♪.
MARIA: WELCOME BACK.
A LOT OF BREAKING NEWS THIS
MORNING.
IRAQ'S PARLIAMENT MOMENTS AGO
VOTING TO END THE PRESENCE OF
ALL FOREIGN FORCES IN THE
COUNTRY.
THEIR OUTGOING PRIME MINISTER
SAY IT WOULD BE THE QUOTE, BEST
OPTION TO ESTABLISH A STRONG
RELATIONSHIP WITH AMERICA AND
OTHER NATIONS.
MEANWHILE THE WHITE HOUSE THIS
WEEKEND FORMALLY NOTIFYING
CONGRESS ABOUT THE STRIKE THAT
TOOK OUT IRAN'S TOP MILITARY
COMMANDER SOLEIMANI.
JOINING ME RIGHT NOW IS
REPUBLICAN SENATOR LINDSEY
GRAHAM, CHAIRMAN OF SENATE
JUDICIARY COMMITTEE.
MEMBER OF THE FOREIGN RELATIONS
COMMITTEE.
VERY GOOD TO SEE YOU THIS
MORNING.
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR JOINING ME.
>> GOOD MORNING.
MARIA: YOUR REACTION TO THE
LATEST VOTE OUT OF COMING OUT OF
IRAN, IRAQ RATHER, TO REMOVE ALL
FOREIGN TROOPS?
>> WELL IT'S A BIT CONCERNING.
I HOPE ALL THE IRANIANS WOULD
LEAVE.
HERE'S THE POINT.
THE IRANIAN GOVERNMENT IS TRYING
TO BASICALLY TAKE OVER IRAQ'S
POLITICAL SYSTEM.
IRAN IS BRIBING IRAQI
POLITICIANS, TO THE IRAQI
PEOPLE, DO NOT ALLOW YOUR
POLITICIANS TO TURN IRAQ INTO A
PROXY OF IRAN.
I GOT TO READ THE DETAILS OF
THIS RESOLUTION.
BUT HERE'S WHAT WOULD SERVE THE
WORLD WELL, IF PRESIDENT TRUMP
LAID OUT WHAT HE WANTS IRAN TO
DO TO RELIEF SANCTIONS.
I THINK THIS HAS BEEN DONE
BEFORE BUT NOW IS THE TIME FOR
THE PRESIDENT TO TELL THE WORLD,
WHAT WE WOULD LIKE IRAN TO DO,
TO GET BACK TO A NORMAL
RELATIONSHIP.
HERE IS MY BELIEF.
IT IS NOT UNREASONABLE.
WE WOULD LIKE THEM TO STOP BEING
THE LARGEST STATE SPONSOR OF
TERRORISM, STOP DISMEMBERING THE
MIDDLE EAST, STOP BUILDING
ROCKETS AND MISSILES THAT COULD
DESTROY THE REGION AND
EVENTUALLY THE UNITED STATES,
STOP BEING SO PROVOCATIVE.
I WISH THE PRESIDENT WOULD TELL
THE IRANIANS, HERE IS EXACTLY
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO FOR THE
SANCTIONS TO BE LIFTED AND ALLOW
THEM TO MAKE A DECISION BASED ON
A WAY FORWARD THAT IS GOOD FOR
THEM AND THE REGION AND SEE WHAT
THEY WOULD DO.
MARIA: SENATOR, THE PRESIDENT
KEEPS SAYING, AND SECRETARY OF
STATE MIKE POMPEO, THAT THEY
DON'T NECESSARILY WANT REGIME
CHANGE BUT CAN YOU REALLY DO THE
THINGS THAT YOU'RE TALKING
ABOUT, CHANGE BEHAVIORS WITHOUT
A REGIME CHANGE AND HOW DO YOU
ESTABLISH A REGIME CHANGE
WITHOUT AN ACTUAL INVASION?
>> WELL, NOBODY IS GOING TO
INVADE IRAN.
YOU DON'T NEED ONE AMERICAN
TROOP SOLDIER ON THE GROUND TO
ACHIEVE WHAT I'M TRYING TO
ACHIEVE.
EVERYBODY WANT THE REGIME TO
CHANGE.
YOU WOULD HAVE TO BE CRAZY TO
WANT IT TO STAY THE SAME.
IT IS THE LARGEST STATE SPONSOR
OF TERRORISM.
IT THREATENS THE EXIST LENS OF
ISRAEL.
SUPPORTS HEZBOLLAH WITH ROCKETS
AND MISSILES TO DESTROY ISRAEL.
THEY HAVE GOT AMERICAN BLOOD ON
THEIR HANDS, IRAQI BLOOD, SYRIAN
BLOOD.
EVERYBODY WANTS THEM TO CHANGE
BUT HERE'S WHAT IS MISSING.
WHAT WOULD IT TAKE FOR THEM TO
CHANGE?
WHAT KIND OF CHANGE DO WE WANT?
LAY IT OUT, LET THE WORLD KNOW
WE'RE REASONABLE.
IF THEY DON'T ACCEPT THE OFFER
TO CHANGE, THEN YOU KNOW YOU'VE
GOT VERY LIMITED CHOICES WHEN IT
COMES TO IRAN.
I DON'T THINK THEY WILL CHANGE.
I HOPE THE IRAQI -- EXCUSE ME
THE IRANIAN PEOPLE TAKE THE
GOVERNMENT BACK FROM THE
AYATOLLAH.
THAT IS THE ULTIMATE CHANGE.
MARIA: THE PROCESS OF TAKING
THIS GUY DOWN, IT HAS BEEN A
DECADE WHERE HE HAS BEEN DEEMED
A TERRORIST AND NOTHING WAS
DONE.
>> RIGHT.
