>>>
>>> THIS
>>> THIS MORNING, A RANDS MASTER TERRORIST IS DEAD.
THE ARCHITECT AND CHIEF
ENGINEER FOR THE WORLD'S MOST
ACTIVE STATE SPONSOR OF
TERRORISM HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM
THE BATTLEFIELD AT THE HAND OF
THE UNITED STATES MILITARY.
>>THIS ACTION MAY WELL HAVE
BROUGHT OUR NATION CLOSER TO
ANOTHER ENDLESS WAR.
EXACTLY THE KIND OF ENDLESS WAR
THE PRESIDENT PROMISED HE WOULD
NOT DRAG US INTO.
>>> THE LEADERS OF BOTH PARTIES
IN THE U.S. SENATE REACTING TO
THE KILLING OF IRANIAN MAJOR
GENERAL QASSEM SOLEIMANI.
A HIGH BREAKING COMMANDER WAS
KILLED BY AN AMERICAN DRONE
STRIKE AT THE BAGHDAD AIRPORT
IN IRAQ.
IN IRAQ.
IN IRAQ. THE IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER IS
PROMISING REVENGE.
PROMISING REVENGE. IS THE U. S. PREPARED FOR THE
IRANIAN RESPONSE?
IRANIAN RESPONSE? HERE TO TALK ABOUT IT TODAY
DOCTOR PAUL SISSOKO.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
>>THIS IS A VERY SIGNIFICANT
DEATH, SOLOMONIC WAS KNOWN AS
THE SECOND MOST POWERFUL PERSON
IN IRAN.
IN IRAN.
IN IRAN. I KNOW THERE ARE MANY UNKNOWNS
BUT WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN?
>>IN A WORD MY RESPONSE IS
STUNNING.
STUNNING.
STUNNING. THIS IS A SERIOUS BLOW TO THE
IRANIAN REGIME.
IRANIAN REGIME. HE WAS NOT JUST A SYMBOLIC
FIGURE HE WAS AN OPERATIONAL
COMMANDER.
COMMANDER. WHEN HE WAS KILLED HE WAS
FLYING BACK FROM SYRIA WHERE
FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS HE
HAS BEEN A CONTINUOUS THORN IN
THE SIDE OF THE UNITED STATES
AND OTHER ACTORS IN THE REGION.
WHAT GOES FORWARD, HE HAS TO BE
REPLACED, THAT IS MORE
DIFFICULT TO DO THAN WE MIGHT
THINK.
THINK.
THINK. IS
THINK. IS THERE SUCCESSOR?
WHO KNOWS.
WHO KNOWS. >>PRESIDENT TRUMP SAID THIS WAS
TO PREVENT A WAR BUT IN MANY
COUNTRIES AND ACT LIKE THIS IS
CONSIDERED AN ACT OF WAR.
IS THAT HOW IT WILL BE
INTERPRETED IN IRAN AND
THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST?
>>CERTAINLY IN IRAN THEY SAY
THIS IS AN ACT OF WAR.
SOME WOULD SAY WE HAVE BEEN IN
A PROXY WAR WITH THE IRANIAN
TROOPS IN SYRIA IN THE 80s IN
LEBANON.
LEBANON.
LEBANON. CERTAINLY THE IRANIAN REGIME
WILL SEE THIS AS AN ACT OF
AGGRESSION AND AN ACT OF WAR
AND THEY WILL RETALIATE.
>>> ADMINISTRATIONS BEFORE THE
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAVE KNOWN
SOLEIMANI, WHY HAVE
ADMINISTRATION'S PREVIOUSLY NOT
GONE AFTER HIM IN THIS WAY?
>>ONE, THERE IS A FEAR OF
TURNING HIM INTO A MARTYR,
WHICH HE IS NOW.
>>> VERY MUCH SO.
>>RHETORIC COMING OUT OF THE
REGIME IS A CALL OF MARTYRDOM.
YOU CALL DIE IN THE CAUSE OF
YOUR REAL RELIGION.
