COUNTRY AS WELL AS THE NAME OF A
FOREIGN AGENT.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>>> RUSSIA TONIGHT REACTING TO
PRESIDENT TRUMP'S WARNING OF
MILITARY ACTION AGAINST SYRIA.
RUSSIA REPORTEDLY MOVING 11 OF
ITS SHIPS FROM THEIR NAVAL BASE
IN SYRIA OUT TO SEA.
THE U.S. NAVY IS ALSO ON THE
MOVE.
THE USS HARRY TRUMAN STRIKE
GROUP TODAY DEPARTED NORFOLKS
FOR A DEPLOYMENT TO THE MIDDLE
EAST AND EUROPE.
PRESIDENT TRUMP EARLIER IN THE
DAY THREATENED SYRIA WITH A
MISSILE STRIKE, BLASTING RUSSIA
FOR SUPPORTING THE A ASSAD
REGIME'S USE OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS
ON ITS OWN PEOPLE.
HE TWEETED THIS, GET READY
RUSSIA BECAUSE THEY WILL BE
COMING, NICE AND NEW AND SMART.
YOU SHOULDN'T BE PARTNERED WITH
A GAS-KILLING ANIMAL WHO KILLS
HIS PEOPLE AND ENJOYS IT.
JOINING US TONIGHT TO ASSESS ALL
OF THIS, FORMER VICE CHIEF OF
STAFF OF THE U.S. ARMY, JACK
KEANE, FOX BUSINESS SENIOR
STRATEGIC ANALYST.
GREAT TO HAVE YOU HERE, GENERAL.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE
DEPLOYMENT OF THOSE 11 RUSSIAN
SHIPS FROM TAR TES, SYRIA?
>> FIRST OF ALL AS WE'RE
PAINFULLY AWAY OF, SHIPS IN A
FIXED PORT LIKE THAT ARE
VULNERABLE.
WE FOUND THAT OUT DURING PEARL
HARBOR.
ANY GOOD SEAMAN, IF THEY KNOW AN
ATTACK IS EMINENT WANTS THE
SHIPS AT SEA.
THE OTHER QUESTION IS ARE THEY
REALLY GOING TO TAKE ACTION
AGAINST A U.S. STRIKE OR AN
ALLIED STRIKE IN SYRIA.
I SUSPECT NOT.
AND HERE'S WHY.
RUSSIA AND IRANIANS HAVE PROPPED
UP THE ASSAD REGIME
SUCCESSFULLY.
A DICTATOR CAN STAY IN POWER
THERE INDEFINITELY.
MAY NOT BE ASSAD BECAUSE HE MAY
BE A PLIT K58 LIABILITY
BE A POLT K58 LIABILITY
BE A POLITK58 LIABILITY
BE A POLITIC8 LIABILITY
BE A POLITICALLIABILITY
BE A POLITICAL LABILITY
BE A POLITICAL LIAILITY
BE A POLITICAL LIABIITY
BE A POLITICAL LIABILIY
BE A POLITICAL LIABILITY FOR
THEM.
THEY'VE ACHIEVED WHAT THEY
WANTED.
SO IF THEY TAKE ON THE UNITED
STATES OVER OUR RESPONSE TO A
CHEMICAL WEAPONS ATTACK, THAT
PUTS AT RISK ALL OF THOSE GAINS
BECAUSE IT PULLS THE UNITED
STATES INTO SYRIA IN A WAY
DEALING WITH THE TWO PEOPLE WHO
HAVE PROPPED UP THE ASSAD
REGIME, IRAN AND RUSSIA.
I THINK THEY WOULD NEVER MAKE
THAT STRATEGIC MISTAKE BECAUSE
THEY DON'T WANT TO GIVE UP WHAT
THEY'VE PAID A PRICE TO GAIN.
LOU: HOW CONSOLIDATED IS NATO
AND AT LEAST THE EARLY COALITION
THAT IS BUILT AROUND STRIKING IN
SYRIA, THAT IS FRANCE AND THE
UK?
TERESA MAY, THE PRIME MINISTER
OF THE UNITED KINGDOM SAYING SHE
NEEDS MORE TIME TO ASSESS
WHETHER OR NOT RUSSIA WAS
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CHEMICAL --
THE USE OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS.
IT'S AN EXTRAORDINARY POSTURE
FOR HER TO HAVE TAKEN AT THIS
POINT.
YOUR THOUGHTS.
>> WELL, IF YOU RECALL, THE LAST
TIME THAT WE WERE THINKING ABOUT
CONDUCTING A STRIKE DURING THE
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION, BRITAIN
DID NOT GO ALONG WITH IT.
