WE'VE GOT BREAKING NEWS, IRAN
SHOOTS DOWN A U.S. DRONE OVER
THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ AND THE
U.S. SAID THE DRONE WAS IN
INTERNATIONAL AIR SPACE, IRAN'S
MINISTRY SAID IT WAS A VIOLATION
OF IRAN'S AIR SPACE.
THEY SAY IT'S SENDING A CLEAR
MESSAGE TO THE UNITED STATES.
JOINING US NOW, FORMER FOREIGN
POLICY ADVISOR UNDER MARGARET
THAT QUESTION
THATCHUESTION
THATCHR,STION
THATCHR, NION
THATCHR, NILN
THATCHR, NILE GARDNER.
IT'S GREAT HAVING YOU ON.
THE ESCALATING PROVOCATIONS FROM
IRAN, WHAT ARE THEY TRYING TO
ACHIEVE HERE?
>> I THINK THAT YOU'LL SEE
INCREASING -- THEY'RE TRYING TO
INTIMIDATE, TRYING TO FLEX SOME
MUSCLE.
THIS IS A BRUTAL DICTATORSHIP
THAT ACTS OFTEN VERY RECKLESSLY.
CHARLES: WHO IS THEIR AUDIENCE?
WHAT WOULD BE THEIR END GAME
WITH THESE INCREASING ATTACKS?
>> CLEARLY, THE UNITED STATES IS
NOT GOING TO BE INTIMIDATED.
THIS IS A WARNING TO AMERICA'S
ALLIES IN THE REGION, ESPECIALLY
THE GULF STATES.
CERTAINLY I THINK THAT IRAN'S
STRATEGY IS TO TRY AND DIVIDE
THE ALLIANCE THAT IS CONFRONTING
IRAN.
IRAN IS ALSO I THINK -- THE
IRANIAN REGIME IS TRYING TO STIR
UP NATIONALIST SENTIMENT
DOMESTICALLY AGAINST THE UNITED
STATES.
I THINK WHAT YOU'RE SEEING
INCREASINGLY ACROSS THE IRANIAN
CITIES, GROWING UNREST, GROWING
OPPOSITION TO THE IRANIAN
REGIME.
THE SANCTIONS ARE BITING VERY
HARD.
THE U.S. STRATEGY OF MAXIMUM
PRESSURE IS BRINGING THE IRANIAN
ECONOMY TO ITS KNEES.
THIS IS STIRRING UP I THINK
GROWING PUBLIC UNEASE, ACTUALLY,
WITH THE BASICALLY DICTATORSHIP
IN TEHRAN.
THE IRANIAN REGIME IS BASICALLY
FIRING OFF A FEW MISSILES HERE
AND THERE, SHOOTING DOWN DRONES,
I THINK TO DEFLECT FROM THE
ECONOMIC PROBLEMS.
>> UNDER THE OBAMA
ADMINISTRATION, THE IRANIANS
WERE MUCH MORE QUIET, WE HAD THE
NUCLEAR HE DEAL AND EVERYTHING
WAS CHUGGING ALONG.
THIS IS PRESIDENT TRUMP'S STANCE
AND CHANGE IN POSITION HERE, HAS
BROUGHT SOME OF THIS CONFLICT
UP.
HOW DO YOU MANAGE THESE ANTICS,
THESE OUTBURSTS IN THE FACE OF
MILITARY CONFLICT, IF THE
IRANIANS KEEP ESCALATING?
>> I THINK YOU HAVE TO RESPOND
WITH REAL STRENGTH AND UNLIKE
THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION, I
THINK THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
IS HANDLING IRAN WITH REAL
RESOLVE.
A THAT'S THE RIGHT APPROACH.
THE OBAMA APPROACH IS BASED UPON
APIECEMENT TOWARDS IRAN.
THE PRESENT ADMINISTRATION IS
SENDING A MESSAGE OF REAL
STRENGTH.
THAT'S WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO YOU
HAVE TO EXPAND THE SANCTIONS
FURTHER, HAVE YOU TO SHOW
TREMENDOUS SUPPORT FOR U.S.
ALLIES IN THE REGION.
YOU HAVE TO BUILD UP THE
MILITARY PRESENCE, THE WARNING
TO IRAN.
>> DO YOU DO STRIKES AGAINST THE
REVOLUTIONARY GUARD OR THE
IRANIAN NAVY?
>> I THINK THE PRESIDENT HAS
MADE IT VERY CLEAR AND THE
SECRETARY OF STATE HAS MADE IT
CLEAR THAT IF IRAN STRIKES
AGAINST U.S. FORCES DIRECTLY,
THEN THERE WILL BE RETALIATION
AND RESPONSE.
>> IRAN CAN'T DIVIDE US FROM THE
ALLIES IN ANY MEANINGFUL WAY,
WHAT DO THEY DO NEXT?
>> WELL, I THINK THAT IRAN'S
STRATEGY AS WELL IS TO APPEAL TO
EUROPEAN COUNTRIES, ESPECIALLY
FRANCE, GERMANY AND ALSO THE
EUROPEAN UNION, ALSO APPEAL TO
RUSSIA AND CHINA, TO TRY AND
CHANGE U.S. STRATEGY AND SO THIS
IS ALSO ANOTHER FRONT THAT THE
IRANIANS ARE EXERCISING AT THIS
TIME.
AND I WOULD HOPE THAT AMERICA'S
EUROPEAN ALLIES WILL WAKE UP TO
THE FACT THAT THE IRAN NUCLEAR
DEAL IS DEAD IN THE WATER.
