WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
AS WE'VE BEEN REPORTING
PRESIDENT TRUMP PLANS TO PULL
AMERICAN TROOPS OUT OF NORTHERN
SYRIA, THIS COMES AS TURKEY
SAYS IT'S PREPARED TO LAUNCH A
MILITARY OPERATION IN THE AREA,
HERE'S A DISCUSS THE WIDER
IMPLICATIONS OF THESE DECISIONS
IS JAMES CARAFANO THE VICE
PRESIDENT OF THE DAVIS
INSTITUTE FOR NATIONAL SECURITY
AND FOREIGN POLICY. JAMES
WELCOME TO
THE SHOW. THEY COULD DO IT TO A
NICE TO HAVE YOU SO HOW DO YOU
THINK THIS DECISION TO PULL
TROOPS OUT WILL IMPACT US
RELATIONS IN THAT AREA.
>> MIDDLE EAST IS KIND LIKE THE
SHOW ME STATE DO THESE PEOPLE
REALLY US WE'RE GOING TO LOOK
AND SEE WHAT THE RESULTS ON THE
GROUND AND MORE IMPORTANTLY HOW
DO IMPACT THEM INDIVIDUALLY.
WELL WE GET
WRAPPED UP THIS WHOLE NARRATIVE
ABOUT YOU KNOW WHETHER THE US
IS HOPE AND
STAYING WITHOUT HAS THERE BEEN
ANY ALLIES I THINK IT ACTUALLY
THAT MUCH OF AN IMPACT THE US
HAS LIMITED INTERESTS WHO HAVE
LIMITED CAPABILITIES AND WE
HAVE LIMITED INFLUENCE IN SYRIA
EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT I'M THE
TURKS ARE DOING THIS THEY COULD
DO THEY COULD DO THIS WHETHER
WE LET THEM OR NOT
SO I DON'T THINK ANYBODY IN THE
REGION ACTUALLY LOOK TO THE US
AND SEEMS LIKE
THAT WE ARE MAKING A MAJOR MOVE
HERE. I DON'T THINK THAT'S HOW
THEY WILL INTERPRET THIS.
>> AS THIS STORY DEVELOPS WHAT
IS THE MAJOR PRIORITIES FOR THE
U S.
>> THROUGH INTERESTS IN THE YOU
READ ABOUT THE TEST TO COME
BACK, WE DON'T WANT ANOTHER
CALIPHATE LEAST WE'VE SEEN THE
PROBLEMS THAT THAT CAUSES
KNOW WHAT MASSES OF REFUGEES ON
THE TOE TO TOE WITH THE
PROBLEMS IN SYRIA SPILL OUT
INTO THE RIVER.
THE LARGER REGION EVERY WOULD
LIKE SYRIA NOT TO BE A BASE
THAT THE IRANIANS CAN USE TO
THREATEN ISRAEL BECAUSE ISRAEL
IS OUR CLOSEST. IN
THE REGION. IF THE TURKISH
GOVERNMENT DOES WHAT THEY SAY
THEY'RE GOING TO DO WHICH IS A
LIMITED INCURSION
TO SAY AN AREA
THAT SECURE SO REFUGEES CAN
COME BACK AND SO THAT THAT AREA
IS NOT A PLATFORM FOR THE PKK
WHICH ARE WHICH IS A TERRORIST
GROUP TO LAUNCH ATTACKS
ON TURKEY AND WHEN THAT DOESN'T
MAKE IT A REAL IMPACT ANY OF
THE
US CENTRAL.
>> JAMES TOP REPUBLICANS HAVE
BEEN VOCAL IN THEIR CRITICISM
OF TRUMP'S DECISION INCLUDING
SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM WHO
SEEMS TO SIDE
WITH HIM. HOW FAME MOST THE
TIME WHAT IS THEIR LACK OF
SUPPORT MEAN FOR THE
PRESIDENT'S ABILITY TO GET THIS
DONE.
