>>> WEAPON CONTINUE TO TRACK DEVELOPMENTS SURROUNDING THE
WHITE HOUSE'S STATEMENT LATE ON MONDAY ON A POSSIBLE SYRIAN
CHEMICAL ATTACK AND HOW THE UNITED STATES WOULD RESPOND.
BY EARLY AFTERNOON YESTERDAY, THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
DOWNPLAYED REPORTS, INCLUDING FROM NBC NEWS, THAT KEY
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WERE LEFT OUT.
>> I THINK THAT THE MESSAGE FROM THE STATEMENT YESTERDAY WAS
EXTREMELY CLEAR. I DON'T THINK IT WAS A GRAY
AREA. IT WAS PRETTY BLACK AND WHITE.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT LEADERSHIP FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT, DOD,
DNI, THE CIA, AS WELL AS MEMBERS OF THE ADMINISTRATION WITHIN
THIS BUILDING WERE PART OF THAT PROCESS FROM THE VERY BEGINNING
AND FULLY AWARE. I KNOW THAT THERE WAS A ROUTINE
MEETING THAT TOOK PLACE YESTERDAY.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS ANYTHING BEYOND THAT YESTERDAY.
>> SO THE SECRETARY, AS YOU KNOW, WAS AT THE WHITE HOUSE
YESTERDAY. HE MET WITH THE PRESIDENT, ALSO
A GROUP MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT'S NATIONAL SECURITY
TEAM, AND THAT'S WHEN THIS CONVERSATION WAS ALL HAD ABOUT
THAT STATEMENT. I'M NOT GOING TO GET INTO OUR
INTERNAL CONVERSATIONS, BUT THE SECRETARY WAS AWARE OF IT.
FOLKS, HERE, WERE AWARE OF IT. AND THAT'S WHAT'S IMPORTANT AND
THAT'S WHAT MATTERS. >> ALL RIGHT.
OFFICIALS ALSO SAY THAT INTELLIGENCE INDICATES SYRIAN
WEAPONS PERSONNEL HAVE RECENTLY BEEN VISITING KNOWN PRODUCTION
FACILITIES. ALSO THAT AN AIRCRAFT WAS PARKED
NEXT TO ONE FACILITY. RUSSIA SAYS IT HAS NO
INFORMATION ABOUT A POSSIBLE CHEMICAL ATTACK AND ANY ACTIONS
AGAINST ASSAD WOULD BE, QUOTE, UNACCEPTABLE.
THE SYRIAN PRESIDENT WAS FILMED YESTERDAY GETTING INTO THE
COCKPIT OF A RUSSIAN WAR PLANE. >> I WOULDN'T DO THAT, IF I WERE
YOU. >> AND WAS ACCOMPANIED BY THE
RUSSIAN DEFENSE CHIEF MINISTER. >> LET'S BRING IN DEAN OF THE
FLETCHER SCHOOL OF LAW, RETIRED FOUR-STAR NAVY ADMIRAL, JAMES
STAVRIDIS. HE'S A NAVY ANALYST, ALSO FOR
NBC NEWS AND NBC, WE'VE GOT FORMER DIRECTOR OF THE GRAND
TALENT WMD COMMISSION, ELAINE FARKAS.
ADMIRAL, LET ME START WITH YOU. THE INSANITY OF A WHITE HOUSE
PUTTING OUT A STATEMENT WITHOUT PASSING IT BY YOUR SECRETARY OF
DEFENSE, WITHOUT THE NSA KNOWING, WITHOUT THE LEADERS AT
CENTCOM KNOWING, IS JUST BAFFLING.
>> YEAH, IT'S OUTRAGEOUS. AND IT REALLY TALKS TO THE
DYSFUNCTIONALTY AT THE MOMENT WE'RE SEEING IN WASHINGTON.
AND IT'S NOT ONLY THE KEY LEADERSHIP.
IT'S THOSE NEXT TIERS DOWN WHO HAVE TO DO THE PLANNING AND HAVE
TO BE READY TO EXECUTE. >> ADMIRAL, LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT
THIS. YOU TAKE REX TILLERSON AND THE
STATE DEPARTMENT. THE STATE DEPARTMENT IS ROTTING
RIGHT NOW UNDER REX TILLERSON'S LEADERSHIP OR LACK THEREOF,
BECAUSE HE WILL NOT FORCE THE ISSUE AND FILL VACANCIES THAT
THE STATE DEPARTMENT DESPERATE NEEDS.
>> CORRECT. AND I THINK EVEN WORSE, THE
INFLOW OF YOUNG FOREIGN SERVICE OFFICERS HAS BEEN CUT OFF.
THEY'RE NOT BRINGING ANY BRIGHT, YOUNG PEOPLE.
SO IT'S THE FUTURE OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT, JOE, NOT ONLY WHAT'S
HAPPENING TODAY. >> SO, LET ME ASK THE BOTH OF
YOU, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS MOST HELPFUL TO THE UNITED
STATES AND OUR ROLE IN THE WORLD IS OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER
COUNTRIES, SPECIFICALLY THE NATO NATIONS.
WHAT, IN YOUR VIEW, IS THE STATE OF AMERICA AND NATO WITH REGARD
TO AFGHANISTAN, THE MIDDLE EAST, AND THE SAFETY OF EUROPE.
>> SO THINK PARTNERSHIP, UNITED STATES, AND
EUROPEAN NATIONS AS A BRIDGE. IT WAS ROCK SOLID DURING THE
TIME I WAS A NATO COMMANDER. AFGHANISTAN, LIBYA, THE BALKANS,
ET CETERA. TODAY THAT BRIDGE IS REALLY
CREEKY, BECAUSE OF A NAGGING SENSE ON THE PART OF THE
EUROPEANS THAT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS NOT SERIOUS
ABOUT THEIR SUPPORT TO NATO. JIM MATTIS IS DOING TOO LITTLE
KIND OF TRY AND REBUILD THAT, SHORE UP THAT BRIDGE.
>> HE'S WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK.
>> FOURTH TRIP TO EUROPE THERE WEEK.
>> BUT EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY, I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THE
ADMIRAL JUST SAID, OF COURSE, MY OLD BOSS, BUT ALSO, THE PROBLEM
WITH RUSSIA. I THINK OUR ALLIES ARE REALLY
WORRIED, MIKE, THAT, YOU KNOW, THE PRESIDENT, OUR PRESIDENT IS
GOING TO MAKE SOME KIND OF DEAL WITH RUSSIA THAT WILL LEAVE THEM
OUT IN THE COLD. AND THE G-20 SUMMIT IS COMING UP
IN LESS THAN -- IN ABOUT A WEEK. WE'LL SEE WHAT ANGELA MERKEL AND
MACRON DO THERE, BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE LEAD NOW WITH UKRAINE.
BUT THEY'RE WATCHING TO SEE, WHAT IS TRUMP GOING TO DO?
BLIND OF CONVERSATION IS HE GOING TO HAVE WITH VLADIMIR
PUTIN ON THE SIDELINES OF THE G-20 SUMMIT AND THEY BETTER TALK
ABOUT SYRIA. >> ADMIRAL, WAS THAT STATEMENT
PUT OUT BY THE WHITE HOUSE A SHOT ACROSS RUSSIA'S BOW, AS
WELL, SAYING, EFFECTIVELY, YOU'LL PAY A HEAVY PRICE IF ONE
OF THESE CHEMICAL ATTACKS IS LAUNCHED, DRAWING A RED LINE, A
MESSAGE TO ASSAD, BUT ALSO TO RUSSIA?
>> VERY MUCH SO. AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE LAST BAG
OF TOMAHAWKS WE SHOT INTO SYRIA, FRANKLY THEY DIDN'T HAVE A LOT
OF EFFECT. SO I THINK WHEN YOU ROLL OUT
THIS, YOU'RE GOING TO PAY A HEAVY PRICE.
THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT MESSAGE GOING ACROSS --
>> SO YOU'RE IN THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY, THE STATE DEPARTMENT,
THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, AND YOU SEE THIS STATEMENT COME OUT
OF THE WHITE HOUSE. WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THERE?
>> THEY ARE DOING THE CONTINGENCY PLANNING, MIKA.
THE CARRIER "BUSH" IS IN THE EASTERN MED NOW --
>> BUT ARE THEY SHOCKED? ARE THEY SCRAMBLING?
>> THEY ARE SHOCKED AND THEY ARE SCRAMBLING AND THAT IS NOT THE
RIGHT WAY TO RUN THE RAILROAD. >> USUALLY, JOE, YOU MENTIONED
THAT THE STATE DEPARTMENT IS MISSING PERSONNEL.
YOU DON'T HAVE PEOPLE AT THE DEPUTY LEVEL WHO ARE EMPOWERED,
WHO ARE APPOINTED, WHO ARE POLITICALLY APPOINTED PEOPLE.
AT THE DEPUTY LEVEL, THAT'S WHERE YOU HAVE THE FIRST CRISIS
MEETING AND PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS UP TO THE
CABINET. AND ABOUT SAYS, OKAY, LET'S DRAW
THIS RED LINE. >> THERE ARE REPORTS THAT ARE
AMBASSADORS HAVE GIVEN UP CALLING THE STATE DEPARTMENT.
>> YEAH, THEY CALL THE NSA. >> SO NOW THEY'RE CALLING THE
NSA, MIKE, BECAUSE THERE'S NOBODY AT THE STATE DEPARTMENT.
THE PROBLEM WITH THIS IS, THIS IS NOT A MISTAKE.
THIS IS A CALCULATD ATTEMPT TO GUT THE STATE DEPARTMENT AND LET
JARED KUSHNER AND DONALD TRUMP AND STEVE BANNON RUN OUR FOREIGN
POLICY. >> YEAH, AND IT'S --
>> AND THEY HAVE -- THIS HAS BEEN PLANNED FOR A LONG TIME.
THIS IS NOT A MISTAKE. AND IT'S DESTROYING AMERICA'S
DPLOELTIC REACH ACROSS THE WORLD.
AND WHEN THAT DIPLOMATIC REACH, WHEN SOFT POWER IS UNDERCUT,
THAT'S WHEN WE GET INTO WARS. >> AND THE RATHER AMAZING ASPECT
OFF OF ALL OF THIS IS YOU HAVE REX TILLERSON, FORMER THE CEO OF
ONE OF THE GLOBE'S LARGEST COMPANIES, MOST POWERFUL
COMPANIES, ACTING ON THE