I HOPE THEY WAKE UP TO THE FACT
THAT IRAN IS A HOSTILE EXTREMELY
DANGEROUS REGIME.
BUT AT THE MOMENT YOU HAVE --
>> THEY HAVE BEEN DETERMINED TO
PUT THEIR COMMERCIAL INTERESTS
FIRST.
I DON'T -- MY QUESTION WOULD BE,
WHAT'S HAPPENING TO THE GULF
STATES?
WE'VE SAUDI ARABIA, A VOICE OF
SUPPORT.
WHAT ABOUT EVERYBODY ELSE?
>> U.S. ALLIES IN THE GULF ARE
FIRM IN THEIR OPPOSITION TO
IRAN, STANDING WITH THE UNITED
STATES.
I SUSPECT THAT'S GOING TO
CONTINUE.
AND I DO BELIEVE OVERALL THE
U.S. STRATEGY IS WORKING
EFFECTIVELY.
THIS IS A REGIME THAT IS I THINK
SIGNIFICANTLY WEAKENED IN MANY
RESPECTS.
IT'S NOW LASHING OUT, ACT OF
DESPERATION.
>> WHAT DO YOU EXPECT SHA TO
>> WHAT DO YOU RXPECT SHA TO
>> WHAT DO YOU RUSECT SHA TO
>> WHAT DO YOU RUSSIT SHA TO
>> WHAT DO YOU RUSSIA SHA TO
>> WHAT DO YOU RUSSIA THA TO
>> WHAT DO YOU RUSSIA TOA TO
>> WHAT DO YOU RUSSIA TO DTO
>> WHAT DO YOU RUSSIA TO DO?
RUSSIA RESCUED VENEZUELA AND
SYRIA.
IS PUTIN SAYING YOU'RE ON YOUR
OWN.
>> THE RUSSIANS WILL BLOCK ANY
RESOLUTIONS, CONDEMNING IRANIAN
AGGRESSION.
THE RUSSIANS WILL CONTINUE TO
SELL HIGH TECH MISSILES, ET
CETERA, TO THE IRANIAN REGIME.
RUSSIA VIEWS IRAN AS A CLIENT
STATE AND I THINK THAT'S GOING
TO CONTINUE TO BE THE CASE.
BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THAT RUSSIA
WANTS TO HAVE A MILITARY
CONFRONTATION WITH THE UNITED
STATES.
CHARLES: LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT
THIS, G-20 SUMMIT, PRESIDENT
TRUMP MEETING WITH PRESIDENT XI,
SOUNDS LIKE IT'S A RESET IF YOU
WILL, CHINA TOOK A SHOT AT
CHANGING THE DEAL LAST MINUTE,
DIDN'T WORK.
SEEMS LIKE FROM THE
COMMUNICATION WE'RE GETTING FROM
THEIR MEDIA AND THE DIFFERENT
MEETINGS, WE'RE BACK ON TRACK.
HOW WOULD YOU HANDICAP WHAT'S
GOING TO HAPPEN FROM HERE?
>> CERTAINLY GOING TO BE I THINK
A VERY SIGNIFICANT SUMMIT IN
OSAKA.
A LOT OF G-20 SUMMITS ARE PRETTY
WORTHLESS, MEANINGLESS.
I THINK THIS ONE WILL BE A
SIGNIFICANT MEETING.
AND I THINK THAT CERTAINLY YOU
ARE SEEING THE CHINESE OPERATING
A MORE PRAGMATIC APPROACH,
STARTING TO MAKE SOME
CONCESSIONS.
BECAUSE WITHOUT A DOUBT, I THINK
THE U.S. STRATEGY IS HURTING
CHINA.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I THINK
THAT YOU WANT TO AVOID SOME KIND
OF FULL-BLOWN TRADE WAR.
U.S. TARIFFS AGAINST CHINA ARE
GOING TO HIT U.S. CONSUMERS.
THEY DON'T WORK TO THE BENEFIT
OF U.S. CONSUMERS AND
BUSINESSES.
AND I DO HOPE THE PRESIDENT WILL
BACK AWAY FROM A FULL-BLOWN
TRADE CONFLICT WITH CHINA.
I THINK WE'RE GOING TO AVOID
THAT FORTUNATELY AND THE RIGHT
U.S. APPROACH I THINK IS TO
TARGET SPECIFIC CHINESE
COMPANIES.
HUAWEI FOR EXAMPLE HAS BEEN VERY
HARD-HIT BY U.S. MEASURES,
ACTUALLY.
AND THAT'S THE RIGHT APPROACH, I
THINK TO TARGET SPECIFIC CHINESE
COMPANIES THAT ARE VERY HEAVILY
INVOLVED, ACTUALLY, IN TRYING TO
UNDERMINE THE WEST.
>> FROM THE BEGINNING --
>> I THINK SO, YES, ABSOLUTELY.
CHARLES: QUICKLY, BECAUSE WE'RE
RUNNING OUT OF TIME, HUAWEI,
SINCE THEY'VE BEEN CAST AS SUCH
A THREAT, ALSO THE
ADMINISTRATION INCLUDE THEM IN A
POSSIBLE TRADE DEAL?
OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO BE OKAY
WITH HUAWEI WITH CERTAIN
LIMITATIONS?
>> I THINK YOU'VE GOT TO STAND
FIRM ON HUAWEI.
IT'S A COMPANY THAT HAS A
DISTINCT POLITICAL AGENDA ON
BEHALF OF THE CHINESE STATE.
AND THEY HAVE BEEN MAKING
CONCERTED EFFORTS TO INFILTRATE
THE UNITED STATES AND GREAT
BRITAIN AS WELL ON MANY, MANY
FRONTS.