THANK YOU FOR THAT, CHERYL.
[LAUGHTER]
MARIA: MEANWHILE, PRO DEMOCRACY
ACTIVIST AND FRIEND OF THIS
PROGRAM JIMMY LAI HAS BEEN
SENTENCED YESTERDAY, THE
SENTENCING CAME DOWN, A 13 MONTH
PRISON SENTENCE BY A HONG KONG
COURT.
HE WAS FOUND GUILTY LAST WEEK
FOR HIS ROLE IN THE 2020
ASSEMBLY FOR VICTIMS OF THE 1989
TIANANMEN SQUARE MASSACRE.
LAI HAS BEEN A FIERCE CRITIC OF
MAINLAND CHINA AND CRACK DOWN ON
DEMOCRACY AND LED HONG KONG
ASSEMBLIES IN 2019
ANTI-GOVERNMENT PROTESTS.
HE SPOKE WITH US BEFORE HE WAS
ARRESTED LAST YEAR.
WATCH.
>> I EXPECT THAT I WOULD HAVE
TO GO TO JAIL.
I DON’T KNOW WHEN OR FOR HOW
LONG.
BUT DEFINITELY I WOULD NOT ADMIT
GUILTY BECAUSE FOR SOMEBODY WHO
IS DETERMINED TO RESIST, I WOULD
NEVER ADMIT GUILTY.
MARIA: WHAT COURAGE.
THIS WAS HIS LAST INTERVIEW
BEFORE BEING TAKEN IN TO JAIL IN
HONG KONG.
JOINING ME RIGHT NOW IS FOX NEWS
SENIOR STRATEGIC ANALYST,
GENERAL JACK KEANE.
GENERAL, GOOD TO SEE YOU THIS
MORNING.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
YOUR REACTION TO THE FATE OF
JIMMY LAI?
>> WELL, FULL DISCLOSURE, MARIA,
YOU KNOW HE’S A GOOD FRIEND OF
MINE.
I’VE KNOWN HIM FOR MANY YEARS,
INDEPENDENTLY WEALTHY PERSON, HE
CLEARLY HAD A LOT OF OPTION OFS
IF HE WANTED TO FLEE HONG KONG
BUT HE SAID THE PEOPLE COULDN’T
FLEE, HE WAS GOING TO STAND WITH
THEM AS THEY SYSTEMATICALLY TOOK
AWAY THEIR CIVIL RIGHTS, THEIR
RULE OF LAW, ET CETERA.
YES, SENTENCED FOR 13 MONTHS.
HE ALREADY SPENT A YEAR IN JAIL.
HE’S FACING A MUCH MORE SERIOUS
TRUMPED-UP CHARGE, ESPIONAGE,
WHICH COULD GET HIM EVEN MORE
SERIOUS SENTENCE THAN 13 MONTHS
AND THAT’S IN THE OFFING.
I WOULD REALLY HOPE THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION COULD GET BEHIND
THIS WITH THE STATE DEPARTMENT
AND ENERGIZE SOME OTHER
COUNTRIES AND USE JIMMY LAI AS A
SYMBOL OF WHAT HAS TAKEN PLACE
IN HONG KONG BECAUSE THE CHINESE
COMMUNIST PARTY IS LITERALLY
CRUSHING THE DEMOCRACY THAT USED
TO EXIST THERE.
MARIA: WELL, I MEAN, GENERAL,
WE WERE ALL HORRIFIED WHEN THE
CCP STARTED MARCHING INTO HONG
KONG LAST YEAR, EARLIER THIS
YEAR, AND THREW JIMMY LAI IN
JAIL, STARTED CRACKING DOWN ON
FREEDOM FIGHTERS AND I WAS
STUNNED, FRANKLY, THAT WE HAVE
NOT HEARD A PEEP ABOUT THIS FROM
THE REST OF THE WORLD.
I MEAN, EVERYBODY’S GEARING UP
TO GO AGAINST RUSSIA.
THEY WANT ANSWERS ON THE UKRAINE
BUILD-UP.
THEY WANT ANSWERS FROM RUSSIA.
AND YET NO COMMENT WHATSOEVER
ABOUT THE CCP GOING INTO HONG
KONG 25 YEARS EARLY, BREAKING
PROMISES ONCE AGAIN AND START
PUTTING THEIR OWN NEW NATIONAL
SECURITY LAWS IN PLACE?
>> YEAH.
THE ONLY COUNTRY THAT REALLY WAS
SPEAKING UP AGAINST THAT WITH A
LOUD VOICE WAS THE UNITED STATES
AND THERE IS A MOVEMENT IN
GENEVA ON JIMMY LAI’S BEHALF AND
A OTHER DISSIDENTS WHO ARE IN
JAIL AND THAT HOPEFULLY WILL
TAKE ON SOME EFFORT AND PULL
SOME OTHER COUNTRIES IN.
