>> Charles: THIS TWEET JUST
SENT FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP "IRAN
WILL BE HELD FULLY RESPONSIBLE
FOR LIVES LOST OR DAMAGE
INCURRED AT ANY OF OUR
FACILITIES.
THEY WILL PAY A VERY BIG PRICE.
THIS IS NOT A WARNING.
THIS IS A THREAT.
HAPPY NEW YEAR."
SITS ON THE HOUSE FOR RELATIONS
COMMITTEE.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
IN THIS PUBLICATION, IT SEEMS
LIKE EVERY SINGLE DAY RATCHETS
UP HIGHER AND HIGHER.
IRAN OF PUSHING THE ENVELOPE
EITHER DIRECTLY OR THROUGH
PROXY.
WHERE WE CAN I GO FROM HERE?
>> THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT IRAN
DOES, PUSH IT TO A RESPONSE.
THIS IS WHY THE PRESIDENT IS
SMART TO RESPOND LIKE HE DID.
THE PRESIDENT MADE IT CLEAR THAT
IF YOU HARM AMERICANS, THAT WILL
INCUR THE WRATH OF AMERICAN
PEOPLE.
THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED.
IRAN IS GOING TO TRY TO STEP IT
UP TO SEE IF THEY CANNOT GET A
RESPONSE BY THE UNITED STATES
AND ONCE THEY GET ANOTHER
RESPONSE, THEY WILL HOLD BACK
DOWN SOME.
THIS IS NOT AS JOHN BOLTON HAD
TWEETED.
THIS IS NOT THE IRAQI PEOPLE BY
AT LARGE.
THE IRAQI ARE PROTESTING AGAINST
IRANI INVOLVEMENT IN IRAQ.
THE PEOPLE OF LEBANON ARE
PROTESTING AGAINST THE
INVOLVEMENT OF IRAN AND LEBANON.
IRAN IS A DECLINING NATION RIGHT
NOW ESPECIALLY AFTER WE PULLED
AFTER A NUCLEAR DEAL.
THEY ARE FEELING THE HEAT AND
TRYING TO RATCHET UP THE
PRESSURE.
>> Charles: WHAT ARE THEY GET
IF PRESIDENT TRUMP WERE TO
OVERREACT IN YOUR OPINION?
WHAT EXACTLY DO THEY WANT?
DO THEY WANT TO BE SEEN AS
VICTIMS ON THE WORLD STAGE?
>> LOOK AT THE BLAME AMERICA
FIRST CROWD OF THAT HAS WOKEN UP
TODAY.
THIS IS A RESULT OF TRUMP'S
FOREIGN POLICY WITH HIS
OBVIOUSLY IS A KNEE-JERK
REACTION TO BLAME WHEN AMERICA
HAS DONE.
WHAT THEY WANT TO DO IS GET
THOSE BLAME AMERICA FIRST PEOPLE
OFF TALKING.
THEY WANT TO DO SOMETHING WITH
VIOLENCE OR DAMAGE AND THE
UNITED STATES NOT RESPOND TO
MAKE US LOOK WEAK.
THERE IS IN A NUMBER OF THINGS
THEY WANT TO DO.
LET THE BIG THING IS THEY WANT
TO DRAW AMERICA BACK TO THE
NEGOTIATING TABLE TO GET THE OLD
IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL THAT BASICALLY
ALL IT EVER DID WAS RELEASE A
BUNCH OF FUNDS TO IRAN THAT THEY
DID USED TO REBUILD ROADS AND
BRIDGES.
THEY DID IT TO DO THEIR FOREIGN
POLICY ENGAGEMENT IN LEBANON AND
SYRIA AND ELSEWHERE.
>> Charles: WHAT ROLES WE PLAY
WITH THE UPRISING THAT'S GOING
ON IN IRAN?
THEIR GOVERNMENT ADMITTED HOW
MANY PEOPLE DIED IN A RECENT
PROCESS.
I WAS SHOCKED AT A NUMBER THAT
IRAN WOULD ADMIT THAT.
I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE MUCH
HIGHER THAN THAT.
THERE WERE OPPORTUNITIES OVER
THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS THAT
AMERICA COULD HAVE DONE
SOMETHING TO HELP THE GRASSROOTS
MOVEMENT IN IRAN TO PUSH
THROUGH.
IT FEELS LIKE THE PEOPLE THERE
NOW ARE TIRED OF THIS EXPERIMENT
I WOULD LIKE TO GO BACK TO SOME
FORM OF DEMOCRACY.
>> THEY ARE.
THE IRANIAN PEOPLE ARE MODERATE.
A LOT OF THEM ARE SECULAR.
THEY HAVE BEEN CONTROLLED BY
THIS IRON GRIP.
THAT EXTREMIST GOVERNMENT.
IN 2009 WHEN THEY ROSE UP
AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT,
BARACK OBAMA HAD AN OPPORTUNITY
TO JUST GIVE MORAL SUPPORT TO
THEM.
HE FAILED TO DO IT.
THAT UPRISING WAS CRUSHED.
NOW THIS IS STARTING AGAIN.
NOT TO THE LEVEL THAT IT WAS NOT
'09, BUT THE PEOPLE ARE SAYING
WE COULD DO BETTER.
WE COULD LEND MORAL SUPPORT TO
THIS SPIRIT THAT MAKES A HUGE
DIFFERENCE.
I THINK THE PRESIDENT IS ON THE
RIGHT TRACK WITH THIS.
>> Charles: YOU STARTED OUT BY
SAYING THAT YOU BEEN FRUSTRATED
AT TIMES.
WE HAVE TO ADMIT THAT IN THE
MIDDLE EAST, PRESIDENT TRUMP TO
A LARGE DEGREE IS BETWEEN A ROCK
AND A HARD PLACE.
ENDLESS WARS AND THE LIVES AND
TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS WE'VE LOST.
IT'S A COMPLICATED JOB DAY IN
AND DAY OUT, ISN'T IT?
>> IT IS.
THIS IS WHERE WE HAVE TO GO BACK
AND LEADERS THAT WE EXPLAIN WHAT
WE ARE DOING.
IT IS NOT OUR CHOICE TO FIGHT
TERRORISM.
IT'S A TERRORISM CHOICE.
WE EITHER FIGHT THEM IN THE
UNITED STATES OR OVER THERE.
WHETHER IT IS IRAN SPREADING ITS
GOVERNMENT EVERY WAY.
