AFTER LAST WEEK'S CRUISE MISSILE STRIKE ON AN AIRBASE IN
SYRIA, THIS WEEKEND WAS RELATIVELY QUIET.
THERE WERE
DIPLOMATIC RUMBLINGS CONCERNING NEWS COMING OUT, BUT NO FURTHER
ACTION.
THERE WERE SOME RUMORS ABOUT THE DEATH OF ONE OF THE
SYRIAN PILOTS WHO FLEW THE MISSION, I DON'T BELIEVE THOSE
ARE CONFIRMED, BUT IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THERE WERE ANY
ADDITIONAL STRIKES, AT LEAST AGAINST ASSAD REGIME MATERIEL OR
BASES.
THEY HAVE SAID THERE IS LIKELY TO BE FURTHER ACTION,
RUSSIA HAS SAID THERE WILL BE CONSEQUENCES FOR WHAT WE DID,
BUT DONALD TRUMP DOESN'T SEEM TO BE MAKING CLEAR WHAT HE WILL DO,
SO WE ARE LEFT LOOKING AT SOME OF HIS MOST HIGH-PROFILE FOREIGN
POLICY REPRESENTATIVES, AND EVEN THEY DON'T SEEM TO KNOW WHAT
WILL HAPPEN NOW.
HERE WE WILL HAVE NIKKI HALEY, SHE MAKES
PRETTY CLEAR THAT THERE WILL BE LARGE CONSEQUENCES FOR THE ASSAD
REGIME.
IS REGIME CHANGE IN SYRIA THE OFFICIAL POLICY OF THE UNITED
STATES?
GETTING ASSAD OUT IS NOT THE ONLY PRIORITY, WE ARE TRYING TO
DEFEAT ISIS, SECONDLY WE DON'T SEE A PEACEFUL SYRIA WITH A SOD
IN THERE.
THIRD, GET THE IRANIAN INFLUENCE OUT, AND FINALLY MOVE
TOWARDS A POLITICAL SITUATION BECAUSE THIS IS A COMPLICATED
SITUATION, THERE ARE NO EASY ANSWERS AND A POLITICAL SOLUTION
WILL HAVE TO HAPPEN BUT WE KNOW IT IS NOT GOING TO BE -- THERE
IS NOT ANY SORT OF OPTION WERE A POLITICAL SOLUTION WILL HAPPEN
WITH ASSAD AT THE HEAD OF THE REGIME.
IS IT THE POSITION OF THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION THAT HE
CAN'T BE RULER OF SYRIA ANYMORE, REGIME CHANGE IS THE POLICY?
REGIME CHANGE IS SOMETHING WE THINK IS GOING TO HAPPEN,
BECAUSE ALL OF THE PARTIES WILL SEE THAT ASSAD IS NOT THE LEADER
THAT NEEDS TO BE TAKING PLACE FOR SYRIA.
I THINK YOU SEE THAT
THIS ISN'T ABOUT POLICY, THIS IS ABOUT THOUGHTS.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT
THE THOUGHTS, THERE IS NO POLITICAL SOLUTION THAT ANY OF
US CAN SEE WITH ASSAD AT THE LEAD.
AT THE VERY LEAST THAT IS TRUE, YOU DON'T SIMPLY HAVE A
POLITICAL SOLUTION, THEY KEEP THROWING AROUND BECAUSE THEY
WANT YOU TO BE FOCUSED ON THE POLITICAL SOLUTION RATHER THAN
THE MILITARY ATTEMPT TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM THAT THEY'VE ALREADY
STARTED AND MIGHT CONTINUE AS WELL.
OBVIOUSLY THERE IS NO
POLITICAL SOLUTION WITHOUT A MILITARY SOLUTION, THAT'S WHY
HE'S BEEN ENGAGED IN THIS CIVIL WAR FOR HALF A DECADE NOW, BUT
IF YOU ARE WORRIED ABOUT ESCALATION OF THE CONFLICT
AGAINST THE SYRIAN REGIME, SHE MADE CLEAR IT WILL HAPPEN.
DEVIL'S ADVOCATE, SHE COULD BE ALLUDING TO THE FACT THAT IF WE
CAN CONVINCE RUSSIA, THEN RUSSIA CAN TAKE IT OUT.
GOOD LUCK WITH THAT.
