APPLE 291 BUCKS.
NOW HIGHER.
>>> TO THIS BIG STORY.
WE'RE CONTINUING TO FOLLOW
CHAOTIC SCENES IN BAGHDAD WHERE
DOZENS OF PROTESTERS STORMED THE
U.S. EMBASSY THERE FOLLOWING
FUNERALS FOR 25 IRAN-BACKED
MILITIA FIGHTERS KILLED IN U.S.
MILITARY AIRSTRIKES ON SUNDAY.
LET'S BRING IN JOEL RUBEN,
FORMER STATE DEPARTMENT
OFFICIAL.
JOEL, THANKS FOR JOINING US.
>> MY PLEASURE.
ASHLEY: WE SEE THESE PICTURES,
VIOLENCE, ANGER.
WHERE DOES THIS GO, DO YOU
THINK?
WE TALKED EARLIER ABOUT IRAN,
BEING BEHIND THIS.
DO YOU THINK IT COULD ESCALATE?
>> SO THERE ARE A COUPLE OF
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT RIGHT NOW
IN THIS VERY TENSE SITUATION.
THE BOTTOM LINE, IT LOOKS LIKE
THE COMPETITION FOR IRAQ, REALLY
IS UNDERWAY RIGHT NOW BETWEEN
THE UNITED STATES AND IRAN.
AND, THERE ARE A LOT OF
POTENTIAL DOWNSIDE RISKS TO
THAT.
WE'RE WITNESSING IT RIGHT NOW
WITH THE ATTACK ON THE EMBASSY,
THE ASSAULT ON THE EMBASSY BY
IRANIAN BACKED MILITIAS.
CONCURRENT TO THIS, THIS IS VERY
IMPORTANT.
THERE HAVE BEEN MASSIVE STREET
PROTESTS BY IRAQI PEOPLE FOR
MONTH NOW WHERE THEY HAVE BEEN
DEMANDING THAT IRAN NOT MEDDLE
IN THEIR POLITICS AND THAT IS
DISTINCT FROM WHAT WE JUST SAW
AT THE EMBASSY.
SO WE'RE ENGAGED IN A MILITARY
BACK AND FORTH WITH
IRANIAN-BACKED MILITIAS.
THE IRANIAN PEOPLE ARE DEMANDING
BETTER POLITICS.
WE HAVE TO BE SENSITIVE HOW WE
ENGAGE AND THAT WILL TAKE A LOT
OF CALM NERVES RIGHT NOW.
ASHLEY: IT DOES.
I MENTIONED THE U.S. WAS SEEN AS
INVADER NUMBER OF YEARS AGO.
NOW THEY HAVE BEEN INVITED IN TO
HELP WIPE OUT ISIS BUT IRAN'S
INFLUENCE HAS GROWN AND GROWN.
WHAT SHOULD BE OUR RESPONSE?
YOU SAY WE HAVE TO BE DELICATE
WITH THIS.
WE'RE WATCHING AN EMBASSY UNDER
SIEGE.
WHAT SHOULD WE DO?
>> SO IN THE NEAR TERM WHAT WE
NEED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE DOING
WITH THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT,
MAKING IT CLEAR THAT THEY GET
CONTROL OF THE PHYSICAL
SITUATION.
LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE LEANING THAT
WAY BUT THEY DID NOT INITIALLY.
SO THE CONCERN FROM THE UNITED
STATES PERSPECTIVE IS, HOW FIRM
IS THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT IN
PROTECTING OUR EMBASSY
FACILITIES?
THAT NEEDS TO BE MADE CLEAR.
THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO BE
VERY FIRM IN PROTECTING U.S.,
AND INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC
FACILITIES.
SECOND TO THAT, THERE NEED TO BE
CLEAR RULES OF THE ROAD FOR IRAN
AND THE UNITED STATES AND HOW WE
ENGAGE EACH OTHER.
ON THE AMERICAN SIDE, THERE WAS,
THERE WAS DEBATE IN CONGRESS IN
FACT, BIPARTISAN DEBATE OPPOSING
MILITARY ESCALATION AND CONFLICT
WITH IRAN.
MATT GAETZ, RO KHANNA OFFERED A
AMENDMENT ON DEFENSE BILL GOT
THROUGH THE HOUSE, NOT IN THE
SENATE LANGUAGE BUT NONETHELESS
THERE IS STRONG CONCERN IN
CONGRESS THERE IS NO
AUTHORIZATION FOR AMERICAN WAR
WITH IRAN.
FINE, SO WE TAKE THAT AS A
BASELINE.
THE SAME GOES FOR IRAN.
THEY HAVE BEEN PUSHING THEIR
AGENDA POLITICALLY IN BAGHDAD
BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THEY HAVE
THE SUPPORT OF THE IRAQI PEOPLE.
ASHLEY: RIGHT.
>> THAT IS WHY WE SEE PROTESTS
OF IRAQI PEOPLE.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE LISTEN
TO THE IRAQI PEOPLE RIGHT NOW.
ASHLEY: JOEL, STAY RIGHT THERE I
WANT IT TURN OUR ATTENTION TO
HONG KONG, RINGING IN NEW YEAR.
PROTESTS ARE PLANNED.
SUSAN, WHAT DO WE HAVE?
SUSAN: WE HAVE PROTESTS ACROSS
SEVERAL SITES IN THE CITY.
GIANT HUMAN CHAINS ARE FORMED.
PROTESTERS DONNING BLACK MASKS
AND THEY ARE OUT IN MASS.
NEW YEAR'S EVE IS A BIG NIGHT.
THAT USUALLY HAVE FIREWORKS
DISPLAY, THAT WAS CANCELED BY
THE GOVERNMENT IN ANTICIPATION
OF MORE HONG KONG PROTEST.
I WOULD SAY THEY HAVE DIED DOWN
FROM THE LOCAL ELECTIONS A FEW
WEEKS AGO.
NOW BACK AND FORTH SINCE WE KNOW
MOST OF THE PROTESTERS ARE
STUDENT-LED.
STUDENTS ARE OUT FOR THE BREAK
OVER THE HOLIDAYS.
ASHLEY: RIGHT.
JOEL, LET ME LET YOU BACK IN ON
THIS.
ARE PROTESTS LIKELY TO CARRY ON
IN THE NEW YEAR BUT WHERE ARE WE
GOING THAT BEIJING WILL NOT
BUDGE ON THE KEY ISSUES
PROTESTERS WANT CHANGED?
>> VERY ANALOGOUS SITUATION TO
THE STREET, LIKE IN IRAQ, THE
STREET IS MAKING IT CLEAR THEY
DON'T WANT TO BE GOVERNED BY AN
EXTERNAL FORCE.
THE HONG KONG PROTESTERS, THERE
WAS A STRONG SIGN BY US IN THE
CONGRESS BY SUPPORTING THE
PRESIDENT SIGNING LEGISLATION
SUPPORTING THEIR PROTESTS AND
CHINESE DIDN'T LIKE IT BUT THAT
IS JUST HOW IT HAS TO WORK.
SO AS THE PRESIDENT ENGAGES IN
TRADE NEGOTIATIONS FORWARD, HE
ALSO NEEDS TO STAND FIRM ON
HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES, STANDING
WITH THE POPULATIONS IN THE
DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY IS VERY
CRITICAL TO INSURING LONG-TERM
SECURITY AND LONG-TERM STRONG
RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA AND WITH
HONG KONG.
ASHLEY: WE'LL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW