT BY POINT
FROM SOME OF THE PRESIDENT’S
JUSTIFICATIONS FOR WHAT HE DID
AND PERHAPS THE ONE THAT STANDS
OUT THE MOST WAS THE PRESIDENT
SAYING HE WANTED TO END ENDLESS
WARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST.
WE PLAYED THAT SOUND BYTE SAYING
WE DON’T NEED TO HAVE U.S.
TROOPS GUARDING THE TURKEY/SYRIA
BORDER FOR THE NEXT 50 YEARS.
IRONICALLY THIS ADMINISTRATION
ANNOUNCED ON FRIDAY IT WAS
SENDING ABOUT 3 MORE TROOPS TO
SAUDI ARABIA, ALONG WITH FIGHTER
JETS AND MISSILE DEFENSE
WEAPONRY IN RESPONSE TO THE
ATTACK ON THAT COUNTRY’S OIL
FIELDS.
FIELDS. THE U.S. CONTINUES TO SUPPORT
SAUDI ARABIA IN AN ENDLESS WAR
IN YEMEN, NOT TO MENTION WHAT’S
TAKING PLACE IN LIBYA AND
ELSEWHERE.
ELSEWHERE. THIS IS, IT SEEMS, AN
EXPLANATION THAT FALLS FLAT ON
ITS FACE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE
FACTS.
FACTS. >> THIS IS, I THINK, A STRATEGIC
DISASTER FOR THE UNITED STATES.
THE FACT IS THAT THE SYRIAN
DEMOCRATIC FORCES, THE SDF OF
WHICH THE KURDS DOMINATE, THEY
WERE THE ONES WHO WERE DOING THE
HEAVY LIFTING IN TERMS OF
FIGHTING AGAINST THE ISLAMIC
STATE CALIPHATE AND SECURING THE
TERRITORY PENDING SOME SORT OF
POLITICAL RESOLUTION.
POLITICAL RESOLUTION. THAT MAY WELL HAVE BEEN FAR OFF,
BUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE
PRESIDENT HAS GIVEN UP IS ALL
FORMS OF LEVERAGE HERE.
WHATEVER IS GOING TO HAPPEN, YOU
KNOW, GOING FORWARD IN SYRIA,
THE UNITED STATES LOST ITS
ABILITY TO DICTATE ANY KIND OF
RESOLUTION THAT IS CONSISTENT
WITH U.S. INTERESTS.
>> ANOTHER POINT, THE
PRESIDENT’S ATTITUDE HAS BEEN ON
THIS ISSUE, LET THEM FIGHT IT
OUT.
OUT. HE MAKES WRETCH FRENS SS REFEREN
CENTURIES OLD BATTLES.
>> WHAT IS THE RISK IN ADOPTING
THE PRESIDENT’S POLICY OR
APPROACH WHICH IS LET THE TURKS
AND KURDS FIGHT THIS OUT.
HOW COULD THAT IMPACT AND SPILL
OVER?
OVER? >> WE CREATED A VACUUM.
WHO IS LIKELY TO TAKE FULL
ADVANTAGE OF THAT VACUUM?
YOU KNOW, RUSSIA, IRAN, SYRIA,
AND POTENTIALLY AS WE WERE JUST
TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE
ISLAMIC STATE.
ISLAMIC STATE. LAST TIME I CHECKED, ANY TIME
RUSSIA, IRAN, SYRIA AND THE
ISLAMIC STATE ARE HAPPY, THAT’S
NOT A SITUATION THAT IS
CONSISTENT WITH THE UNITED
STATES INTEREST.
STATES INTEREST. >> PJ WAS TALKING ABOUT HOW IRAN
MAY BE ONE OF THE COUNTRIES
FILLING IN THE VACUUMS.
TALK TO US ABOUT HOW THE
ALLIANCE OF SYRIA, THE SYRIAN
GOVERNMENT, I SHOULD SAY, RUSSIA
AND IRAN COULD, IN FACT, CHANGE
THE BALANCE OF WHAT IS HAPPENING
INSIDE SYRIA.
INSIDE SYRIA. >> THAT ALONE HAS ALREADY
CHANGED THE BALANCE INSIDE
SYRIA.
SYRIA. THIS WEEK, WE ARE SEEING ANOTHER
PROFOUND SHIFT.
PROFOUND SHIFT. I THINK THERE ARE TWO THINGS TO
SAY ABOUT THAT.
FIRSTLY, IF THERE IS A CONFLICT
BETWEEN TURKEY AND THE SYRIAN
ARMY, RUN FROM DAMASCUS, THAT
COULD SUCK IN IRAN.
IRAN AND RUSSIA SUPPORT
PRESIDENT ASSAD AND DAMASCUS.
THAT’S ONE THING.
ANOTHER THING IS THERE ARE STILL
U.S. FORCES, SPECIAL FORCES
INSIDE SYRIA.
