RD JOINING ME TONIGHT, ERIC
PRINCE, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
DEPUTY CHAIRMAN OF FRONTIER
SERVICES GROUP WITHIN ALSO A
RETIRED NAVY CELE OFFICER, ALSO
THE FOUNDER OF BLACK WATER.
AND ERIC, GREAT TO HAVE YOU WITH
US.
I WANT TO.
>> THANK YOU LOU.
LOU: I WANT TO BEGIN IF WE MAY
WITH FIRST THE NOW THE REPORTS
THAT WE WERE WATCHING, THE
WITHDRAWAL OF AT LEAST SOME OF
OUR FORCES IN SYRIA.
AND YOUR REACTION AND YOUR
THOUGHTS ABOUT THE PRESIDENT'S
DECISION TO WITHDRAW THOSE
TROOPS.
>> LOOK, I THINK IT'S TOTALLY
APPROPRIATE THAT THE PRESIDENT
MADE GOOD ON HIS CAMPAIGN
PROMISE TO TRY TO END THESE
FOREVER WARS.
THE UNITED STATES DOESN'T HAVE A
LONG TERM STRATEGIC OBLIGATION
TO STAY IN SYRIA.
BUT I ALSO THINK IT'S NOT A GOOD
IDEA TO ABANDON OUR ALLIES AND
THE KURDS AND THE SYRIAN
DEMOCRATIC FORCES THAT ARE THERE
WITHOUT U.S. FORCES PROVIDING
THEM A LITTLE TOP COVER WILL BE
SMASHED BY THE IRANIANS AND THE
SYRIANS.
SO I THINK IT'S A PERFECT
ANALOGY TO 1940 WHERE JAPAN HAD
INVADED CHINA, WERE BOMBING THE
HECK OUT OF THEIR CITIES AND THE
UNITED STATES WANTED TO HELP
THEM BUT WOULD
THEM BUT COULDN'T HAVE U.S.
GROUND TROOPS INVOLVED SO THEY
ALLOWED THE TIGER TO FORM, A
PRIVATE COMPANY, ARMY, AIR
FORCE, MARINE TOOK LEAVE OF
THEIR SERVICE AND WENT TO WORK
FOR THE PRIVATE COMPANY
DEFENDING CHINA.
LOU: DO YOU THINK THAT'S THE
ANALOG IN SYRIA THEN,
EFFECTIVELY A PRIVATE FORCE
THERE TO PROTECT THE KURDS
PRIMARILY?
>> IF THERE IS NOT SOME KIND OF
ROBUST CAPABILITY TO DEFEND FROM
A GROUND INVASION FROM THE VERY
CONVENTIONAL POW THARY THE
IRANIANS AND THE SYRIANS ARE,
OUR ALLIES THAT THR WILL BE
SMASHED.
THE PRESIDENT IS RIGHT TO
ANNOUNCE A PULLOUT.
WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO STAY THERE
FOREVER BUT I DON'T THINK WE
SHOULD LEAVE THE ALLIES HANGING
BECAUSE THEY WERE KEY TO OUR
SUCCESS IN DEFEATING ISIS.
LOU: AND YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE
ALTERNATIVE?
>> THE ALTERNATIVE OF LEAVING
TROOPS THERE FOREVER.
THE UNITED STATES DOES NOT HAVE
TO BE THE WORLD'S POLICEMAN.
AMERICAN HISTORY IS FILLED WITH
PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS
WHERE THEY CAN FILL THE GAPS
WHERE A VERY EXPENSIVE MILITARY
SHOULD NOT BE.
LOU: THE PRESIDENT TALKS ABOUT
THE TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT
WE'VE SPENT THERE.
IT'S INCREDIBLE TO THINK ABOUT
THE MONEY THAT WAS WASTED, THE
LIVES LOST IN THOSE ENTERPRISES
AND NOW IN AFGHANISTAN WE'RE
BASICALLY RETURNING TO THE PAST.
WE'RE IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH AND
ENEMY THAT WE HAD VANQUISHED 16
YEARS AGO ABSOLUTELY IN
AFGHANISTAN.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
IN THE FIRST FEW MONTHS AFTER
9/11 THE TALIBAN WERE SMASHED
BECAUSE WE FOUGHT THIS WITH AN
UNCONVENTIONAL MATTER.
WE'VE GONE BACKWARDS EVERY
SINCE.
WE HAVE $7 TRILLION IN DEFENSE
SPENDING IN THE GLOBAL WAR ON
TERROR.
IT'S TOO MUCH MONEY.
AND THAT APPROACH IN AFGHANISTAN
IS NOT WORKING.
IT'S ANOTHER PLACE THAT A
RACIALIZATION COULD BE DONE BUT
SO FAR THE PRESIDENT'S ADVISERS
ARE GIVING HIM BAD ADVICE SAYING
MORE MONEY AND MORE TROOPS IS
THE ONLY ANSWER.
I HOPE THE WHITE HOUSE STAFF AND
THE PENTAGON OPENS THEIR EYES.
THERE ARE BETTER WAY TWAS
THERE ARE BETTER WAYSTWAS
THERE ARE BETTER WAYS TAS
THERE ARE BETTER WAYS TOS
THERE ARE BETTER WAYS TO DO THI
THIS.
LOU: SECRETARY OF STATE POMPEO
ROLLING BACK THE APOLOGY OF THE
FORMER PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA
THE SPEECH HE GAVE IN CAIRO FROM
THE VERY OUTSET OF HIS
PRESIDENCY.
DO YOU THINK IT WAS EFFECTIVE
AND DO YOU THINK IT AUGERS WELL
FOR THE UNITED STATES' NEW
APPROACH IN THE MIDDLE EAST?
>> YOU DEFINITELY HAVE TO SET
THE POLICY AND LAY DOWN A MARKER
BUT THAT'S BACKEDs UP WITH
MUSCLE AND GRIT.
THE IRANIANS ARE DELIBERATE.
IT'S A SOCIETY THAT HAVE PUT
1,000 STITCHES IN A PERSIAN RUG
IN ONE SQUARE INCH.
THEY'RE VERY METHODICAL.
AND SO FAR THEY'VE BEEN WINNING.
THEY'RED
THEY'R ADVANCING.
FIGHTING THEM AND COMBATING THEM
IN AN UNCONVENTIONAL WAY.
LOOK, THE UNITED STATES IN THE
1980s TOOK ON THE SOVIET UNION
AND IN TEN YEARS OF ACTION FROM
THE TIME REAGAN TOOK OVER WITH A
CIA DIRECTOR LIKE BILL CASEY,
THEY ROLLED COMMUNISM BACK.
IT IS NOT DIFFICULT IF WE GO
ABOUT IT IN A SERIOUS AND DIRECT
MANNER.
LOU: AND I THINK OF ONE OTHER
STATISTIC TO GO WITH THE
STITCHES IN THAT PERSIAN RUG,
AND THAT IS THAT THE IRANIANS
WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR AN
ESTIMATED ONE-THIRD OF OUR
CASUALTIES IN IRAQ.
ERIK PRINCE, GREAT TO HAVE YOU
WITH US.