RETURN TO WASHINGTON ON
SUNDAY, LAWMAKERS WOULD BACK
EARLY NEXT WEEK.
JON: SO THE PRESIDENT'S BEEN
BUSY ON THE TWITTER MACHINE
TODAY AND JUST MOMENTS AGO
PRESIDENT TRUMP WARNING IRONIC
AND STRIKING ANY AMERICAN
ASSETS.
SAYING THE U.S. HAS QUOTE
TARGETED 52 IRANIAN SITES
REPRESENTING THE 52 AMERICAN
HOSTAGES TAKEN BY RON MANY
YEARS AGO.
SOME AT A VERY HIGH LEVEL AND
IMPORTANT TO IRONIC THE
IRANIAN CULTURE.
AND THOSE TARGETS IN IRAN
ITSELF WILL BE HIT VERY FAST
AND VERY HARD.
THE USA WANTS NO MORE
THREATS.
REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN FROM
KANSAS IS A MEMBER OF THE
HOUSE FOREIGN AFFAIRS
COMMITTEE.
HE IS ALSO A VETERAN OF IRAQ
AND THE U.S. ARMY.
CONGRESSMAN, THERE HAS BEEN A
LOT OF HANDWRINGING OVER THE
DEATHS OF QASSEM SOLEIMANI.
WHAT IS YOUR TAKE?
>> WHAT'S YOUR MEMBER THIS IS
GREAT NEWS.
FIRST OF ALL WE TOOK A
POWERFUL PIECE OF THE
CHESSBOARD, BUT WE ARE MOVING
FROM AN OBAMA POLICY OF
CONCILIATORY NOTICE OVER TO
DONALD TRUMP WHO WANTS TO
REESTABLISH DETERRENCE AND
ESTABLISH US AS A CREDIBLE
THREAT.
AND THAT IS SO IMPERATIVE FOR
THOSE OF US WHO HAVE BEEN
TACTICAL ON THE GROUND, AND WE
UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE.
NOW IRAN WILL CONTINUE TO
ESCALATE, AND CLIMB UP THAT
LETTER B ESCALATION.
BUT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON WHAT'S
CLEAR, WE HAVE A CLEAR AND
DEEP MISSION.
AND THAT IS TO PROMOTE
PROSPERITY THROUGHOUT THE
REGION.
WE GET WITHIN THROUGH OUR
ALLIES USING OUR MILITARY
FORCES IF NEED BE, BUT
PREFERABLY ECONOMICS AND
DIPLOMACY AND THE LIKE.
JON: OBVIOUSLY THEIR ROCKIES
ARE THREATENING NOW TO PUSH
U.S. TROOPS OUT OF THAT
COUNTRY AS A RESULT OF THIS
AIRSTRIKE.
IRAQ IN SOME SENSE, IT'S BEING
KIND OF A PUPPET STATES TO
IRONIC STAYS.
WHAT IF THAT WAS TO HAPPEN.
WHAT IF U.S. FORCES GET KICKED
OUT OF IRAQ BECAUSE OF ALL OF
THIS.
DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH BLOOD AND
TREASURE THE UNITED STATES HAS
SPENT THERE?
WOULD THAT BE WORTH IT?
>> I SAW THE STATEMENTS OF
PRYING MINISTER AND KIND OF
LIKE SECRETARY POMPEO, I
BELIEVE HE KNOWS THE ACTUAL
SITUATION IS HE ENDED MANY
PEOPLE WANT THE UNITED STATES
THERE.
THE FACT THERE ARE
DEMONSTRATORS REJOICING OVER
THE FACT THAT WE KILLED
SOLEIMANI IT WILL BE THERE.
UNFORTUNATELY I THINK IT'S A
SOFT TARGET WE WILL GET A
RETALIATORY ATTACK FROM IRAN.
LOOKING AT THE BATTLE SPACE
THAT IS PROBABLY WHERE IT'S
CAN HAPPEN.
THAT IS UNFORTUNATE.
I HAVE BEEN ON THE GROUND
THERE AND MY HEART GOES OUT TO
THE SOLDIERS AND INDIVIDUALS
AND DIPLOMATS, AND THE
CONTRACTORS THERE.