RUSSIA HAS NO INCENTIVE TO TAKE THEM OUT.
RIGHT NOW RUSSIA
IS ONE OF ASSAD'S ALLIES, AND THEY TOOK PART SPECIFICALLY IN
GOING AFTER CIVILIANS IN THIS WAR.
I DON'T BELIEVE RUSSIA
WOULD TAKE ANY PART IN GETTING ASSAD OUT OR PLAYING A ROLE IN
REGIME CHANGE, BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO TAKE AWAY
FROM THAT INTERVIEW WAS THAT NIKKI HALEY BELIEVES THAT THE
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WILL PUSH FOR REGIME CHANGE.
RIGHT NOW
THERE IS CONFUSION ABOUT WHAT TRUMP'S STRATEGY IS BECAUSE HE
WENT FROM CRITICIZING THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION SEVERAL YEARS AGO
AND CLAIMING THAT OBAMA SHOULD NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES GET
INVOLVED IN WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN SYRIA, AND THAN HE SEEMED TO
TAKE A VERY, I WOULDN'T SAY FAVORABLE, HE SEEMED LIKE HE WAS
IN FAVOR OF FOCUSING ON AMERICA, NOT GETTING INVOLVED IN THE
SYRIAN CONFLICT, AND OUT OF NOWHERE BECAUSE HE SAW THE
CHEMICAL ATTACK VIDEOS HE DECIDED WE'VE GOT TO DO
SOMETHING, AND PROCEEDS TO DO THE MISSILE STRIKE.
WHAT IS THE
STRATEGY, WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
WHAT KIND OF IMPACT HAS HIS
ACTION TAKEN SO FAR, AND WHAT DOES EVERYONE ELSE IN HIS
ADMINISTRATION SAY?
LET'S TURN TO SECRETARY OF STATE REX TILLERSON, WHO
WILL DISAGREE WITH NIKKI HALEY.
THE CONTINUED ACTIONS BY ASSAD CALL INTO QUESTION ANY
EXPECTATION OF HIM HAVING LEGITIMACY TO CONTINUE AS THE
LEADER OF SYRIA, THE ISSUE OF HOW ASSAD'S LEADERSHIP IS
SUSTAINED OR HOW HE DEPARTS IS SOMETHING WE WILL BE WORKING
WITH ALLIES AND OTHERS IN THE COALITION.
ISN'T A PRIORITY OF U.S. POLICY TO GET HIM OUT OF POWER?
OUR PRIORITY IN SYRIA HASN'T CHANGED, THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN
CLEAR.
FIRST AND FOREMOST WE MUST DEFEAT ISIS.
IN TERMS OF PRESIDENT ASSAD, YOU SAID THERE HAS BEEN NO
CHANGE IN POLICY IS THE RESULT OF THIS ATTACK, IT'S STILL TRUE
THAT HIS FATE IS TO BE DETERMINED BY THE SYRIAN PEOPLE?
YES, JOHN, OBVIOUSLY THE UNITED STATES' OWN FOUNDING
PRINCIPLES ARE SELF-DETERMINATION, I THINK WITH
THE UNITED STATES AND OUR ALLIES WANT TO DO IS ENABLE THE SYRIAN
PEOPLE TO MAKE THAT DETERMINATION.
WE HAVE SEEN WHAT
VIOLENT REGIME CHANGE LOOKS LIKE IN LIBYA, AND THE KIND OF CHAOS
THAT CAN BE UNLEASHED, AND INDEED THE KIND OF MISERY THAT
IT AND ACTS ON ITS OWN PEOPLE.
IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE KEEP OUR
PRIORITIES STRAIGHT, AND WE BELIEVE THAT THE FIRST PRIORITY
IS THE DEFEAT OF ISIS.
TO BE CLEAR THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT WHETHER IT SHOULD BE UP TO
THE SYRIAN PEOPLE TO DECIDE THEIR FATE, WHICH IS FINE, BUT
LET'S BE CLEAR AT THIS POINT, THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN A NARROW
WINDOW AT ONE POINT WHERE THE SYRIAN PEOPLE WERE ENGAGED IN AN
ATTEMPT TO EITHER POLITICALLY CHANGE THE REGIME, BUT NOT TOO
LONG AFTER THAT, THEIR ABILITY TO DO IT ALL ON THEIR OWN WAS
TAKEN AWAY, NOT JUST BECAUSE OF THE BRUTAL ACTIONS OF ASSAD BUT
ALSO THE WIDESCALE INTERVENTION BY RUSSIA, THE FACT THAT THEY
BEGIN SUPPORTING HIM MILITARILY AND ECONOMICALLY.
