MUCH.
ERIC.
>> TURKEY DOESN'T ATTACK SYRIAN
OPERATION ALLIES HOW SHOULD
WASHINGTON REACT LET'S BRING IN
MALCOLM A RETIRED U.S. ARMY
MAJOR GENERAL.
A GENERAL SO WHY IS PRESIDENT
ERDOGAN MILITARY THREATS TO
ATTACK SO TROUBLING?
>> WELL GOOD AFTERNOON ERIC
THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME JOIN
YOU.
FIRST OFF I WOULD LIKE TO SETTLE
A LITTLE CONTEXT RIGHT NOW THE
UNITED STATES HAS ABOUT UNDER
JUST UNDER A THOUSAND FORCES
THERE IN NORTHERN SYRIA AND WHAT
THEY'RE DOING IS CONDUCTING
JOINT SECURITY PATROLSES AND
THEY'RE ON OUTPOST WITH TURKEY
U.S. AND TURKEY TURKISH FORCES
TOGETHER.
AIR AND GROUND PATROL TRYING TO
SECURE THAT BUFFER ZONE BUT FROM
TURKEY PERPGHTIVE WHAT THEY SEE
TO THE SOUTH IS A SECURITY
VACUUM AS YOU HEARD YOU HAVE
SYRIAN DEFENSE FORCES YOU HAVE
KURDISH FORCES AND YOU HAVE
RUSSIAN FORCES TO THE SOUTH AND
SO WHAT YOU SEE IS PRESIDENT
ERDOGAN SAYS THAT U.S. JOIN
PATROL AND EFFORTS ARE NOT
MOVING FAST ENOUGH AND NOT GOING
FAR ENOUGH TO PROVED THEM THE
NECESSARY SECURITY IS THAT THEY
WANT ON THEIR SOUTHERN BORDER.
>> IS HE MAKING THIS THEN A PART
OF OUR FAULT AND TRYING TO
ENCOURAGE US TO STEP UP THE
SECURITY OR IS IS THIS --
SOMETHING ELSE THAT HE HAS IN
MIND?
>> WELL IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE
THAT THE PRESIDENT HAS DIRECTED
THAT WE SLOWLY WITHDRAWS
FORCESES IN A IF THEY WITHDRAW
OUT OF SYRIA SO I THINK HE SEES
THAT AS POTENTIAL FOR SECURITY
VACUUM INCREASING SO THIS
WHETHER IT IS A BLUFF OR BLOC E
BLUSTER IT IS GOING TO BE SEEN
BUT THEY'VE BEEN MAKING
PREPARATION FOR A POTENTIAL
MOVEMENT SOUTH AND WHAT I WOULD
BE CONCERNED ABOUT FIRST OFF IS
U.S. FORCES NUMBER ONE.
AND TING BOTH THE U.S. AND
TURKEY HAVE TO BE CONCERNED IF
THERE IS AN ATTACK OR MOVE INTO
THAT BUFFER ZONE WITH TURKISH
FORCES TO THE SOUTH THERE CAN
NOT BE A DEATH OF A U.S. SOLDIER
AND WE HAVE TO RETROGRADE FORCES
OUT OF THAT AREA IF IT DOES COME
TO THAT?
>> DO THEY COORDINATE IT AT ALL
OR --
>> SAY WE'RE ATTACK?
>> NO THE DOUBT THEY'RE
DIPLOMATIC ACTIONS HAPPENING AND
MILITARY CONTINGENCIEN PLAYS
HAPPEN AND COMMUNICATIONS
BETWEEN THE TUSHISH GENERAL
STAFF AND PENTAGON AS WELL
BETWEEN --
TURKEY AND THE U.S. STATE
DEPARTMENT TONE SURE THAT THAT
DOESN'T HAPPEN.
BUT EVEN AS OR JUST ABOUT AS
IMPORTANT IS REACTION OF THE
SYRIAN DEFENSE FORCES.
DO THEY AND TRY TO HOLD THEIR
GROUND DO THEY RETROGRADE IFS
THEY DO WHAT HAPPENS TO
THOUSANDS OF ISIS PRISONS IN THE
PRISONS THEY ARE GUARDING WE
CAN'T LET THEM GET FREE SO
THAT'S A SECOND CONCERN AS WELL.
>> WHAT DO YOU THINK IS GOING TO
HAPPEN?