BUT I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE
THIS ADMINISTRATION SHOW SOME
LEADERSHIP HERE AND STEP UP HERE
AND SPEAK ON BEHALF OF JIM ANY
-- JIMMY LAI AND ALSO THE PEOPLE
IN HONG KONG.
MARIA: WE HAVEN’T SEEN IT AS
RELATES TO CHINA.
YOU KNOW, JOE BIDEN REFUSES TO
BRING UP THE ORIGINS OF
COVID-19.
HE HAS SPOKEN WITH XI JINPING
FOUR TIMES THIS YEAR AND A NOT
ONCE DID THE SUBJECT COME UP.
MEANWHILE, THE ADMINISTRATION IS
ADMITTING NOW THAT IT LEFT
HUNDREDS MORE U.S. CITIZENS IN
AFGHANISTAN THAN THEY ORIGINALLY
TOLD US.
479 AMERICANS HAVE BEEN
EVACUATED SINCE AUGUST 31st,
GENERAL.
SO BIDEN HAD SAID THAT AT THE
TIME ONLY 100 TO 200 PEOPLE
REMAINED WHO WANTED TO LEAVE.
WHO WANTED TO LEAVE, THEY KEPT
SAYING.
THIS AS THE PENTAGON SAYS IT
WILL NOT PUNISH ANY TROOPS
INVOLVED IN THE AUGUST DRONE
STRIKE THAT KILLED AFGHAN
CIVILIANS.
YOUR THOUGHTS?
THE MESS CONTINUES OUT OF
AFGHANISTAN.
>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THE
PRESIDENT DECLARED A COUPLE OF
WEEKS BEFORE WE LEFT AFGHANISTAN
THAT WE WOULD NOT LEAVE ANY
AMERICAN CITIZENS BEHIND.
OBVIOUSLY, WE LEFT CLOSE TO 500.
MOST PEOPLE WHO ARE INVOLVED IN
TRYING TO EVACUATE ARE AMERICAN
CITIZENS, GOLD CARD -- I MEAN
GREEN CARD HOLDERS AND ALSO CALF
BEGAN PARTNERS, BELIEVE THERE’S
MANY MORE THERE AS WELL.
THERE’S CERTAINLY THOUSANDS OF
AFGHAN PARTNERS THERE.
SO THE ADMINISTRATION, WHAT THEY
HAVE ALWAYS DONE HERE SINCE WE
RETREATED FROM AFGHANISTAN IS
MINIMIZE THE NUMBER OF AMERICAN
CITIZENS THAT ARE STILL THERE
AND LARGELY AND SADLY HAVE
IGNORED THE THOUSANDS OF AFGHAN
PARTNERS THERE.
ANY ONE OF THE SPECIAL GROUPS
THAT ARE WORKING WITH OUR AFGHAN
PARTNERS KNOWS FULL WELL THAT
THE STATE DEPARTMENT DOESN’T
RANK THAT AS A PRIORITY.
THEY’LL NEVER SAY THAT PUBLICLY
BUT THAT’S WHERE THEY ARE.
WE’RE GOING TO WIND UP LEAVING
THOUSANDS OF OUR AFGHAN PARTNERS
IN AFGHANISTAN AND BELIEVE ME,
AS WE ALREADY KNOW BECAUSE THE
EVIDENCE IS IN, THAT THE TALIBAN
WILL SYSTEMATICALLY KILL THEM.
WHEN IT COMES TO THE DRONE
STRIKE, LOOK, IF THERE WAS
INTENT TO KILL CIVILIANS THERE,
THEN SOMEBODY WOULD BE
COURT-MARTIALED.
WE HAVE DONE THAT IN THE PAST.
THE UNITED STATES DOESN’T BACK
AWAY FROM HOLDING ITS SOLDIERS
ACCOUNTABLE WHEN THEY HAVE THAT
KIND OF MISCONDUCT TAKING PLACE.
WE’VE HAD CRITICS OF THAT POLICY
TOO, BY THE WAY, WHEN WE’VE
STOOD UP AND ARE GOING TO PUNISH
SOMEBODY FOR INTENTIONALLY
KILLING CIVILIANS, PEOPLE SAY
THEY SHOULDN’T BE PUNISHED
BECAUSE THEY’RE INVOLVED IN WAR
AND THAT’S THE COST OF DOING
BUSINESS.
IN THE VALUES OF THE UNITED
STATES, THAT’S NOT WHAT WE
BELIEVE.
WHAT HAPPENED HERE WAS NO INTENT
TO KILL CIVILIANS, SO NO
CRIMINAL CHARGE.
EVIDENCE OF MISCONDUCT, THEY
COULDN’T FIND THAT.
WE HAD 170 PEOPLE KILLED A
COUPLE DAYS PRIOR TO THE
INCIDENT.