AT THAT POINT
IT BECOMES A FICTION TO SAY THAT THE SYRIAN PEOPLE GET TO DECIDE.
YES, TECHNICALLY, AGAINST ASSAD, WHO IS CRUSHING THEM MILITARILY,
AND ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL MILITARY FORCES AROUND THE
GLOBE.
TECHNICALLY THEY GET TO DECIDE.
BUT ANYWAY HE IS SAYING
THE POLICY HASN'T CHANGED.
HAS HE SPOKEN TO NIKKI HALEY?
HAS
SHE SPOKEN TO TRUMP?
THAT'S THE RIGHT QUESTION TO ASK, BECAUSE EVEN WITHIN HIS
ADMINISTRATION YOU SEE DIFFERENT MESSAGING FROM DIFFERENT PEOPLE,
AND THEY FURTHER CONFUSE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ABOUT WHAT
TRUMP'S STRATEGY, IF THERE IS ANY STRATEGY, WILL BE, AND HOW
HE WILL PROCEED FORWARD.
IT SEEMS LIKE THINGS HAPPEN
SPONTANEOUSLY, AND THAT'S A DIFFICULT WAY TO GO ABOUT SYRIA,
WHICH I CONCEDE IS ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT FOREIGN POLICY
ISSUES TODAY.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROPER MEASURES ARE, I KNOW
WHAT TRUMP DID WITH THE MISSILES LAST WEEK WAS NOT EFFECTIVE, IT
DIDN'T ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING -- IF ANYTHING IT ESCALATED CONFLICT
IN A WAY THAT WAS HAPHAZARD AND WASN'T WELL THOUGHT OUT.
BUT
IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND ALL THE DIFFERENT FACTIONS THAT PLAY
A ROLE IN SYRIA, IT'S NOT JUST THE REBELS, ASSAD, WHOSE SIDE
ARE YOU ON -- IT'S MORE COMPLICATED THAN THAT.
THERE ARE
COUNTRIES THAT HAVE DECIDED TO ALLY THEMSELVES EITHER WITH
ASSAD FOR THE REBELS, THEN YOU HAVE --
OR THE TERRORIST GROUPS.
EXACTLY.
THERE ARE SO MANY PLAYERS HERE, I'M NOT CONVINCED
SOMEONE LIKE TRUMP IS SOPHISTICATED ENOUGH TO
UNDERSTAND THE NUANCES OF THE CIVIL WAR, UNDERSTAND ALL THE
PLAYERS, AND I ALSO DON'T HAVE FAITH IN TRUMP IN TERMS OF
UNITING ALL THE PEOPLE THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO BE COLLABORATING
WITH HIM, ADVISING HIM, AND ESSENTIALLY GETTING BRIEFED
EFFECTIVELY ENOUGH TO MAKE A SMART DECISION.
RIGHT NOW AS YOU
CAN SEE FROM THESE TWO DIFFERENT INTERVIEWS YOU HAVE TWO
DIFFERENT THEORIES ON HOW THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SHOULD MOVE
FORWARD, AND I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT WILL HAPPEN.
EVERYTHING SEEMS
SPONTANEOUS AND THERE IS NO UNITING FRONT.
IT SEEMS LIKE THEY DON'T KNOW EITHER.
THAT SEEMS CRAZY TO SAY
BUT DO WE HAVE ANY REASON TO BELIEVE TRUMP HAS ACTUALLY SAT
DOWN AND SPOKEN OR GOTTEN ON THE PHONE AND SPOKEN WITH EITHER
TILLERSON OR NIKKI HALEY?
TRUMP IS NOT SOPHISTICATED ENOUGH TO
UNDERSTAND THE SITUATION AND NOT CURIOUS ENOUGH TO GET A HANDLE
ON IT, EVEN AFTER WE ENGAGED WITH THE ASSAD REGIME.
