David S. Cohen: Trump’s ‘Policy Incoherence’ on Syria Driven by His Impulsiveness

SCARBOROUGH We did hear ░░░░░░░░ our policy is unchanged ░░░░░░░░ Syria COHEN Right SCARBOROUGH ░░░░░░░░ it be unchanged towards ░░░░░░░░ should that be a ░░░░░░░░ off attack Should that ░░░░░░░░ been as the ambassador ░░░░░░░░ more of a statement ░░░░░░░░ re not going to ░░░░░░░░ able to use chemical ░░░░░░░░ on your people or ░░░░░░░░ we change our policy ░░░░░░░░ The policy incoherence in ░░░░░░░░ administration is such that ░░░░░░░░ don t think you ░░░░░░░░ take to the bank ░░░░░░░░ yesterday the administration says ░░░░░░░░ policy is unchanged because ░░░░░░░░ also had Secretary Tillerson ░░░░░░░░ saying that any time ░░░░░░░░ are being slaughtered anywhere ░░░░░░░░ will get involved So ░░░░░░░░ s this continuing lack ░░░░░░░░ clarity about what the ░░░░░░░░ is SCARBOROUGH Should our ░░░░░░░░ remain the same Because ░░░░░░░░ that it is changing ░░░░░░░░ that we re about ░░░░░░░░ take the United States ░░░░░░░░ a full on war ░░░░░░░░ Assad COHEN I think ░░░░░░░░ will that would be ░░░░░░░░ mistake If we were ░░░░░░░░ sort of pursue the ░░░░░░░░ approach that some have ░░░░░░░░ which is that we ░░░░░░░░ get involved any time ░░░░░░░░ you have anyone in ░░░░░░░░ being slaughtered that means ░░░░░░░░ ve got to get ░░░░░░░░ out That means you ░░░░░░░░ going to be fighting ░░░░░░░░ Western Syria day in ░░░░░░░░ day out BRZEZINSKI So ░░░░░░░░ are we doing now ░░░░░░░░ is this How would ░░░░░░░░ describe this COHEN I ░░░░░░░░ the best description of ░░░░░░░░ was a response to ░░░░░░░░ atrocious heinous act and ░░░░░░░░ to re establish the ░░░░░░░░ that chemical weapons cannot ░░░░░░░░ used BRZEZINSKI And if ░░░░░░░░ happens again COHEN Well ░░░░░░░░ s the question The ░░░░░░░░ question is this policy ░░░░░░░░ I think is driven ░░░░░░░░ the fact that the ░░░░░░░░ acts impulsively He saw ░░░░░░░░ images on TV and ░░░░░░░░ I ve got to ░░░░░░░░ something about this Two ░░░░░░░░ later an action was ░░░░░░░░ SCARBOROUGH I m skeptical ░░░░░░░░ that Do you really ░░░░░░░░ that COHEN Absolutely BRZEZINSKI ░░░░░░░░ SCARBOROUGH I m very ░░░░░░░░ It makes a good ░░░░░░░░ I saw the pictures ░░░░░░░░ TV I decided to ░░░░░░░░ He was told by ░░░░░░░░ Mattis he was told ░░░░░░░░ Henry McMaster he was ░░░░░░░░ by everybody around him ░░░░░░░░ cannot let this stand ░░░░░░░░ they took the most ░░░░░░░░ approach that General Mattis ░░░░░░░░ COHEN I think that ░░░░░░░░ right He went to ░░░░░░░░ and said I saw ░░░░░░░░ this is heinous They ░░░░░░░░ You re absolutely right ░░░░░░░░ is what you can ░░░░░░░░ in response What there ░░░░░░░░ t at that point ░░░░░░░░ any consideration of the ░░░░░░░░ after the week after ░░░░░░░░ is our policy Does ░░░░░░░░ signify a change in ░░░░░░░░ or not The problem ░░░░░░░░ that is you now ░░░░░░░░ Secretary Tillerson going to ░░░░░░░░ with this diversity of ░░░░░░░░ in the administration including ░░░░░░░░ Secretary Tillerson himself about ░░░░░░░░ our policy is That ░░░░░░░░ us in a weak ░░░░░░░░ to try to take ░░░░░░░░ of the leverage generated ░░░░░░░░ this strike to negotiate ░░░░░░░░ change in Syria.”