ERVEG WELL I THINK WE'RE GOING
TO HAVE A LOT OF ACTIVITY RIGHT
NOW IN THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF
PENT TBON TO GET THROUGH THIS
DIPLOMATICALLY AND CONTINGENCY
PLANS RIGHT NOW TO REASSURE
TURKEY THAT THEY CAN EXECUTE
THOSE JOINT PATROLS IN SUCH A
FASHION TO PROVIDE THE BUFFER
THAT TURKEY DESIRES.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME THE U.S. IS
UNDER A LOT OF PRESSURE.
THEY'RE IN THE MIDDLE EAST, WE
HAVE AFGHAN ELECTIONS THAT ARE
COMING UP FORCES ARE NEEDED FOR
THAT.
YOU HAVE THE FORCES THAT WERE
COMMITTED TO SAUDI ARABIA, AND
TO UIU BASED ON ATTACK IRANIAN
BASE ATTACK OF THE COFACILITY
AND YOU HAVE NEW NATIONAL
SECURITY LEADERSHIP HERE IN THE
UNITED STATES.
AND NEW NATIONAL SECURITY
ADVISOR, A NEW SECRETARY DEFENSE
MARK AND NEW CHAIRMAN OF THE
JOINT CHIEFS MARK NILLLY TRYING
TO SET FORTH A NATIONAL SECURITY
STRATEGY DEFENSE STRATEGY FOR
THE FUTURE SO THIS IS A BIG FLY
IN THE OINTMENT WHEN IT COMES TO
COMMITMENT OF POTENTIAL GLOBAL
FORCES FOR THE UNITED STATES TO
ENSURE THAT NOTHING THIS
CONFLICT DOESN'T GET DIVORCE
I.C.E. DOESN'T REAR A HEAD HAD
AGAIN AND COPE A BUFFY BETWEEN
TURKEY AND SYRIA.
>> WHAT IS --
ARE THEY UP TO TURKEY IS
SUPPOSEDLY A NATO ALLY IS IS
THAT NOT A NAME THEY BUY A
RUSSIAN DEFENSE SYSTEM WE CANCEL
SALE OF THE F35 HE'S NOT --
HE DOES NOT ACT.
LIKE A INCLUDE FREEDOM LOVING --
ALLY OF THE UNITED STATES IN
MANY WAYS.
WHAT TYPE OF SANCTIONS SHOULD WE
HAVE AGAINST HIM AND CHANGE HIS
BEHAVIOR OR IS THAT EVEN
POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONG MAN
LIKE THAT AND WHY IS IS HE A
NATO IN THE FIRST PLACE?
>> WELL, NATO --
TURKEY IS NATO ALLY HAS BEEN
IMPORTANT FOR MANY DECADES.
WHINING YOU LOOK AT THE
STRATEGIC POSITION OF TURKEY
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE INFLUENCE
OF IRAN AND INFLUENCE OF RUSSIA
HAVING TURKEY AS NATO ALLY IN
THAT REGION IS BIG.
ITIT IS HUGE FOR UNITED STATES A
ITIT IS HUGE FOR UNITED STATES D
NATO WITH RESPECT TO ERDOGAN I
THINK WHAT HE'S DOING IS TRYING
TO LEVERAGE SUPPORT FOR THE
UNITED STATES.
FOR US TO KIND OF COMMIT SOME
ASSETS TO COMMIT AND MAKE SOME
COMMITMENTS TO HIM IN THAT
REGION TO ENSURE FRANKLY THAT
HIS SOUTH, THE SOUTHERN SIDE OF
TURKEY IS NOT INSECURE AGAIN
FROM A SECURITY PERSPECTIVE FROM
A NATIONAL INTEREST PERSPECTIVE
I CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT PRESIDENT
ERDOGAN IS DOING, HOWEVER IT IS
A DELICATE BALANCE I THINK HE'S
LOOKING EAT IRANIAN INFLUENCE
RUSSIAN INFLUENCE, AND IN NATO
TRYING TO KIND OF PLAY HIS CARDS
BASED OFF OF WHO KIND OF
SUPPORTS BEST AND RIGHT NOW THIS
IS THE PRESSURE HE'S LEVERAGING
ON U.S.
USING THAT NATO CARD.
>> SEE WHAT HAPPENS IN NEXT FEW
DAYS GENERAL MALCOLM CROSS THANK