AND SO TERESA MAY HAS USED
POLITICAL ISSUES INSIDE HER OWN
COUNTRY.
I'M NOT SURPRISED BY HER CAUTION
HERE.
I AM SURPRISED BY THE FACT THAT
WE'RE STILL STRUGGLING OVER THE
INTELLIGENCE ITSELF.
I WAS LED TO BELIEVE A COUPLE OF
DAYS AGO THAT IT WAS PRETTY
SOLID IN TERMS OF WHAT WE HAD
AND IT CERTAINLY INDICATES THAT
GIVEN THE REMARKS THAT OUR
PRESIDENT HAS BEEN MAKING, YOU
KNOW FOR THIS ENTIRE WEEK, IT
WOULD BE HARD TO BELIEVE HE
WOULD BE MAKING COMMENTS LIKE
THAT IF SOMEONE DIDN'T TELL HIM
THAT ALL OF OUR PRELIMINARY
INDICATIONS WAS THIS WAS INDEED
A CHEMICAL NERVE AGENT.
LOU: THERE'S A STRANGE
HESITATION HERE NOW.
BECAUSE THERE HAS BEEN SO MUCH
PUBLIC DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS,
NOT ONLY HERE BUT ALSO OF COURSE
IN EUROPE.
AND NOW IT SEEMS TO BE, IF YOU
WILL, A BIT VAGUE.
THAT MAY BE INTENTIONALLY SO SO
THAT THERE IS AN ELEMENT OF
SURPRISE WHENEVER THE UNITED
STATES DOES TAKE ACTION IF THE
PRESIDENT DECIDES THAT'S EXACTLY
WHAT HE IS TO DO.
YOUR THINKING ON THAT.
>> I THINK WHAT'S REALLY GOING
ON, LOU, IS WE'RE JUST BRINGING
OUR ASSETS INTO POSITION.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT -- THEY
DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT
BECAUSE THAT BEGINS TO REVEAL
YOUR HAND WHERE ARE THEY AND HOW
MANY DAYS OFF FROM THE ACTUAL
STRIKE.
BUT I THINK THAT'S WHAT'S
HAPPENING.
POSITIONING AUTOMATIC OF OUR
ASSETS THAT WILL PARTICIPATE IN
THIS OPERATION AND ALSO THOSE OF
OUR ALLIES WHO HAVE THE PROPER
CAPABILITY TO PARTICIPATE.
LOU: SHOULD THERE BE CONCERN AT
THIS POINT ABOUT THE NEW
ALLIANCE THAT HAS BEEN CREATED,
THE AXIS, IF YOU WILL, IN THE
MIDDLE EAST AMONG TURKEY, IRAN
AND RUSSIA?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
AND I DON'T THINK WE HAVE A
COHERENT STRATEGY DEALING WITH
THAT IN THIS ADMINISTRATION WHEN
DEAL WITH SYRIA.
I THINK THE NATIONAL SECURITY
ADVISER IS PROBABLY GOING TO
TAKE THAT ON PRETTY STRONGLY TO
MAKE CERTAIN, YOU KNOW, THAT WE
DO GIVE THE PRESIDENT THE RIGHT
OPTIONS ON HOW TO DEAL WITH THIS
LONG TERM.
BUT CLEARLY WHAT PRESIDENT TRUMP
SAID A YEAR AGO LAST SUMMER, HE
WENT TO RIYADH, 55 LEADERS WERE
THERE FROM THE ENTIRE REGION AND
HE STOOD UP IN FRONT OF HIM
SAYING I STAND WITH YOU AGAINST
OUR STRATEGIC ENEMY IN THE
REGION WHICH IS IRAN.
AND I THINK AS THIS AXIS, AS YOU
DESCRIBE, CONTINUES TO GROW, I
BELIEVE ONE OF THE THINGS WE
SHOULD BE DOING IS FORMALIZING
AN ALLIANCE IN THE MIDDLE EAST,
AN ARAB NATO, POLITICAL AND
MILITARY ALLIANCE TO COUNTER THE
AGGRESSION AND MALIGNED BEHAVIOR
THAT'S TAKING PLACE.
LOU: THE IDEA OF CREATING A
COUNTER VEILING ORGANIZATION LED
BY THE UNITED STATES AGAINST
RUSSIA IN THE REGION DIVIDING UP
ALONG THE LINES THAT ACTUALLY
THEY'VE BEEN OPERATING UNDER FOR
DECADES, IT'S SORT OF
RECOGNITION OF WHO THE ENEMY IS
AND WHAT HAS TO BE DONE.
GENERAL, AS ALWAYS, WE