INSIDE SYRIA. THEY ARE IN AN AREA TOWARDS THE
ISRAELI BORDER AND JORDAN.
IF THE U.S. GOT TO A POINT WHERE
IT FELT IT HAD TO WITHDRAW THOSE
TROOPS OR, INDEED, IF THE
PRESIDENT JUST MAKES A GUT
INSTINCT DECISION TO WITHDRAW
ALL U.S. TROOPS FROM SYRIA, THAT
WILL HAVE ISRAEL VERY, VERY
WORRIED.
WORRIED. THOSE TROOPS ARE THERE, MUCH
LIKE THE U.S. FORCES IN THE
NORTH OF THE COUNTRY WERE THERE
TO SUPPORT THE KURDS, THOSE
TROOPS ARE THERE TO HOLD BACK
IRAN AND IRANIAN FORCES IN SYRIA
AND TO CREATE A BUFFER AGAINST
MORE TENSION WITH ISRAEL.
THE IRANIANS CANNOT BE FORGOTTEN
IN ALL OF THIS.
THEY’RE LOOMING.
THEY’RE LOOMING. THEY CAN BE SUCKED IN MORE.
BY THE WAY, ALL OF THIS COULD
LEAD TO A SITUATION WHERE
AMERICA GETS SUCKED BACK INTO
THE CONFLICT.
THE CONFLICT. YOU JUST DON’T KNOW HOW THESE
EVENTS WILL PLAY OUT.
>> INTERESTING POINT.
PJ, YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE
DOMESTIC POLITICS OF THIS.
NANCY PELOSI TWEETING THAT SHE
AND LINDSEY GRAHAM HAVE COME TO
A STRONGER SANCTIONS PACKAGE
THAN THE WHITE HOUSE IS
SUGGESTING.
SUGGESTING. LET ME GET YOUR THOUGHTS.
CAN THE DECISION TO PULL OUT OF
NORTHERN SYRIA BE UNDONE BY
DOMESTIC POLITICAL PRESSURE
APPLIED BY CONGRESS ON THE
PRESIDENT?
PRESIDENT? SECOND, WOULD SANCTIONS ON
TURKEY, YOU THINK FROM YOUR
UNDERSTANDING OF TURKISH
POLITICS AND PRESIDENT ERDOGAN’S
MENTALITY WORK AT THIS POINT?
>> WELL, SANCTIONS CAN BE AN
EFFECTIVE TOOL, BUT THEY TAKE
TIME.
TIME. BY THE TIME SANCTIONS WOULD
REALLY TAKE A BITE OUT OF THE
TURKISH ECONOMY, CHANCES ARE
PRESIDENT ERDOGAN WHO HAS HIS
OWN DOMESTIC POLITICAL
CONSIDERATIONS, WILL HAVE
ACCOMPLISHED WHAT HE WANTS TO
ACCOMPLISH IN SYRIA, WHICH IS TO
ELIMINATE THE PROSPECT OF A
KURDISH AUTONOMOUS REGION, YOU
KNOW, LIKE WHAT WE HAVE IN IRAQ.
SO, YES, OVER THE LONG-TERM
SANCTIONS CAN HAVE AN EFFECT.
BUT IT’S NOT LIKELY TO DETER
ERDOGAN IN WHAT HE’S TRYING TO
DO IN THE SHORT TO MITTDTERM.
I DON’T THINK IT’S A GREAT IDEA
FOR CONGRESS TO BECOME A
CO-COMMANDER IN CHIEF.
CONGRESS HAS POWERS IN TERMS OF
SHAPING FOREIGN POLICY, BUT THE
PRESIDENT IS COMMANDER IN CHIEF.
HE HAS SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITIES
AND POWERS WITH RESPECT TO THE
MILITARY.
MILITARY. BUT THAT SAID, YOU KNOW, HE HAS
DONE SOMETHING WHICH I THINK IN
SOME SEGMENT OF AMERICAN
POPULATION WILL BE POPULAR.
REMOVING TROOPS FROM HARM’S WAY,
BUT HE’S DONE IT, IN THE WORST
POSSIBLE WAY.
POSSIBLE WAY. THE IMAGE NOW OF THE MIDDLE EAST
IS THE UNITED STATES STEPPED TO
THE SIDE, OTHERS ARE STEPPING
FORWARD, THEY’RE PROVING TO BE
MORE RELIABLE ALLIES, RUSSIA IN
PARTICULAR THAT WILL HAVE A
LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCE IN TERMS
OF PERCEPTIONS OF AMERICAN
LEADERSHIP IN AN IMPORTANT PART
OF THE WORLD.
>> IT’S QUITE INCREDIBLE WHEN
YOU THINK OF THE PRESSURE THE
PRESIDENT FACED FROM HIS OWN
ADMINISTRATION, INCLUDING THE