CONNELL: MORE SHAKE UPS IN THE
NATION'S CAPITOL.
THE LATEST DEFENSE SECRETARY
JAMES MATTIS RESIGNING AFTER
CLASHING WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP
OVER THE WITHDRAWAL OF U.S.
TROOPS FROM SYRIA AND
AFGHANISTAN.
SO WHAT WILL THIS MEAN FOR THE
ADMINISTRATION'S FOREIGN POLICY
AND OUR NATIONAL SECURITY?
WE HAVE DAVID SEARS WITH US,
RETIRED NAVY SEAL TO COMMENT ON
THAT.
FIRST YOUR REACTION OR THOUGHTS
ON JAMES MATTIS LEAVING?
>> WELL, HE IS GREATLY RESPECTED
THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY, ENTIRE
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT, INNERAGENCY.
HE IS AN EXTREMELY INTELLIGENT
MAN.
WITH THAT SAID, I THINK HE DID
THE EXACT RIGHT THING.
HE FIGURED OUT THAT HIS WORLD
VIEW AND WHERE HE IS TRYING TO
GO NO LONGER MATCH UP WITH THE
PRESIDENT'S OR CAME TO A POINT
WHERE THEY DIDN'T AND HE CHOSE
TO LEAVE WHICH IS THE RIGHT
CHOICE.
CONNELL: HE SAID AS MUCH IN HIS
RESIGNATION LETTER.
DOESN'T THAT MAKE REPLACING HIM
DIFFICULT?
SOME OF THE NAMES THROWN AROUND,
GENERAL KEANE AND OTHERS WOULD
AGREE WITH GENERAL MATTIS ON
THESE ISSUES, ESPECIALLY SYRIA?
>> IT IS.
IT IS NOT THE PRESIDENT'S
NATIONAL SECURITY STAFF.
THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
CONFIRMED CABINET MEMBER BY THE
SENATE.
SO YOU MAY NOT ALIGN WITH
EXACTLY WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP BUT
THEY DEFINITELY KNOW WHAT
THEY'RE COMING INTO.
CONNELL: HOW DO YOU THINK IT
AFFECTS MORALE OR HOW MUCH
MATTERS IN YOUR EXPERIENCE BEING
IN THE MILITARY?
I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG YOU SERVED
BUT I ASSUMED WAS LONG ENOUGH
YOU SERVED UNDER ADMINISTRATIONS
ON PERSONAL LEVEL, SOME YOU MAY
HAVE AGREED WITH OR DISAGREED
WITH, BUT PERSONAL DECISIONS YOU
MAY HAVE AGREED OR DISAGREED,
POLLING BACKS THIS UP, WITH THE
MILITARY, HE WAS VERY POPULAR,
GENERAL MATTIS.
>> HE WAS.
I SERVED 20 PLUS YEARS, OVER
MULTIPLE PRESIDENTS LOTS OF
DIFFERENT LEADERSHIP.
IT IS RESILIENT.
THE SYSTEM IS VERY RESILIENT.
WILL PEOPLE BE SOMEWHAT
DEMORALIZED?
ABSOLUTELY LOSING SOMEONE OF
THAT STATURE THAT HAS THAT
REPUTATION OF WARRIOR, POET, WHO
HAS BEEN ON THE BATTLEFIELD BUT
ALSO A GREAT INTELLECTUAL,
FRIEND OF THE ENLISTED AND
OFFICERS, IT IS DEMORALIZING BUT
THAT DOESN'T LAST.
GUYS KNOW THEY HAVE TO MOVE ON
AND DO THEIR JOBS.
THIS HAPPENS.
CONNELL: THIS STRATEGY, PULLING
OUT OF SYRIA IN PARTICULAR, I
KNOW AFGHANISTAN WE'RE GOING TO
WITHDRAW SOME TROOPS THERE AS
WELL.
THIS STRATEGY OF PULLING BACK
THE PRESIDENT TALKED ABOUT A LOT
DURING HIS LIFETIME AND THE
CAMPAIGN.
THAT IS NOT SURPRISING TO
PEOPLE.
MAYBE THE ABRUPT NATURE HOW IT
WAS ANNOUNCED.
WHETHER SECRETARY MATTIS WAS
CONSULTED ON THIS IT THIS WEEK
SURPRISING.
WHAT IS YOUR PERSONAL VIEW ON
THAT?
A LOT OF PEOPLE COME OUT SAY
WE'RE LESS SAFE, THAT TYPE OF
THING?
ARE PEOPLE GOING TOO FAR IN
THEIR ANALYSIS OF IT?
>> THEY ARE.
I THINK YOU LOOK AT THIS THROUGH
A VERY SINGULAR MILITARY LENS.
WE HAVE A LOT OF OTHER ELEMENTS
OF NATIONAL POWER.
IF WE DECIDED THE MILITARY RUN
ITS COURSE IN TERMS OF WHAT IT
CAN DO, NOT THAT WE'RE
ABANDONING SYRIA OR OUR EFFORTS
THERE, BUT THERE IS OTHER
ELEMENTS OF NATIONAL POWER CAN
BE BROUGHT TO BEAR AS WELL.
ECONOMIC, DIPLOMATIC, ALL THOSE
PIECES.
MAKING CAUSAL CONNECTIONS THIS
WILL LEAD TO THE NEXT 9/11 ARE
RIDICULOUS.
CONNELL: THAT IS LINDSEY GRAHAM
COMMENT.
PEOPLE ARE RECORD OF SAYING I
WAS TOUGH ON PRESIDENT OBAMA FOR
GETTING OUT OF IRAQ, I HAVE TO
BE THE SAME ON PRESIDENT TRUMP
BECAUSE THAT DIDN'T WORK OUT SO
WELL.
THIS WON'T EITHER.
IS THAT A FAIR STATEMENT OR
THOUGHT?
>> NO.
THEY'RE DIFFERENT, THEY'RE
DIFFERENT PLACES.
THEY'RE DIFFERENT TIMES.
YOU'RE AT DIFFERENT STAGES OF
THE FIGHT.
THEY'RE DIFFERENT GOVERNMENTS.
WE WERE INVOLVED IN THE IRAQ
GOVERNOR HEAVILY, HELPING THEM
RE-ESTABLISH TO RESTORE THE
COUNTRY.
SYRIA WE'RE THERE AS, YOU KNOW
QUESTIONABLE LEGALLY, UNINVITED
GUESTS IN A SECTION OF THEIR
COUNTRY THAT IS ALL OIL-HEAVY.
SO WHAT OUR INITIAL MISSION WAS
TO TAKE RAQQA, GET RID OF ISIS
IN RAQQA, WE DID THAT.
THEN IT MORPHED TO COUNTERING
IRAN AND MORPHED TO PROTECT
KURDS THAT HELPED US.
NOW IT IS MORPHING, WHERE ARE WE
GOING WITH THIS?
WHAT ARE 2,000 TROOPS DOING?
I DON'T THINK YOU CAN MAKE ANY
CAUSAL LINES LINEAR THIS WILL
LEAD TO THE NEXT 9/11 AT ALL.
CONNELL: LINDSEY GRAHAM WAS
SAYING THAT ABOUT AFGHANISTAN