I WAS HEARING TODAY THAT THERE
WAS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY THEY
HAD TO TAKE HIM OUT BUT HE WAS
ACCOMPANIED BY SOMEONE WHO WAS
IN ALLY OR AT LEAST SEEN AS
BEING FRIENDLY TO THE UNITED
STATES.
STATES.
STATES. THEY REFRAIN FROM DOING SO.
YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT DOMESTIC
CONSIDERATIONS.
CONSIDERATIONS. NEW YEAR'S EVE, THE U. S.
EMBASSY IN BAGHDAD WAS STORED.
TREMENDOUS EMBARRASSMENT.
TREMENDOUS EMBARRASSMENT. >>WE GO BACK TO ALL OF THESE
OLD SAYINGS THAT APPLY, THE
ENEMY OF MY ENEMY IS MY FRIEND,
THAT RUBIK'S CUBE THAT HAS
ALWAYS BEEN THE MIDDLE EAST
WITH POLITICS AND POLICY, IT IS
HARD TO IMAGINE WHERE THIS GOES
FROM HERE AT THIS POINT.
IS THERE A SENSE THAT THERE IS
A THOUGHT OUT PLAN BY THE
UNITED STATES AND OR GLOBAL
FORCES AS TO HOW THE NEXT STEPS
ARE?
ARE?
ARE? >>I
ARE? >>I DON'T THINK SO.
FROM WHAT I AM SEEING THE U. S.
ADMINISTRATION DID NOT CONTACT
ALLIES LIKE GREAT BRITAIN.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS IS GOING
TO COME ABOUT WHEN UNITED
STATES IS TAKING UNILATERAL
MILITARY ACTIONS OF THIS KIND.
>>> YOU HIT ON THIS EARLIER,
THE PRESIDENT SAID THIS WAS NOT
TO START A WAR BUT TO STOP ONE.
DOES THIS STOP A WAR?
WHAT DOES HISTORY TELL US ABOUT
THE U. S. DOING AIRSTRIKES ON
TOP OFFICIALS?
TOP OFFICIALS? >> I TELL MY STUDENTS IT IS
EASIER TO START A WAR THAN IT
IS TO STOP ONE.
I THINK WE SEE THAT TAKING
PLACE NOW.
PLACE NOW. THINKING BACK TO THE U. S.
INVASION OF IRAQ BACK IN 2003.
THEN PRESIDENT BUSH THE SECOND
SAID THIS IS A WAR FOR PEACE.
I FIND THIS SIMILAR RHETORIC.
THIS IS A WAR TO STOP A WAR.
>>WITH A WAR YOU WOULD PICK A
FIGHT WITH THE COUNTRY AND THEY
WOULD RESPOND AS A NATION.
NOW WE LIVE IN AN ERA OF
ASYMMETRICAL WARFARE AND WE ARE
INVOLVED IN DIFFERENT RELIGIOUS
SECTS THAT HAVE A LOT TO SAY
HOW COUNTRIES OPERATE IN THE
MIDDLE EAST.
MIDDLE EAST. THAT RESPONSE THAT WE ARE
CONCERNED ABOUT FROM IRAN MAY
NOT COME FROM IRAN AND IT MAY
NOT BE AND IRANIAN MILITARY
RESPONSE, IT COULD COME IN MANY
DIFFERENT FORMS.
DIFFERENT FORMS. >>WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT
HEZBOLLAH IN LEBANON THAT HAS
BEEN A REGIME THAT HAS BEEN
GROWING POWERFUL OVER THE PAST
THREE DECADES OR SO.
THEY HAVE TREMENDOUS FINANCIAL
LOGISTICAL SUPPORT FROM IRAN.
SURE, THE IRANIAN GOVERNMENT
COULD USE HEZBOLLAH.
THEY HAVE CELLS AROUND THE
WORLD TO ENGAGE IN SOME TYPE OF
ATTACK AGAINST EITHER U. S.
CITIZENS OR AGAINST U. S.
TARGETS ABROAD.
TARGETS ABROAD. >>SO MUCH TO TRACK WITH
THOUSANDS OF TROOPS MOVING INTO