MY
FEELING EVEN AFTER THE MISSILES WERE LAUNCHED WAS HE WILL SEE
THIS AS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO GET US EMBROILED IN A MILITARY
CONFLICT WHICH UNFORTUNATELY THE MEDIA WILL LARGELY BACK HIM ON,
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE HISTORICALLY HAVE BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE OF
PRESIDENTS DURING A TIME OF WAR, ESPECIALLY IF THE DANGER OF THAT
ENEMY IS HYPED UP TO THEM, AND WE KNOW IN A RECENT POLL 51% OF
THE AMERICAN PUBLIC SUPPORTS THE MILITARY STRIKES AGAINST SYRIA,
THOSE ARE NOT INCREDIBLE NUMBERS AND YOU ARE SEEING A WEIRD MIX
OF REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS SUPPORTING THAT, AND THAT OPTION
IS STILL POSSIBLE.
WE COULD FIND THAT WE HAVE SENT IN 10,000
TROOPS TOMORROW, TRUMP HAS SAID HE WON'T TELL US UNTIL AFTERWARD
WHEN HE ENGAGES IN THOSE SORTS OF ACTIONS.
BUT THERE IS DANGER
IN THAT PATH, SOMETHING WOULD HAPPEN WITH RUSSIA, U.S. TROOPS
COULD BE LOST, THAT'S DAMAGING TO HIM TOO, SO IT'S NOT
IMPOSSIBLE THAT HE WILL TAKE A SMALL BOOST TO HIS APPROVAL HE'S
ARTY GOTTEN, PEOPLE SAYING HE LOOKS PRESIDENTIAL AND HE WILL
DO DECISIVE ACTION, AND HE MIGHT ACTUALLY BACK OFF ESPECIALLY
CONSIDERING HOW DISINTERESTED HE IS IN SYRIA TO BEGIN WITH.
CAN I JUMP IN WITH THIS WHOLE NOTION THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP
LOOKS MORE PRESIDENTIAL BECAUSE WHAT HE DID?
IF ACTING BASED ON
EMOTION, AND ACTING IN A SPONTANEOUS FASHION WITHOUT
GETTING THE PROPER BRIEFINGS NECESSARY FROM INTELLIGENCE
ORGANIZATIONS, IS WHAT MAKES YOU APPEAR PRESIDENTIAL, THEN WE
HAVE EXTREMELY LOW STANDARDS IN THIS COUNTRY FOR WHAT
PRESIDENTIAL MEANS.
ANYONE WHO WENT ON TV AND SUPPORTED THIS
AND THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD IDEA IS A QUESTIONABLE COMMENTATOR,
TO SAY THE LEAST.
EVERYONE MAKES MISTAKES IN THEIR COMMENTARY AND
THEIR ANALYSIS OF THE NEWS, I'M NOT TRYING TO BE TO JUDGEY ABOUT
IT, BUT WHAT IS HAPPENING IN SYRIA AND THIS ESCALATION BY THE
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WILL HAVE SIGNIFICANT COSTS, AND WHO KNOWS
WHERE IT WILL LEAD?
WHO KNOWS HOW MANY MEMBERS OF OUR MILITARY
WILL HAVE TO GET INVOLVED IN A SITUATION THAT WASN'T WELL
THOUGHT OUT?
THIS IS NOT PRESIDENTIAL, IT'S KIND OF LIKE
BEING ON A HIGH SCHOOL CAMPUS AND SEEING A BULLY THROW THE
FIRST PUNCH AND THEN SOMEONE SAYS, THAT'S WHAT A REAL STUDENT
DOES.
THAT STUDENT LOOKS LIKE A REAL STUDENT.
THAT GUY LOOKS STUDENT BODY PRESIDENTIAL.
BECAUSE HE TOOK A STRONG ACTION OR STRONG ACT.
LIKE, THIS
IS NOT PRESIDENTIAL TO ME.
PRESIDENTIAL IS SHOWING
LEADERSHIP, SHOWING THAT YOU ARE PROPERLY EQUIPPED WITH THE
KNOWLEDGE NECESSARY TO MAKE A SMART DECISION, AND IN THIS CASE
IT DIDN'T SEEM LIKE A SMART DECISION.
TRUMP HIMSELF SAID I
SAW THOSE VIDEOS AND HE GOT EMOTIONAL AND MADE A
DECISION BASED ON THAT, THAT'S NOT PRESIDENTIAL.