>> I YOU KNOW I DON'T KNOW I
MEAN I HAVEN'T TALK EVERYBODY
THAT'S CRITICIZE THE PRESIDENT
AND I LISTEN TO THE SPECTER OF
CRITICISMS BUT I GO BACK UP
AGAIN I LOOK AT
OUR INTERESTS AND I WOULD WITH
THE TURKS ARE DOING AND IF THE
TALKS DO IT THEY SAY THEY'RE
GOING TO DO IT SURE
IT REALLY BIG UGLY IMPACT ON US
ONE OF THE REAL CONCERNS AS
THERE ARE THOUSANDS
OF ISIS. FIGHTERS WHO HAVE BEEN
DETAINED IN THAT REGION AND SO
ONE OF THE VERY FAIR QUESTION
IS WHAT HAPPENS
WITH THAT IF THE TURKS TAKE
OVER THAT LAND THE BILL IS
SPONSORED THE FOR THOSE PEOPLE
AND THEIR RESPONSE AND TO MAKE
SURE THEY AREN'T SCATTERED
AROUND RUNNING AROUND TRYING TO
SET UP NEW CALIPHATE NOW THE
PUBLIC SOME REALLY HIGH VALUE
DETAINEES THAT THAT THE US
COULD ACTUALLY TRY IN COURT IN
THE UNITED STATES
FOR CRIMES. NO BUT WE SHOULD
WORK TOGETHER TO MAYBE TAKE
THOSE GUYS AND TAKE ABOUT WHAT
I CAN TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR
FOR ALL
THOSE DETAINEES BUT THE TURKS
YOU KNOW YOU BREAK IT, YOU BUY
IT AT IF THEY GO THERE THEY OWN
THAT PROBLEM AND THEY HAVE AND
THAT'S A POTENTIAL PROBLEM IF
THEY DON'T DO IT RIGHT.
>> REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS AS
WE KNOW SELDOM AGREE ON.
>> ANYTHING THESE DAYS, BUT
THEY SEEM TO BE UNITED IN
THAT THIS.
>> WITH A BAD DECISION BY THE
PRESIDENT WHY DO YOU THINK THAT
THERE'S BEEN SUCH A STRONG
OUTCRY.
>> YOU KNOW WE'RE A CRAZY TIME
THE PEOPLE OF TRUMP'S WAS GOOD
THEN BUT THAT'S
JUST NORMAL AND SO THAT'S ONE
CATEGORY WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO
THINK THAT SOMEHOW THE UNITED
STATES CAN SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF
SYRIA AND
WE CAN'T SO IT IS NOT A VIOLENT
ARREST, THE UNITED STATES.
WE DON'T HAVE THE FORCES TO DO
THAT WITH A FEW 100 PEOPLE THAT
PART OF THE COUNTRY THAT IS
TO BOTH SO WE WILL HAVE THE
CAPACITY TO DO
VERY MUCH AND MAYBE ALL THOSE
THINGS COME TO THOSE ACCOMPLICE
OF CRITICISM, BUT I ACTUALLY
THINK IF YOU UNPACK WHAT THE
PRESIDENT'S DOING. IT ACTUALLY
LOOKS PRETTY REASONABLE AGAIN.
THE QUESTION IS NOT WHAT WE'RE
DOING HERE. THE QUESTION IS
WHAT ARE THE TURKS COULD DO IF
THEY DON'T DO
THIS RIGHT THAT I THINK
LEGITIMATELY THE THAT'S A
CONCERN AND WE SHOULD
CRITICIZE THAT.
>> JAMES ON THAT KNOW VERY
QUICKLY A TURKEY DID LAUNCH A
MILITARY ATTACK HOW DO YOU SEE
THAT IMPACTING US INTERESTS IN
THE REGION.
>> WELL I THINK THE NUMBER ONE
THING IS ISIS FIGHTERS IF THEY
JUST LET THESE GUYS RUN ON THE
LOOSE THAT'S THAT'S BAD AND YOU
CRITICIZE THAT. ANOTHER BIG
CONCERN IS
HUMANITARIAN CONCERN. GOOD IF
THERE'S A IN A SENSE ARE
PUTTING HUNDREDS WAY OR HURT
THAT SAID THAT THE HUMAN RIGHTS
CHALLENGE. AND THE 3RD THING IS
IS THAT THERE'S NO REASON WHY I
COULD SHOULD BE FIGHTING WITH
THE TURKS AND WE WOULD NOT LIKE
TO SEE KIND OF A ARMED CONFLICT
DEVELOP BETWEEN THE YPG AND AND
THE TURKS.
>> ALL RIGHT, THANKS PRESIDENT
OF THE DAVIS INSTITUTE FOR