BUT WE'RE CERTAINLY GOING
THROUGH A TOUGH TIME RIGHT NOW
BUT I.OUT THAT ACTION IN THE
SHORT-TERM DOES TAKE RISK.
BUT IN ACTION AND THE LONG RUN
IS EVEN MORE RISKY.
JON: A LOT OF DEMOCRATS ARE
UPSET, MAYBE EVEN ANGRY AT THE
PRESIDENT OVER THE STRIKE.
I WANT TO READ A STATEMENT
FROM SENATOR TIM KAINE OF
VIRGINIA.
HE WANTS TO SEE THE WAR POWERS
RESOLUTION FILED.
HE SAYS WE OUTSOURCE SERVICE
MEMBERS TO HAVE A DEBATE AND
VOTE ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT IT'S
IN OUR NATIONAL BEST INTEREST
TO ENGAGE IN ANOTHER
UNNECESSARY WAR IN THE MIDDLE
EAST.
IN YOUR VIEW, IS WHAT THE
PRESIDENT DID TENSION TO
STARTING A WAR?
>> JON, NO, I'VE HEARD THE
DEMOCRATS RESPONSE.
AT FIRST THEY WERE TALKING
ABOUT ELEMENTS OF JUST WAR
THEORY.
FOR EXAMPLE WAS A
PROPORTIONATE RESPONSE, I
HEARD THAT.
I ALSO HEARD DID HE HAVE THE
AUTHORITY?
HE ABSOLUTELY HAVE THE
AUTHORITY.
NOW THIS INSURGENT, THAT'S
WHAT HE WAS A COMBATANT IN
IRAQ HAD KILLED HUNDREDS OF
AMERICAN SERVICE MEMBERS.
SO WE HAD EVERY BIT THE
RIGHTS, AND I WOULD BE HAPPY
TO DEBATE THAT WITH ANY
DEMOCRAT IN THE HOUSE.
JON: THE ARGUMENT IS THOUGH
YOU CUT THE HEAD OFF THE
SNAKE, BUT THE SNAKE REMAINS
ALIVE.
AND THAT IT WILL JUST GROW A
NEW HEAD.
WHAT ABOUT THAT?
>> ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT
SOLEIMANI IS THAT ONE OF THE
THINGS HE ADDED WAS HIS
PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS THAT HE
HAD WITH HAS BELONG IN LEBANON
AND SYRIA, AND IRAQ, AND YOU
TAKE AWAY HIM AS AN
INDIVIDUAL, A LOT OF THAT
DEPENDS ON THE PERSONAL
RELATIONSHIP THEY HAD WITH
HIM.
THAT'S WHEN HE BROUGHT TO THE
FIGHT.
WHEN YOU TAKE HIM AWAY IT'S
MORE THAN JUST A POSITION.
HE IS KIND OF A FOLK HERO AS
WE SEE.
SO IT'S A HUGE VICTORY FOR US,
AND AGAIN WE NEED TO
REESTABLISH OURSELVES AS A
CREDIBLE THREAT.
AND THAT SOMETHING EVEN AT THE
TACTICAL LEVEL, THERE'S A LOT
OF PEOPLE FOR WHOM I MAKE
SENSITIVE FOR THE STRATEGIC
LEVEL WE TAKE IT DOWN TO THE
TACTICAL LEVEL.
THOSE AROUND THE GROUND WITH
RIFLES AND SAT PHONES, WE WANT
THEM TO BELIEVE THAT IF
ANYTHING WERE TO HAPPEN TO US,
THEN A PRECISION GUIDED
HELLFIRE MISSILE FROM A REAPER
DRONE WAS GONNA COME RAINING
DOWN ON THEM.
THAT'S WHAT WE DID, NESSA FEAR
WE SET ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
IF YOU ARE BATTLE CAPTAIN AND
YEAR YEMEN AND THERE IS AN
INSURGENT OR LET'S SAY AND HAS
BELOW, KEEP IN MIND THAT IF WE
CAN TAKE OUT YOUR GENERAL,
THEN WE CAN CERTAINLY TAKE YOU