IT'S EASY TO GET AWAY WITH THAT SORT OF THING WHEN THE VAST
MAJORITY OF TRUMP SUPPORTERS WERE POLLED AND THEY SAID THIS
IS CONSISTENT WITH HIS PAST STATEMENTS ON WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN
IN SYRIA.
AND WE'VE SHOWN YOU OVER AND OVER THE MANY QUOTES,
BOTH IN VIDEO FORM, HIS 13 TWEETS ATTACKING OBAMA FOR
POSSIBLY GETTING INVOLVED IN SYRIA -- THIS IS THE POLITICAL
CONTEXT WE EXIST IN.
AND I THINK HE IS AWARE OF HOW LITTLE MEMORY
THERE IS AMONGST HIS SUPPORTERS, HOW LITTLE INTEREST THERE IS
INCONSISTENCY AMONGST HIS SUPPORTERS, THANKFULLY OUR
AUDIENCE IS A LITTLE MORE SELF-AWARE THAN THAT.
AND I
DON'T KNOW WHERE IT'S GOING TO GO FROM HERE, THERE ARE SOME
RUMBLINGS, SOME RUMORS, ABOUT FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS COMING OUT
TODAY, AN UNNAMED MILITARY OFFICIAL -- THAT'S ALWAYS A GOOD
BEGINNING TO A SENTENCE -- SAYING THEY HAVE NOW CONFIRMED
THAT RUSSIA WAS AWARE OF THE CHEMICAL ATTACK BEFORE IT
HAPPENED.
THEY HAVEN'T GONE ON RECORD, THEY HAVEN'T PRESENTED
THE EVIDENCE, AT THIS POINT THERE IS NO REASON TO BELIEVE
THAT, BUT THAT IS NOW OUT THERE.
IS THAT SOMETHING TRUMP WILL RUN
WITH?
ARE THEY GOING TO PRESENT EVIDENCE?
NO IDEA, IT MIGHT BE ON TOMORROW'S SHOW.
ONE THING I WANT TO COMMENT ON, I KNOW WE'VE GONE TOO LONG
-- I FIND IT FASCINATING THAT MEMBERS OF CONGRESS DIDN'T MAKE
A BIG DEAL ABOUT THE FACT THAT THEY WERE NOT NOTIFIED ABOUT
WHAT TRUMP WAS ABOUT TO DO.
TRUMP IS ABLE TO ACT
UNILATERALLY IF A COUNTRY POSES AN IMMINENT THREAT TO THE UNITED
STATES.
WE ALL KNOW SYRIA DIDN'T POSE AN IMMINENT THREAT, BUT HE
ACTED UNILATERALLY IN WHAT HE DID.
SO IF ANY OTHER PRESIDENT
-- LET'S SAY PRESIDENT HILLARY CLINTON -- HAD DONE THE EXACT
SAME THING TRUMP DID WITHOUT NOTIFYING CONGRESS OR ASKING
THEM FOR THEIR ADVICE OR OPINION OR SUPPORT, I FEEL LIKE CONGRESS
WOULD BE SPEAKING, OR SINGING A DIFFERENT TUNE RIGHT NOW.
I THINK EVEN MORE DEMOCRATS WOULD BE BACKING HER UP, EVEN
THOUGH A LOT OF THEM BACKED UP TRUMP ON THE STRIKES -- ELECTED
DEMOCRATS ON TALKING ABOUT.
I THINK FEWER REPUBLICANS WOULD,
BUT I BET SOME WOULD.
THEY STILL WANT THAT MONEY GOING TO THE
DEFENSE CONTRACTORS, AND THEN YOU THROUGH THEM WILL GET PAID.
I THINK SHE COULD REACH ACROSS THE AISLE WITH STRIKES ON SYRIA.
PROBABLY, BUT I JUST WANT TO REALLY EMPHASIZE HOW DEEPLY
EVERYTHING IS POLITICIZED, AND HOW POLARIZED CONGRESS AND
POLITICS IN GENERAL IS IN THE UNITED STATES, AND I FEEL LIKE
REPUBLICANS WOULD MAKE SUCH A BIG DEAL OUT OF A DEMOCRATIC
LEADER ACTING UNILATERALLY IN A SIMILAR SITUATION.
JUST PUTTING THAT OUT THERE, I COULD BE WRONG.
YOU ARE PROBABLY RIGHT, THEY DID IT WITH OBAMA.
INCLUDING
TRUMP, BY
THE WAY.