KILLED IN THE 1993 WORLD TRADE
CENTER BOMBING.
KENNEDY: EDWARD, THANK YOU FOR
THAT REPORT.
$1.5 TRILLION ACCORDING TO THE
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT IS HOW MUCH
THE U.S. MILITARY HAS SPENT IN
IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN AND SYRIA
SINCE THE SEPTEMBER 11 ATTACK.
BUT A NEW REPORT FROM THE 9/11
COMMISSION CLAIMSA EXTREMISM
WAS THAT MONEY WELL SPENT?
JOINING ME NOW, IRAQ WAR VETERAN
AND KFI RADIO HOST, BRYAN SUITS.
WHO IN FACT FOUGHT IN IRAQ IN
THE SHADOW OF 9/11.
HOW MUCH DID YOUR LIFE CHANGE
AFTER 9/11.
>> WE WERE IN SEATTLE ON THAT
DAY AND MY LIFE TOOK A PIVOT.
MY COLLEAGUES IN TALK RADIO HAVE
NEVER LEFT THE COUNTRY.
I HAD BEEN IN DESERT STORM AND
BEEN TO BOSNIA.
AN INFANTRY OFFICER IN IRAQ.
IT CHANGED ME QUITE A BIT.
THE GOOD NEWS IS MY DAUGHTER IS
GOING TO GO TO UCLA FOR FREE.
BUT IT CHANGED MY PERSPECTIVE ON
A LOT OF THINGS.
I THINK YOU CAN ATTEST, FIT WAS
POSSIBLE FOR ME TO GET MORE
CYNICAL.
I DID GET MORE CYNICAL.
THAT'S THE COST OF DOING
BUSINESS.
I VOLUNTEERED.
I JOINED THE ARMY NATIONAL GUARD
DECADES AGO.
I VOLUNTEERED FOR OCS.
I SIGNED UP FOR WAR AND I GOT MY
WASH.
KENNEDY: LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT
WAR.
HAVE WE WON?
>> I THINK THAT THE GOAL LINE
WAS NOT ELIMINATE RADICAL
ISLAMIC TERRORISM.
THE GOAL LINE WAS NEVER LET THAT
TO PEOPLE THAT SINCE 9/11 IT
BEING DOWN RANGE AND CATCHING
IF WE SERVED A PURPOSE, POSSIBLY
BEING A BULLET MAGNET FOR ALL
THE JIHADISTS WHO COULDN'T GET A
KENNEDY: LET'S TALK ABOUT THOSE
WHO HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THE
COMMISSION WHO ARE SAYING THE
THREAT IS GREATER TODAY THAN IT
WAS.
AND PERHAPS THERE ARE ACTIVE
THEATERS BUT THAT STILL MEANS A
LOSS OF LIFE FOR AMERICAN
SERVICEMEN AND WOMEN AND
CIVILIANS.
AFGHANISTAN, OUR LONGEST WAR,
THE INDIAN WARS IN NORTH AMERICA
WENT FROM 1622 TO 1924.
IF WE WANT TO PREVENT ISLAMIC
TERRORISM FROM COMING HERE.
I WORKED AS A PRIVATE CONTRACTOR
IN DJIBOUTI, I KNOW THIS IS AN
IDEOLOGY THAT APPEALS TO YOUNG
MEN.
IT'S NOT LIKE THE NEXT
GENERATION IS GOING TO SAY
TAKING UP AN AK47 IS NOT A SEXY
WAY TO SPEND MY 20s.
KENNEDY: THAT'S WHAT WE ARE
IMPLORING YOUNG MEN TO DO IN
THIS COUNTRY.
THAT HAS BENT MARKETING AND THE
SELL THAT SOMEHOW YOU APPEAL TO
MACHINERY AND TAKE PEOPLE'S
LIVES.
IF I WERE ONE OF THE GOLD STAR
MOTHERS, I WOULD LOOK AT THE
FACT THAT WE ARE STILL HERE SO
LONG AFTER 9/11, AND I WOULD
RECRUITING APPEAL IS YOUR
COUNTRY CONTINUES TO BE UNDER
ATTACK.
WILL YOU TOTE A RIFLE AND SPEND
A FEW YEARS DEFENDING IT.
IT'S NOT LET'S GO TO MECCA AND
CONVERT THEM TO CHRISTIANITY.
FOR AMERICANS JOINING THE
MILITARY SERVICE, I DON'T WANT
TO BE IN CONSTANT WAR AND HAND
MY DAUGHTER OFF TO A WAR.
BUT IT'S NAIVE TO THINK IF WE
WALK AWAY IT GOES AWAY.
YES IT'S BEEN EXPENSIVE.
IF WORLD WAR II WAS FOUGHT IN
2005, IT WOULD HAVE COST.
WHAT WOULD THE END LOOK LIKE,
NUKING MECCA?
KENNEDY: IF YOU CAN GET ALL THE
BAD GUYS IN ONE PLACE IN THE
MIDDLE OF THE DESERT, YES YOU
DROP A NUCLEAR WEAPON ON THEM.
ISN'T THAT THE BEST PLAN.
>> NOT MECCA.
KENNEDY: IT DOES HAVEN'T TO BE
MECCA.
I SAID MIDDLE OF THE DESERT.
OF GRATITUDE.
IS TRUE HEROISM.
KENNEDY: ALSO FIREFIGHTERS AND
COPS.
AND PEOPLE WHO FELT THAT CALL TO
ABOUT THAT.
I PREFER FREEDOM OVER WAR.
I THINK THERE MIGHT AND BETTER
WAY TO GET THERE.
PERHAPS IT'S NOT ABAN DONG IT.
>> I'M A HUGE FAN OF THE GUYS
AFTERWARDS.
BY GUYS, I MEAN MEN AND WOMEN.
KENNEDY: THANK YOU, SUITS.
>> YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN A GOOD