MARIA: THE FACT HE WAS TAKEN OUT
ON A ROAD ROUTE IRISH, WHERE I'M
TOLD BY MILITARY PEOPLE THAT
THERE IS A LOT OF BLOOD ON THAT
ROAD.
THERE WERE IRANIAN IEDs ON
THAT ROAD WHICH KILLED
SERVICEMEN AND LEADERSHIP IN
THIS COUNTRY.
>> YES.
MARIA: SO TELL ME, WHAT YOU
THINK ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OFO
THINK ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OFF
TAKING HIM DOWN WHERE HE WAS
TAKEN DOWN IN IRAQ, NEAR THE
BAGHDAD AIRPORT?
>> WELL PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS
REALLY CHANGED THE EQUATION
HERE.
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY
LIFETIME THE IRANIANS ARE
WORRIED ABOUT THE AMERICANS.
USED TO BE WE WERE WORRIED ABOUT
THE IRANIANS EXCLUSIVELY.
THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH
DONALD TRUMP.
THE KILLED WE KILLED THIS GUY ON
ROUTE IRIS, IS A BIG DEAL.
I'VE BEEN IN UP-ARMORED VEHICLES
AS RESERVIST.
IT IS DANGEROUS PLACE.
IT WAS TARGET OF OPPORTUNITY FOR
IRANIAN BACKED MILITIAS.
HE MET HIS DEATH ON A ROSE TO
USE AMERICANS.
HERE IS THE POINT.
MAXIMUM PRESSURE CAMPAIGN IS
WORKING.
THE ECONOMY IS IN THE TOILET.
OBAMA TRIED TO GET THEM TO
CHANGE GIVING THEM A BUNCH OF
MONEY AND NUCLEAR DEAL.
THAT DIDN'T WORK.
TRUMP IS TRYING TO GET THEM TO
CHANGE THROUGH A MAXIMUM
PRESSURE CAMPAIGN.
WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED IN THE LAST
48 HOURS?
THE MAXIMUM PRESSURE CAMPAIGN
HAS A MILITARY COMPONENT.
IF IRANIANS HIT AMERICAN TARGETS
AND AMERICAN INTERESTS AND
AMERICAN ALLIES WE WILL RESPOND
MILITARILY.
IF THEY HIT US AGAIN, THEN I
WOULD NOT WANT, I WOULD NOT WANT
TO BE WORKING AN IRANIAN OIL
FIELD BECAUSE I THINK THE
PRESIDENT IS DETERMINED TO BRING
THIS REGIME TO ITS KNEES IF THEY
CONTINUE TO BE PROVOCATIVE.
MARIA: WHEN THE PRESIDENT SAID
THOSE 52 TARGETS, YOU GOT TO
BELIEVE ONE OF THEM OR SOME OF
THEM ARE OIL FACILITIES FOR
SURE.
WE HAVE A LOT TO GET TO WITH
YOU.
I WANT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE
UPCOMING IMPEACHMENT TRIAL.
THERE IS LOT OF PUSHBACK ON THE
MOVE FROM CRITICS ALEXANDRIA
OCASIO-CORTEZ.
I READ HER TWEET EARLIER TO THE
SECRETARY.
TO COLIN KAEPERNICK SENATOR.
KAEPERNICK WRITES THERE IS
NOTHING NEW ABOUT AMERICAN
TERRORIST ATTACKS AGAINST BLACK
AND BROWN PEOPLE FOR EXPANSION
OF AMERICAN I AM PEOPLISM.
YOUR RESPONSE?
>> HE IS A LOSER ON AND OFF THE
FIELD.
HE HAS NO IDEA WHAT THE IRANIAN
REGIME HAS DONE FOR THE REGION.
HE HAS NO IDEA THEY HAVE 600
AMERICAN DEATHS OF IEDs MADE
IN IRAN, USED IN IRAQ.
IT IS UN-AMERICAN.
HE IS A RACIST.
IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR RACISM IN
AMERICA, MR. KAEPERNICK.
LOOK IN THE MIRROR.
YOUR COUNTRY IS NOT THE PROBLEM.
IT IS IRANIANS YOU'RE SO BLINDED
BY YOUR HATRED OF TRUMP YOU
CAN'T SEE THE DIFFERENCE WHO WE
ARE AND WHO THE AYATOLLAH IS.
PRETTY SAD.
MARIA: SO YOU DON'T BELIEVE
CONGRESS SHOULD HAVE BEEN SPOKEN
TO FIRST BEFORE THIS STRIKE?
THE PRESIDENT WAS OBVIOUSLY
RESPONDING TO ATTACKS, WHAT IS
YOUR TAKE IN TERMS OF CONGRESS.
>> RIGHT.
I'VE BEEN A MILITARY LAWYER FOR
33 YEARS.
THESE TROOPS ARE IN THE FIELD AT
THE DIRECTION OF THE
COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF WITH THE
SUPPORT OF THE CONGRESS.
YOU DO NOT NEED CONGRESSIONAL
AUTHORIZATION TO DEFEND TROOPS
IN THE FIELD IN HARM'S WAY.
AOC DOESN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT
THE LAW OF ARMED CONFLICT
OBVIOUSLY.
EVERY COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF HAS THE
RIGHT TO DEFEND OUR PEOPLE ON
THE BATTLEFIELD.
IT WAS CLEAR TO ME THAT THIS WAS
A DEFENSIVE STRIKE.
THAT MR. SOLEIMANI WAS PLANNING
ADDITIONAL ATTACKS AGAINST
AMERICAN INTERESTS.
AOC'S WORLD I GUESS WE'RE
SUPPOSED TO SIT BACK AND WATCH A
BUNCH OF AMERICANS GET KILLED.
WE'RE NOT THE BAD GUYS.