HUGE PLEASURE BECAUSE ANOTHER
ATTACK WAS COMING.
REMEMBER THE SCENES OF ALL OF
THOSE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE AROUND
THE AIRPORT, THAT WOULD BE THE
TARGET AND THE PRESSURE WAS ON
AND WE MISCALCULATED.
WE HAD HUGE TRAGIC MISTAKE IN
OUR PROCESS AND PROCEDURES.
MISTAKES BUT NOT MISCONDUCT AND
NOT GROSS NEGLIGENCE.
WE DON’T HAVE THE FACTS
CERTAINLY BECAUSE IT’S
CLASSIFIED.
BUT I’M NOT GOING TO SECOND
GUESS THE INVESTIGATORS.
MARIA: WELL, THERE WAS 13 OF
OUR SERVICE MEN ARE DEAD BECAUSE
OF THE BOTCHED WITHDRAWAL IS THE
HEADLINE HERE.
NOW RUSSIAN PRESIDENT PUTIN AND
CHINA’S XI JINPING ARE SET TO
HOLD A VIDEO CALL TOMORROW,
GENERAL.
THEY’RE EXPECTED TO DISCUSS THE
RISING TENSIONS IN EUROPE AND
THE, QUOTE, AGGRESSIVE U.S. AND
NATO RHETORIC, THAT IS WRITTEN
RIGHT OUT OF THE CCP, AS RUSSIA
SAYS IT MAY HAVE TO DEPLOY
MID-RANGE NEW CLEAR MISSILES IN
EUROPE.
-- NUCLEAR MISSILES IN EUROPE.
ONE MORE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF THE
AFGHANISTAN BOTCHED WITHDRAWAL
IS A TIGHTER RELATIONSHIP,
PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN RUSSIA AND
CHINA, I GUESS.
>> WELL, THAT’S CERTAINLY TAKEN
PLACE.
THEY HAVE BEEN GETTING CLOSER
TOGETHER NOW FOR A COUPLE OF
YEARS AND CERTAINLY WHAT’S
HAPPENED HERE WITH THE 110,000
TROOPS IN THE VICINITY OF
UKRAINE AND THOSE NUMBERS
GROWING, PUTIN, THE CRAFTY
STREET FIGHTER THAT HE IS, IS
TRYING TO GET AS MANY
CONCESSIONS AS HE POSSIBLY CAN
OUT OF THE UNITED STATES, GIVEN
THE THREAT OF AN INVASION AND
HERE IS ANOTHER ONE, A MARKER
THAT HE IS PUTTING DOWN.
HE BELIEVES THAT THE UNITED
STATES MAY BE PUTTING IN TO
EASTERN EUROPE OFFENSIVE
MISSILES AND HE DOESN’T WANT
THAT TO TAKE PLACE AND HE’S
PUTTING THAT ON THE TABLE AS A
MAJOR CONCESSION.
HE IS ALSO -- HE ALSO TOLD THE
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION HE WOULD
LIKE NATO AND THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION TO BE EXPLICIT
THAT UKRAINE WILL NEVER BECOME A
MEMBER OF NATO, WE’RE NOT GOING
TO SIGN UP FOR THAT AND HE ALSO
WANTS TO STOP NATO AND THE
UNITED STATES PROVIDING ARMS TO
THE UKRAINIANS AND HOPEFULLY
WE’RE NOT GOING TO STOP THAT.
BUT THIS IS THE TENSION THAT’S
GOING ON RIGHT NOW AS A RESULT
OF THE DISCUSSION THAT BIDEN AND
PUTIN HAD TOGETHER AND WE’LL SEE
WHAT THE RESULTS OF THIS ARE.
IN MY JUDGMENT, PUTIN STILL HAS
THE OPTION CERTAINLY TO INVADE,
TO INCREASE THE TROOP PRESENCE
IN UKRAINE AND HE’S HOLDING THAT
OVER THE ADMINISTRATION AND NATO
TO GET AS MUCH AS HE CAN OUT OF
IT.
REMEMBER, PEW PUTIN, SEES THE
OPPORTUNITY.
AFGHANISTAN WAS AN ACCELERANT
FOR HIM IN TERMS OF WHAT HE
BELIEVES IS A FUNDAMENTAL
WEAKNESS ON THE PART OF THE
UNITED STATES SO THERE’S THE
OPPORTUNITY AND THEN HE TRYING
TO GET AS MUCH OUT OF IT AS HE
POSSIBLY CAN AND THAT’S WHERE WE
ARE RIGHT NOW.
MARIA: I’M SURE OF IT.
DANGEROUS TIMES, GENERAL.
IT’S GOOD TO SEE YOU THIS
MORNING.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR WEIGHING IN
AND WALKING US THROUGH ALL OF
THAT.